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Ou ka palé Patwa? A Study of Surviving Traditional Domains of Patois Usage in Paramin Village, Trinidad
(2020-05-01) Benjamin, Nicolette, Henry, Treverne, Sookhai, Nicole
This research project expounds on the lexicon of the surviving traditional domains of Trinidadian French Creole (Patwa/Patois) regarding the folktales, proverbs, jokes, and riddles that are in use among the surviving Patois speakers of Paramin Village, Trinidad. The purpose of this study is to aid in the preservation of Trinidadian Patois by exploring, documenting and adding to existing data of this endangered language within these traditional domains. This study is based on a collection of 9 proverbs, 6 folktales, and 2 jokes through the employment of two focus groups, an interview as well as secondary sources. Findings of this study indicated that the Patois speakers of Paramin Village were knowledgeable of the linguistic practices of folktales, proverbs and jokes in Trinidadian French Creole. However, they were unfamiliar with riddles in Patois. This project is anticipated to be effective in building a greater awareness of Trinidadian French Creole within these linguistic practices as this endangered language plays an integral part in the rich and vibrant culture of Trinidad. This study can also inspire future research in the linguistic domain of language preservation of other endangered languages.