The Incredible Story of the Traveling Creole

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Slate Podcasts

Society & Culture, News

4.6 • 3K Ratings

🗓️ 1 September 2020

⏱️ 63 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Enslaved people developed a hybrid language that sailed from Africa to the Caribbean and—unbelievably—back again. Slate Plus members get a bonus segment on Lexicon Valley each week, and no ads. Sign up now to listen and support our show. Twitter: @lexiconvalley Facebook: facebook.com/LexiconValley Email: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	The following podcast contains explicit language.
0:07.8	From New York City, this is Lexicon Valley, a podcast about language.
0:11.8	I'm John McWater, and today I want to tell you a story.
0:16.4	It is a great story.
0:17.6	It's a story that I have devoted some of my academic career to unearthing,
0:24.0	and it's about Creole languages.
0:27.3	Many Creole languages are spoken in the Caribbean.
0:30.1	And so, of course, that brings on our first song, Q.
0:33.6	This is Lena Horne, and believe it or not, Ricardo Montalban of Fantasy Island fame.
0:40.0	And they were in a Broadway show in 1956, and it was called Jamaica.
0:44.7	And here they are singing.
0:47.1	I don't think I'll end it all today.
0:49.4	Let's open with this.
0:57.3	I don't think I'll end it all today.
1:00.9	Fish and sea and sun in the heavens, sailboat in the bay.
1:05.4	I don't think I'll end it all today.
1:09.9	So many sweet things still on my list.
1:14.4	So many sweet lips still to be kissed.
1:18.8	So many sweet dreams still to unfold.
1:23.3	So many sweet lies still to be told.
1:37.8	Hey, drag fans, please listen up.
1:39.6	I'm Alaska.
	...

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