Merico language explained

Merico
Familycolor:	creole
Also Known As:	Americo-Liberian, American, Brokes English, Kwasai English, Waterside English, Water Street English
Region:	Liberia
Ethnicity:	Americo-Liberians
Fam1:	English Creole
Fam2:	Atlantic
Fam3:	West African Pidgin English

Merico or Americo-Liberian (or the informal colloquial name "American") is an English-based creole language spoken until recently in Liberia by Americo-Liberians, descendants of original settlers, freed slaves, and African Americans who emigrated from the United States between 1821 and the 1870s. It is distinguished from Liberian Kreyol and from Kru, and may be connected to Gullah and Jamaican Creole.^[1]

The original settlers numbered 19,000 in 1860.^[1] By 1975 the language was partly decreolized, restricted to informal settings.^[1]

Grammatical features

Plurals are unmarked, as in Creoles and pidgins, English based: rak "rock", "rocks", or marked with a Creoles and pidgins, English based: -dɛ̃<!--should be tilde-ɛ--> suffix, as in Creoles and pidgins, English based: rak-dɛ̃ "rocks". The verb expressing "to be" is Creoles and pidgins, English based: sʌ, as in Creoles and pidgins, English based: shi sʌ smo "she is small", but adjectives may be used without it, as in Creoles and pidgins, English based: hi big "he is big". Verbs are not inflected for past tense.^[1]

Separate particles are used to indicate some verb tenses:^[1]

• Creoles and pidgins, English based: ɛ̃ for negation (Creoles and pidgins, English based: ai ɛ̃ æs di chææ "I didn't ask the child"),
• Creoles and pidgins, English based: dɘ or Creoles and pidgins, English based: lɛ for continuing action (Creoles and pidgins, English based: hi dɘ spiish "he is talking at great length", Creoles and pidgins, English based: shi lɛ kræ "she is crying"),
• Creoles and pidgins, English based: wu for future (Creoles and pidgins, English based: wi wu kʌ̃ "we will come"),
• Creoles and pidgins, English based: dɔ̃<!--should be tilde-ɔ--> or Creoles and pidgins, English based: nɔ̃<!--ditto--> for completed action (Creoles and pidgins, English based: de dɔ̃ go dædɘdwe "they have gone that way", Creoles and pidgins, English based: lilpis nɔ̃ lɛf "not a little piece was left")

The pronouns include:^[1]

• Subject: Creoles and pidgins, English based: ai/Creoles and pidgins, English based: a, Creoles and pidgins, English based: yu/Creoles and pidgins, English based: yɔ/Creoles and pidgins, English based: yo, Creoles and pidgins, English based: hi/Creoles and pidgins, English based: i, Creoles and pidgins, English based: shi, Creoles and pidgins, English based: wi, Creoles and pidgins, English based: de/Creoles and pidgins, English based: dɛ̃<!--should be tilde-ɛ-->
• Object: Creoles and pidgins, English based: mi, Creoles and pidgins, English based: yu, Creoles and pidgins, English based: hi/Creoles and pidgins, English based: hĩ, Creoles and pidgins, English based: hɔ, Creoles and pidgins, English based: wi/Creoles and pidgins, English based: ɔs, Creoles and pidgins, English based: dɛ̃'
• Possessive: Creoles and pidgins, English based: mʌ/Creoles and pidgins, English based: mi, Creoles and pidgins, English based: yu/Creoles and pidgins, English based: yo, Creoles and pidgins, English based: hi/Creoles and pidgins, English based: i, Creoles and pidgins, English based: shi/Creoles and pidgins, English based: hɔ, Creoles and pidgins, English based: ou, Creoles and pidgins, English based: dɛ

See also

• Krio language

Notes and References

1. Book: Hancock . Ian F. . Ian F. Hancock . Dillard . Joey Lee . J. L. Dillard . Perspectives on Black English . 1975 . Walter de Gruyter . 978-90-279-7811-0 . 249–251 . https://books.google.com/books?id=ntI2tjjTE2MC&pg=PA249 . 17 June 2022 . en . Some aspects of English in Liberia.