Partial creolization, restructuring and convergence in Bay Islands Englishes

Bay Islands English has been described in the literature as a variety which shows little evidence of creole features. However, existing accounts are based on restricted data samples taken from communities where restructuring is much less in evidence than among black speakers in the largest island, Roatan. The field-data utilized in the present study are analyzed to give a more detailed picture of the patterns of community-wide language variation. The processes shaping the development of Bay Islands English are considered, and an account is offered based on inter-ethnic contact. It is argued that restructuring has been constrained by processes of convergence and differentiation affecting two distinct ethnic varieties, with some black speech showing a high degree of creole influence.