Bajan

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A language of Barbados

ISO 639-3
bjs
Alternate Names
Barbadian Creole English
User Population

257,000 (2018).

Location

Widespread.

Language Maps
Language Status

6a* (Vigorous). De facto language of national identity.

Classification
Creole, English based, Atlantic, Eastern, Southern
Dialects

None known. Less than 20 lexical items traceable to African origin. Shares lexical features with Caribbean creoles.

Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Bajan
Other Comments

Bajan functions in a continuum with Caribbean Standard English, which is in the process of decreolization. Children learn the current form of Bajan, but it is increasingly becoming more like English (2019 K. Decker). Christian.