The English language was brought to Antigua and Barbuda by settlers in the 1620s. The first confirmed English settlement in Antigua and Barbuda was established in 1632.[2] In 1674, the first sugar plantation was established in the country. This is when the first African slaves were brought to the country, and soon, the majority of people in Antigua and Barbuda were of African descent.[3] When speakers of Antiguan English made contact with these Antiguan slaves, Antiguan and Barbudan Creole emerged.[4]
During the colonial era, ABE remained the dominant dialect of English in Antigua and Barbuda, being used in official documents and in formal settings. By the twentieth-century, a culture of code-switching emerged, especially in the education system, where ABE was used as the official language of academic communication.[5] When Antigua and Barbuda gained independence in 1981, English was mentioned in the Constitution as the language to be used in parliamentary proceedings, but not as the official language.[6] As of December 2024, no law in Antigua and Barbuda establishes ABE or any other language as official.[7]
As of the last census in 2011, most immigrants living in Antigua and Barbuda come from an English-speaking country. This includes the top four countries that send immigrants to Antigua and Barbuda.[8]
Phonetics and phonology
The dialect is generally non-rhotic, and glottal stops are rare. Questions usually do not have the rising intonation that other dialects may have, and vowel length distinctions are less prominent. Open vowels are also present, and diphthongs have been known to be pronounced as monophthongs (time is /taːm/ and face is /fɛs/). Trap and bath may be pronounced with an open /a/ sound.[9]
Vocabulary
While ABE is influenced by British English, non-British terms are frequently used. Prominent examples include parking lot instead of car park[10] and traveler instead of traveller.[11] Additionally, other distinguishing terms may be used in various circumstances,[12] such as bilbush for Phyllanthus epiphyllanthus, sling for sugar in its liquid state, tango for meat from old cattle, and whitewood for Terminalia buceras.[13][14]
