Kabuverdianu of São Vicente

Facts

More information:

    Introduction

    Cape Verdean Creole is a Portuguese-based creole language spoken on the islands of Cape Verde. It is also called Kriolu or Kriol by its native speakers. It is the native creole language of virtually all Cape Verdeans and is used as a second creole language by the Cape Verdean diaspora.

    São Vicente Creole, a variety of Cape Verdean Creole, is the mother tongue of all the island’s native inhabitants and is often adopted by the children of immigrants from mainland Africa, China, and Europe.

    The Kabuverdianu Verb

    São Vicente Creole verbs show no person, number, or gender morphology. Contrary to Cape Verdean Creole of Santiago, they do not show tense or aspect suffixes. Un­mar­ked forms of stative verbs tend to have present-time reference, whereas unmarked dynamic verbs tend to have past (perfective) reference.

    There are four preverbal tense and aspect markers in São Vicente Creole; there is no marker for voice (see passive constructions below) or mood.