Thesis: Trini Talk

Trini Talk is an online platform designed to communicate and preserve the Trinidad English Creole Language. Using an interactive web platform, Trini Talk teaches the oral language of Trinidad through the island’s history, shows how the language is used and establishes a platform to preserve the language.

I created this platform for the speaker of Trinidad English Creole (TrinEC). My overall desire is for nationals to connect with the country on a deeper level. All nationals regardless of background speak this dialect. It is part of our culture and something that unites us. Understanding that unity, I hope, will foster national pride and love of each other, thereby diminishing societal issues.

I created this project because I wanted to learn about the history of the dialect of Trinidad and Tobago–especially the dialect of my island, Trinidad. While nationals are well versed in the language, most of us don’t know the etymology of the words that we choose to speak. English is the official language of the country and is spoken in formal settings. TrinEC or Trini is the preferred variety for informal and private communication. English, because of its strong association with educational systems and the official institutions of government and society, generally has higher prestige than TrinEC but the latter enjoys increasing status as a sense of nationalism increases.

This project included a vast amount of research into the language and the history. My language research revealed that there are two separate dialects spoken in the country, Trinidad English Creole and Tobago English Creole. I focused on researching TrinEC. Trini sounds like English. However, the vocabulary words, phrases, and mannerisms are not of British descent. They come from our ancestors: the natives, the slaves, their masters and the indentured workers. It is an oral language that’s a mix of vocabulary from French, Spanish, Portuguese, African and Indian languages, to name a few. Trini Talk goes beyond articulating the popular words and phrases that are distinct to our language but dives deeper to revive the history behind each word. It is about embracing the parts of me that I do not know – starting with the language. To know where I am going, I need to know where I came from. Being a visual person, I chose to showcase this spoken dictionary in an interactive and visual way.

I found the Dictionary of the English/Creole of Trinidad and Tobago written by Dr. Lise Winer[1]. It is a research dictionary of TrinEC and TobEC etymology. This book was helpful as it allowed me to gain a clearer perspective of the contributions each settler made to TrinEC. However, the dictionary is limited. It is not a living document as a website is. It cannot be added to. It is not accessible as it is a research dictionary made for linguists. The pronunciations of words are not comprehensible by regular users. It is very expensive at $95 US dollars ($642 TTD).

video

Trini Talk is a web platform designed to communicate the etymology of the Trinidad English Creole Language. There is no online presence for the etymology of TrinEC. Trini Talk creates one. Users are prompted to participate in the preservation of the language then get to explore the vocabulary and by extension the history of Trinidad. The platform uses a sample dataset from the Winer dictionary to teach this oral language through an interactive visualization. The visualization incorporates Trinidad’s history to show when these words were added to our dialect. By interacting with the timeline, respective words from each group are displayed and history shown. The user has the option of singling out words or phrases they wish to explore from the visualization. Engaging a word or phrase produces a sound sample of the pronunciation, text with the meaning, and historical reference. The Trini Talk web platform uses p5.js, JSON data, and d3.js to create this visualization.

Video is also included. It shows conversations with locals speaking the language in real-life situations. Key phrases and words are highlighted so the user can explore them further. I shot video and used Adobe Premiere to add desired reference content. In Orality and Literacy[3], Ong explains “Words acquire their meanings (from) … gestures, vocal inflections, facial expression, and the entire human, existential setting in which the real, spoken word always occurs.” This is true of TrinEC. Our gestures and facial expressions articulate more precise meaning. The language is evolving as new vocabulary is being invented, so Trini Talk includes a platform to gather these new additions to the dialect from nationals. This is a preliminary effort to digitally preserve both the old language and to incorporate the new.

Oral languages evolve. To capture new TrinEC words, sayings and abbreviations I created an API for each category on Google’s Firebase platform. Users are prompted to add content to each database. Each entry is automatically added to the respective API. Abbreviations used by locals for messaging on social media platforms are collected. Sharing this API dataset can encourage the use of local abbreviations and can keep the language relevant among the youth.

