Orthography development for Creole languages

Issue Date: 
2014
Publisher: 
University of Groningen
Degree: 
Ph.D., University of Groningen (The Netherlands)
Extent: 
xv, 232 pages
Abstract: 
Writers of Dutch will recognize that spelling reform can be a hotly contested topic with strong feelings about very small details. In the last 200 years many linguists have felt that spelling systems, orthographies, should represent pronunciation as closely as possible. However, for many languages this is unacceptable to the general public. The purpose of this dissertation is to explore possible ways by which orthography developers can diverge from the variability of pronunciation. This research, begun in 1993, is based on the development of an orthography for the Kriol language of Belize, an English-lexicon Creole language. Opinions on writing within the language community vary greatly. For those who want to write Kriol, some want it to look like English, and others want it to look different from English. The attitudes of the people, rather than pronunciation, drive the choices for symbols to represent the sounds. To gain a better understanding of factors that influence orthography design, five case studies of recent development, as well as the history of French writing, are analyzed. Among the principles gleaned from this analysis, foremost are the importance of community involvement and compromise. It is also important to allow time for development and adaptation, and to have the expectation that there will be revision and inconsistencies. The Belize Kriol orthography is increasingly being used throughout the Kriol-speaking population.
Publication Status: 
Published
Country: 
Belize
Subject Languages: 
Content Language: 
Work Type: 
Nature of Work: 
Entry Number: 
60453