Patois
|
|
Patois, although without a formal definition in linguistics, can be used to describe a language considered as nonstandard. Depending upon the instance, it can refer to jargon or slang, as well as to pidgins, creoles, dialects, and/or other forms of native or local speech. In many cases, class distinctions are drawn between those who speak patois and those who speak the standard or dominant language.
The French word "patois" is from Old French "patoier" meaning " to handle clumsily, to paw". The language sense is probably from the notion of a clumsy manner of speaking. In France, patois has been used to describe non-French, provincial languages and dialects spoken in France, such as Breton and Occitan. This usage, noted from 1643, encompasses the view of such languages as being backwards and "country," and is considered by speakers of those languages as very offensive. (See also: Languages of France.)
Many of the vernacular forms of English spoken in the Caribbean are referred to as patois (occasionally spelled in this context as patwah). It is noted especially in reference to Jamaican Creole from 1934. Often these patois are popularly considered "bastardizations" of English or slang, however, in many cases, such as with Jamaican, they are better classified as a creole language; in fact, in the Francophone Caribbean the analogous term for local variants of French is creole. (See also: Jamaican English and Jamaican Creole.)
Other examples of patois, include Trasianka, Sheng, and Tsotsitaal.de:Patois
als:Patois
es:Patois
fr:Patois
ru:Говор