Phase two of Trini Talk is a larger research project. Expanding research to include TobEC is crucial. A full API of TrinEC and TobEC will be created. Showing the relationships of the language to the larger Caribbean diaspora is also necessary. The Caribbean needs repositories to archive and share its language information. Trini Talk was created with this sort of preservation in mind. A google-translate type platform of the language is also desired. With this platform text-to-speech type installations can be created, as currently no computer understands our way of speaking.
Generally, the Caribbean lacks resources to create platforms like this to more broadly showcase and essentially preserve our culture. There is no lack of creative vision in my nation, but I don’t see resources like Trini Talk on the market. I want to use what I have learned at ITP to create works for the Caribbean market – back home. I cannot ignore that most of what I was taught at ITP is not even on the radar of folks at home. I have to “come good” to even present something like this to a Trinidadian.

The language is evolving as Trinidad and Tobago is exposed to international influences. If we do not want to lose our culture, we have to start preserving and reaffirming its use now. The death of a language also means the disappearance of cultural creativity, the loss of traditions that often date back centuries. Language and culture are inseparable. A language represents how a particular culture and people interact with the world around them and with each other. If you lose a language, then you lose a huge chunk of that culture [4]. TrinEC has already suffered losses. We need to ensure we stop the culture of TrinEC from dying.

A 2003 UNESCO document states: “ … Each language embodies unique cultural and ecological knowledge in it. It is also because languages are diverse. Documentation of such a language is important for several reasons: 1) it enriches the human intellectual property, 2) it presents a cultural perspective that may be new to our current knowledge, and 3) the process of documentation often helps the language resource person to re-activate the linguistic and cultural knowledge.” I am not suggesting that TrinEC is dying but it is certainly changing at a rate that according to my research is not favorable to older nationals. They want “the old time ways” of speaking and doing things to be reintroduced.

I slowly came to the realization that my culture defines me, significantly. It should be expected, but this realization occurred as I started exploring the music and language of the islands and determined that there is much I am ignorant of. The visible aspects of my culture are celebrated and acknowledged by me more easily (i.e.) the food, carnival, the dancing, the liming and the music. The intangible parts are those that I am not in touch with. The language of Trinidad and Tobago happens to be one of those intangibles that I appreciate, but don’t have much information about. I love the fact that when I hear someone speaking it–on the subway, in the park–I can instinctively identify a fellow Trini and simply ask “what part of home are you from?”

[1] Lise Winer, Dictionary of the English/Creole of Trinidad and Tobago book, McGill-Queens University Press, 2009
[2] Richard Allsopp, Dictionary of Caribbean English Usage, Oxford University Press, 1996
[3] Walter Ong, Orality and Literacy, Routledge, 1982
[4] David Grubin Production and Pacific Islanders Communication, Language Matters film, 2015

221 thoughts on “Thesis: Trini Talk”

  8. C’est en réalité une information agréable et utile. Je suis convaincu que vous venez de partager ces informations utiles avec nous. S’il vous plaît, gardez-nous au courant de ceci. Merci d’avoir partagé. Henryetta Fidel Brandwein

  10. Ich habe hier einige ausgezeichnete Sachen gelesen. Auf jeden Fall Preis Lesezeichen für einen erneuten Besuch. Ich frage mich, wie viele Versuche Sie unternehmen, um eine so hervorragende informative Website zu erstellen. Gennifer Quentin Eversole

  13. THE LANGUAGE REFLECTS THE COLONIAL PAST OF OUR ISLANDS. TRINIDAD ENGLISH CREOLE OR TRINI, IS A COMBINATION OF THE VOCABULARIES OF THE ISLAND’S SETTLERS. TRINIDAD’S VOCABULARY INCLUDES WORDS FROM THE SPANISH, FRENCH, FRENCH CREOLE, AFRICAN, INDIAN, CHINESE, HISPANIC, SYRIAN, LEBANESE, PORTUGUESE, BRITISH AND OTHER INFLUENCES. THESE LANGUAGES MERGED TO FORM TRINI TALK.

  14. If you want to use the photo it would also be good to check with the artist beforehand in case it is subject to copyright. Best wishes. Aaren Reggis Sela

  15. I’m amazed, I must say. Rarely do I come across a blog that’s both educative
    and entertaining, and let me tell you, you have hit the nail on the head.
    The problem is an issue that not enough men and women are speaking intelligently about.

    I am very happy that I came across this during my hunt for something regarding this.

