- Maio Creole
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Maio Creole is the name given to the variant of Cape Verdean Creole spoken mainly in the Maio Island of Cape Verde. It belongs to the Sotavento Creoles branch. It numbers the entire island population which includes a small part which also speaks Portuguese.
It is the eight and one of the least spoken Cape Verdean Creole and is after Brava and ahead of Boa Vista.
Contents
Characteristics
Besides the main characteristics of Sotavento Creoles the Maio Creole has also the following ones:
- The progressive aspect of the present is formed by putting stâ before the verbs: stâ + V.
- The unstressed final vowels /i/ and /u/ frequently disappear. Ex.: cumádr’ /kuˈmadɾ/ instead of cumádri /kuˈmadɾi/ “midwife”, vilúd’ /viˈlud/ instead of vilúdu /viˈludu/ “velvet”, bunít’ /buˈnit/ instead of bunítu /buˈnitu/ “beautiful”, cantád’ /kɐ̃ˈtad/ instead of cantádu /kɐ̃ˈtadu/ “sung”.
- The sound /dʒ/ (that originates from old Portuguese, written j in the beginning of words) is partially represented by /ʒ/. Ex. jantâ /ʒɐ̃ˈtɐ/ instead of djantâ /dʒɐ̃ˈtɐ/ “to dine”, jôg’ /ʒoɡ/ instead of djôgu /ˈdʒoɡu/ “game”, but in words like djâ /dʒɐ/ “already”, Djõ /dʒõ/ “John” the sound /dʒ/ remains.
Vocabulary
Main article: Cape Verdean Creole#VocabularyGrammar
Main article: Cape Verdean Creole#GrammarPhonology
Main article: Cape Verdean Creole#PhonologyAlphabet
Main article: Cape Verdean Creole#Writing_systemReferences
Main article: Cape Verdean Creole#ReferencesThe Cape Verdean Creole Sotavento Creoles Brava | Fogo | Maio | SantiagoBarlavento Creoles Boa Vista | Sal | Santo Antão | São Nicolau | São VicenteCategories:
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