Pronoun-Like Usage in Cameroon English: The Case of Copy, Resumptive, Obligation, and Dummy Pronouns

Abstract

With reference to Cameroon English (CamE), this chapter investigates certain structural variations at the level of pronominal usage. It describes the structure, syntactic environment, and possible origins of copy pronouns used in a resumptive, obligation, and dummy manner. When used in these ways, the pronominal elements insert pronouns in otherwise empty slots or traces. The dummy they is used predominantly to show passive meaning even if the syntactic structure of the sentence remains active. Since copy pronouns are dominant in Cameroonian indigenous languages, the chapter proposes substrate influence and users’ creative innovations as the major sources of these variations.

Since detailed descriptions of CamE grammar are still few, this work contributes to the growing literature by illustrating that these pronominal usages, though variant as far as British English is concerned, constitute part of the mainstream norm of the variety, and should, when the time comes, be incorporated into its grammar during standardisation. This is because the forms are used by educated Cameroonians, the emergent native speakers of the variety (see Anchimbe 2012), and the accepted speakers of the variety (see Masanga 1983).