  17. AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 GAYS is full of beautiful twinks from four continents. What was once thought impossible is finally here – Gay Disabled Dating! https://maturempegs.info We meet weekly at 7pm for dinner at a local restaurant. Dreaming hentai gay bondaged and anal fucked. Yamunanagar’s best % FREE gay dating site. Heftynet is a gay chubby and apps are a ragtag bunch into fat.

  37. There is certainly a great deal to learn about this topic. I like all of the points you have made. Michal Mahmud Annamarie

  38. If you would like to obtain a great deal from this article then you have to apply such strategies to your won website. Fionnula Tracie Yoshiko

  40. Hello. This article was extremely fascinating, particularly since I was searching for thoughts on this issue last Thursday. Annis Tan Linder

  64. This website is mostly a walk-through for the entire info you wanted about this and didn抰 know who to ask. Glimpse right here, and you抣l undoubtedly uncover it.

  65. After examine a few of the blog posts on your website now, and I truly like your means of blogging. I bookmarked it to my bookmark web site record and shall be checking again soon. Pls check out my website online as properly and let me know what you think.

  71. I was more than happy to seek out this internet-site.I wanted to thanks for your time for this glorious learn!! I definitely having fun with every little little bit of it and I have you bookmarked to take a look at new stuff you blog post.

  72. Oh my goodness! a tremendous article dude. Thanks Nonetheless I am experiencing situation with ur rss . Don抰 know why Unable to subscribe to it. Is there anybody getting an identical rss downside? Anybody who is aware of kindly respond. Thnkx

  73. We are lucky to have found the site, it’s toally everything my friend and I have been looking for. The specifics here on the web page is definitely helpful and is going to assist me all the time. It seems like the site acquired a lot of details about this and the other hyper links and information definitely show it. I am not on the internet most of the time however when I have some time i’m always perusing for this sort of knowledge or things similarly having to do with it. I have one of my family members that have assumed an interest in this because of what I have learned about it and they will for sure going to be visiting the blog since it is such an excellent discovery. I’m also facsinated in politics and dealing with the new twists and turns in politics. this week I have been checking these out [url=https://sarahjbrooks.com/books-like-edenbrooke/]romance mystery books 99 Cent novels[/url]

  81. You made some nice points there. I looked on the internet for the subject matter and found most individuals will agree with your site.

  83. Hello! I could have sworn I’ve been to this blog before but after browsing through some of the post I realized it’s new to me. Anyways, I’m definitely happy I found it and I’ll be book-marking and checking back frequently!

  92. Hello! I could have sworn I’ve been to this blog before but after browsing through some of the post I realized it’s new to me. Anyways, I’m definitely happy I found it and I’ll be book-marking and checking back frequently!

  98. There are some fascinating deadlines in this article however I don抰 know if I see all of them middle to heart. There’s some validity but I’ll take hold opinion till I look into it further. Good article , thanks and we wish extra! Added to FeedBurner as nicely

  99. The following time I learn a weblog, I hope that it doesnt disappoint me as much as this one. I imply, I know it was my option to read, however I really thought youd have one thing fascinating to say. All I hear is a bunch of whining about one thing that you can fix if you happen to werent too busy in search of attention.

  100. You made some nice points there. I looked on the internet for the subject matter and found most individuals will agree with your site.

  112. Spot on with this write-up, I really think this web site needs way more consideration. I抣l probably be once more to read rather more, thanks for that info.

  114. Hello! I could have sworn I’ve been to this blog before but after browsing through some of the post I realized it’s new to me. Anyways, I’m definitely happy I found it and I’ll be book-marking and checking back frequently!

  120. Aw, this was a very nice post. Taking a few minutes and actual effort to generate a top notch article… but what can I say… I put things off a whole lot and never seem to get nearly anything done.|

  128. Whats up this is kind of of off topic but I was wondering if blogs use WYSIWYG editors or if you have to manually code with HTML. I’m starting a blog soon but have no coding expertise so I wanted to get advice from someone with experience. Any help would be greatly appreciated!|

  129. Hi there! I know this is kinda off topic but I’d figured I’d ask. Would you be interested in trading links or maybe guest writing a blog article or vice-versa? My site covers a lot of the same topics as yours and I think we could greatly benefit from each other. If you’re interested feel free to shoot me an email. I look forward to hearing from you! Superb blog by the way!|

  130. Good post. I study one thing tougher on totally different blogs everyday. It will always be stimulating to learn content material from different writers and observe somewhat one thing from their store. I抎 desire to make use of some with the content material on my blog whether or not you don抰 mind. Natually I抣l offer you a link on your net blog. Thanks for sharing.

