File spoon-archives/postcolonial.archive/postcolonial_2000/postcolonial.0001, message 36


From: "Brook Nymark" <brookworld-AT-hotmail.com>
Subject: derivations of "English"
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 23:29:48 PST


Hello all,

I'm trying to track down a quote from a few scraps of information. I am 
writing an op-ed article on the use of English lyrics by non-English 
speaking pop-singers.  The article is a response to complaints that the 
groups considered (Korean rap, hip-hop and pop) aren't using "real" English. 
The tenor of the article is light, and I am looking for a quote form a 
famous Carribean(?) story-teller/poet.  I saw a recording of her work a few 
years ago, I got the impression that she was a bit of a force in the patois 
movement, and that she advocated the legitimacy of her English. 
Unfortunately, the only other scraps of information I have is that she is 
quite large (physically) and quite popular.  Her words, paraphrased here, 
were in responce to the idea that her language was a "corruption" of 
English:

       They say we CORRUPT English,
       But French does not CORRUPT Latin
       French is DERIVED from Latin
       English is DERIVED from Latin, German and Greek.
       Patois do not corrupt the English, we DERIVE.

I realise that this quote may be grossly inaccurate, and I may have given no 
concrete clues as to who this woman is, but any assistance on a name or a 
vaguely similar quote would be appreciated immensely.

Thanks in advance,
My apologies for the sketchy information...

Brook
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