A Dictionary of Camfranglais
Series:
Hector Kamdem
5 The poetic making of Camfranglais
← 48 | 49 →5 The poetic making of Camfranglais
Extract
As previously discussed, Camfranglais is essentially a phenomenon of lexical manipulation. Some items maintain their old forms, yet many more take on other forms. In this regard, it is important to discuss the creation of new lexical items from older ones. Prima facie observation of Camfranglais gives the impression that its present lexical structure is solely the result of borrowing from other languages such as French, Pidgin/English, Duala, Fufulde, and Ghomala. The easy conclusion would be that Camfranglais is a mixture of lexical elements from different languages in a French matrix. Inasmuch as borrowings whose form has not been altered exist, the greater majority of borrowed items have undergone phonological, morphological as well as semantic modification. Some of the unmodified borrowed lexical items include:
Table 3: Some unmodified borrowings in Camfranglais
Words
Origin and original meaning
Camfranglais meaning
Abeg
Pidgin, “please”
“please”
Ask
Pidgin, “to ask/ ask for”
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