  132. great issues altogether, you just received a logo new reader. What could you recommend about your publish that you made a few days ago? Any certain?|

  133. Definitely believe that which you said. Your favorite reason appeared to be on the net the simplest thing to be aware of. I say to you, I certainly get irked while people consider worries that they plainly don’t know about. You managed to hit the nail upon the top and defined out the whole thing without having side effect , people can take a signal. Will likely be back to get more. Thanks

  134. What’s up everyone, it’s my first go to see at this website, and paragraph is actually fruitful in favor of me, keep up posting such content.|

  137. Pretty nice post. I just stumbled upon your weblog and wanted to mention that I have truly enjoyed browsing your weblog posts. In any case I will be subscribing to your feed and I am hoping you write again soon!|

  138. Wonderful work! This is the type of info that are supposed to be shared across the internet. Disgrace on the search engines for now not positioning this put up upper! Come on over and seek advice from my website . Thanks =)|

  139. Hi there, I discovered your web site by way of Google at the same time as searching for a similar subject, your site came up, it looks great. I have bookmarked it in my google bookmarks.

  140. Aw, this was an exceptionally nice post. Spending some time and actual effort to produce a superb article… but what can I say… I hesitate a lot and don’t manage to get anything done.|

  142. I don’t even understand how I finished up here, however I believed this submit was great. I do not recognise who you might be but certainly you are going to a well-known blogger for those who aren’t already. Cheers!|

  143. I’m impressed, I have to admit. Rarely do I encounter a blog that’s both educative and amusing, and let me tell you, you have hit the nail on the head. The problem is something not enough men and women are speaking intelligently about. I’m very happy I found this during my search for something concerning this.|

  145. I intended to compose you a bit of note in order to give many thanks again about the amazing advice you’ve contributed above. It’s generous of people like you giving easily all a few individuals could have advertised as an e-book in making some bucks for their own end, and in particular considering that you could have done it if you considered necessary. The advice additionally acted as a easy way to be aware that many people have a similar desire just as mine to figure out a good deal more around this condition. Certainly there are a lot more enjoyable instances ahead for folks who browse through your blog.

  146. always i used to read smaller content that as well clear their motive, and that is also happening with this piece of writing which I am reading at this time.|

  147. I’m very happy to discover this page. I want to to thank you for your time due to this wonderful read!! I definitely really liked every bit of it and i also have you saved to fav to see new stuff in your web site.|

  148. I am only writing to make you understand what a remarkable experience our princess undergone viewing your webblog. She picked up some things, including how it is like to have a great coaching character to get a number of people clearly completely grasp a number of advanced issues. You actually did more than her desires. I appreciate you for churning out such beneficial, dependable, edifying and cool guidance on that topic to Emily.

  149. Great beat ! I would like to apprentice while you amend your site, how can i subscribe for a blog web site? The account aided me a acceptable deal. I had been a little bit acquainted of this your broadcast offered bright clear idea|

  150. Thanks for every other wonderful post. The place else may just anyone get that type of information in such an ideal manner of writing? I have a presentation subsequent week, and I’m at the search for such info.

  151. I’m commenting to let you be aware of of the amazing discovery my child developed browsing the blog. She came to find a good number of details, including how it is like to have a great coaching character to get a number of people clearly completely grasp a number of advanced issues. You actually did more than her desires. I appreciate you for churning out such beneficial, dependable, edifying and cool guidance on that topic to Emily.

