Linguistics Creole Grammar: The Use of –dem

Creole Grammar 

analysis

Some tourist guidebooks describe pidgins and creoles as baby talk, broken English, improper, or grammarless. But as we've seen, creole languages have systematic rules and are fully developed linguistic systems. Below is a set of data that illustrate the rule of plural formation in Nicaraguan Creole English (from Honda and O'Neil, 2008). 

Nicaraguan Creole English Standard English

The boat-dem de in the river. The boats are in the river.

Ronald send to me two turtledove. Ronald send me two turtledoves.

Is many dog in Bluefields? Are there many dogs in Bluefield?

These dog-dem in the street. These dogs are in the street.

He want seven case of beer. He wants seven cases of beer.

He did see the case of beer-dem. He saw the cases of beer.

The word dem is borrowed from English word them; however, it has a different meaning and use in Nicaraguan Creole English. When do you use -dem in Creole?

You may use Source: linguistics for everyone 2nd edition by Kristin Denham, Anne Lobeck