The creoles of Trinidad and Tobago: phonology Conclusions

Separate recordings are included for both Trinidadian and Tobagonian to highlight their most characteristic similarities and differences, which, as illustrated, mainly in basilectal features which distinguish Tobagonian from Trinidadian speech overall. As travel between the two islands becomes increasingly frequent, and as young people in particular look to Trinidad for employment and advancement, the differences may slowly break down at every level. The mesolect is becoming increasingly widespread in usage right across the twin-island territory.

Thus far language change is indicated. But there remains a distinct nationalism rooted in Tobago, as well as an essentially rural lifestyle, which ensures the continued vitality of the basilectal variety. As noted earlier, Youssef (2001), in a small-scale study in the village of Bethel, indicates that there remains a common level of basilectal usage for both old and young at home, but that the young favour the mesolect over the acrolect as a badge of modern identity in the wider world. The continuing use of the basilect as a home variety, and the relative weight of the mesolect in wider contexts, suggests that the continuous change from basilect to acrolect, considered to characterize a continuum situation, is not going through and that the situation may become relatively stable, with each variety having its own contexts for usage in the society at large.