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On-going change in CVE and CAAVE:
Identifying the Sociohistorical Generational Causes
Sylvie Dubois
Louisiana State University
Cajun Vernacular English (CVE) and Creole African American English (CAAVE) are spoken in French-dominant rural areas of south Louisiana. CVE has changed dramatically over three generations against a complex and changing social and linguistic background whereas CAAVE reveals the persistence of local forms of English across generations. Using a variety of sources of information on the social life and sociohistory of three generations of CAAVE and CVE speakers, we find an intimate association between the sociohistory of these communities and the linguistic behavior of each generation. We will show how the process of ongoing language change can be tied to changing sociohistorical events that define the social and economic roles of generations of speakers.
Last Modified: October 12, 2004