In the contemporary world, Cameroonian English has become a topic of constant interest and debate. Its relevance covers multiple areas, from technology to culture, including economics and politics. Cameroonian English has captured the attention of people of all ages and has generated mixed opinions. In this article, we will explore different perspectives on Cameroonian English and analyze its impact on today's society. From its origins to its possible long-term consequences, we will delve into a deep and rigorous analysis to better understand this phenomenon that is so ubiquitous today.
Cameroon English | |
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Region | Cameroon |
Native speakers | 17 million Anglophone Cameroonian (2011) |
Early forms | |
Latin (English alphabet) Unified English Braille | |
Official status | |
Official language in | Cameroon |
Language codes | |
ISO 639-1 | en |
ISO 639-2 | eng |
ISO 639-3 | eng |
Glottolog | came1256 |
IETF | en-CM |
Part of a series on the |
English language |
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Topics |
Advanced topics |
Phonology |
Dialects |
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Teaching |
Cameroon English is an English dialect spoken predominantly in Cameroon, mostly learned as a second language. It shares some similarities with English varieties in neighbouring West Africa, as Cameroon lies at the west of Central Africa. It is primarily spoken in the Northwest and Southwest regions of Cameroon.
It is a postcolonial variety of English, long in use in the territory (Southern Cameroons, now split into Northwest and Southwest). Over the years, it has developed characteristic features, particularly in lexis but also in phonology and grammar. Those characteristics were once regarded as errors but are now increasingly accepted as distinctive Cameroonian contributions to the English language.
The phonemes /ɔː/, /ʌ/ and /ɒ/ tend to merge to /ɔː/, making "cot", "caught" and "cut" homophones. Similarly, "lock" and "luck" are pronounced alike. And "white-collar worker" sometimes becomes "white-colour worker" in Cameroon.
Characteristic turns of phrase in the country or local coinages:
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