Torres Strait Creole - Dialect Differences

Dialect Differences

Dialect differences consist mainly of substrata influences in the various areas where the language is spoken - or, rather, by the language of the ethnic groups that use the language - as well as a certain amount of superstrata influence from English. Apart from accent and intonation, differences are mainly vocabulary used for local fauna, flora and so on, retentions from local indigenous languages or other substrata languages (e.g. Malay), and minor differences in pronunciation due to substrata influences.

The dialects group generally into (a) the Western-Central-Cape York dialects, where the Western and Central Language of Torres Strait (Kala Lagaw Ya) has a strong influence (an influence which is also 'over-powering' other sub-strata influences), 'TI' Brokan, with a strong Malay/Indonesian-Filipino-European influence, Eastern Brokan, with a strong South Seas and Meriam Mìr influence, and Papuan, with strong influences from Kiwai, Motu and (now) Tok Pisin. Influences from other languages such as Japanese are to do with vocabulary specific to Japanese (or the like) items.

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