A Dictionary of Camfranglais

This book is a simple and clear presentation of the lexis of Camfranglais, an urban youth sociolect in Cameroon. It presents this sociolect as an outgrowth of language contact phenomena that have fossilized especially around the Littoral Region of Cameroon. Methodologically speaking, it uses a lexicographic as well as an ethnographic approach to data collection. Lexical elements have been collected from such diverse sources as Cameroonian popular music, online chat groups and forums like Facebook, blogs, Youtube videos etc. Besides there were group conversations organized for the collection of data. The major strength of this book lies in the diversity and authenticity of its sources which are all traceable. Moreover, all the regular statements it makes about the origin, semantic categories, grammatical classes of the lexis of Camfranglais are the result of the necessary lexical manipulations that should precede these statements. A complete alphabetical lexicon of Camfranglais is presented, and, where possile, etymologies are given. For all entries, real examples are quoted so as to guide the reader to the usage of words. Idiomatic expressions are also presented for different lexical entries. The book will serve as reference for those working on Camfranglais as well as a starting point for lexico-semantic studies on Camfranglais.

List of contents

Contents: History, origin and definition of Camfranglais - The lexical elaboration of Camfranglais - The poetic making of Camfranglais - Word class and donor languages in Camfranglais.

About the author

Hector Kamdem Fonkoua is a Junior Fellow at the Bayreuth International Graduate School of African Studies (BIGSAS) in Bayreuth (Germany). He holds several degrees in English and French linguistics as well as for the teaching of these languages.

Product details

• Authors: Hector Kamdem, Hector Kamdem Fonkoua
• Assisted by: Ulrich Ammon (Editor)
• Publisher: Peter Lang
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Released: 01.01.2015
• EAN: 9783631659434
• ISBN: 978-3-631-65943-4
• No. of pages: 261
• Dimensions: 148 mm x 22 mm x 210 mm
• Weight: 460 g
• Series: Duisburger Arbeiten zur Sprach- und Kulturwissenschaft; Duisburger Arbeiten zur Sprach- und Kulturwissenschaft; DASK - Duisburger Arbeiten zur Sprach- und Kulturwissenschaft / Duisburg Papers on Research in Language and Culture; DASK - Duisburger Arbeiten zur Sprach- und Kulturwissenschaft / Duisburg Papers on Research in Langu; DASK ¿ Duisburger Arbeiten zur Sprach- und Kulturwissenschaft / Duisburg Papers on Research in Language and Culture
• Subject: Humanities, art, music > Linguistics and literary studies > Other languages / Other literatures