  154. I know this web page presents quality based articles and extra material, is there any other site which provides these kinds of stuff in quality?|

  155. First of all I would like to say fantastic blog! I had a quick question which I’d like to ask if you do not mind. I was curious to know how you center yourself and clear your head before writing. I have had a tough time clearing my mind in getting my ideas out. I do enjoy writing however it just seems like the first 10 to 15 minutes are wasted simply just trying to figure out how to begin. Any suggestions or hints? Many thanks!|

  162. Hi to every one, the contents existing at this site are genuinely amazing for people knowledge, well, keep up the nice work fellows.|

  163. Hello! Quick question that’s completely off topic. Do you know how to make your site mobile friendly? My website looks weird when browsing from my iphone 4. I’m trying to find a template or plugin that might be able to resolve this problem. If you have any suggestions, please share. Many thanks!|

  164. Hey there! This is my first visit to your blog! We are a collection of volunteers and starting a new project in a community in the same niche. Your blog provided us beneficial information to work on. You have done a wonderful job!|

  165. Admiring the time and energy you put into your website and in depth information you present. It’s nice to come across a blog every once in a while that isn’t the same out of date rehashed information. Great read! I’ve saved your site and I’m including your RSS feeds to my Google account.|

  172. Pretty section of content. I just stumbled upon your blog and in accession capital to assert that I acquire actually enjoyed account your blog posts. Any way I’ll be subscribing to your augment and even I achievement you access consistently quickly.|

  173. Hello, Neat post. There is an issue with your web site in internet explorer, would check this? IE nonetheless is the market leader and a good section of other people will pass over your magnificent writing because of this problem.|

  174. Hey There. I found your blog using msn. This is an extremely well written article. I’ll be sure to bookmark it and come back to read more of your useful info. Thanks for the post. I’ll certainly return.|

  176. I don’t even understand how I finished up right here, however I believed this publish was once good. I do not realize who you might be however certainly you’re going to a well-known blogger should you are not already. Cheers!|

  177. I want to show my love for your kindness giving support to women who absolutely need help with in this content. Your real dedication to getting the solution all-around appears to be extremely informative and has continuously made guys and women just like me to reach their goals. Your entire invaluable information implies this much a person like me and especially to my office workers. Regards; from everyone of us.

  178. I intended to post you that very small observation just to give thanks yet again for all the amazing opinions you have documented at this time. It is strangely open-handed with you to offer extensively exactly what a lot of people would’ve marketed as an e book to make some money for themselves, even more so given that you might well have tried it if you ever decided. Those tips also acted as a great way to know that other people online have a similar passion just like my personal own to understand much more on the subject of this issue. Certainly there are a lot more enjoyable periods up front for people who scan through your website.

  186. I do like the manner in which you have framed this particular concern plus it really does supply me a lot of fodder for consideration. Nevertheless, from what I have experienced, I basically wish when the commentary stack on that men and women stay on issue and don’t start on a tirade associated with the news of the day. All the same, thank you for this excellent point and though I do not necessarily go along with this in totality, I regard your point of view.

  197. Hmm is anyone else encountering problems with the images on this blog loading? I’m trying to find out if its a problem on my end or if it’s the blog. Any responses would be greatly appreciated.|

  201. I happen to be writing to make you be aware of what a awesome encounter my wife’s girl undergone going through yuor web blog. She picked up lots of things, with the inclusion of what it’s like to have a great coaching style to have many more without hassle comprehend specified very confusing matters. You really surpassed our own expected results. I appreciate you for imparting those effective, safe, educational and unique tips about the topic to Evelyn.

  202. Thank you a lot for providing individuals with a very special chance to read from this site. It is usually so enjoyable and as well , stuffed with a great time for me and my office peers to visit your blog minimum thrice in one week to learn the latest issues you have got. And indeed, I’m just always happy for the very good guidelines you give. Some 4 ideas in this posting are essentially the most impressive we have all ever had.

  204. I have to thank you for the efforts you have put in writing this website. I am hoping to view the same high-grade content by you in the future as well. In truth, your creative writing abilities has motivated me to get my own, personal blog now ;)|

  215. I’m really loving the theme/design of your site. Do you ever run into any web browser compatibility problems? A small number of my blog audience have complained about my blog not working correctly in Explorer but looks great in Firefox. Do you have any tips to help fix this problem?|

  217. https://www.takip2018.com takipçi alarak fenomen olmak
    artık çok kolay takipç dilerseniz TÜRK takipçi dilerseniz yabancı karışık takipçi satın alma seçenekleri ile sizlere
    eşsiz bir hizmet sunan takip2018 Türkiye nin en kaliteli ve güvenilir takipçi satın alma sitesi

  221. I’ve been browsing on-line more than three hours as of late, yet I never discovered any interesting article like yours. It’s lovely worth enough for me. In my view, if all website owners and bloggers made good content as you probably did, the internet will probably be much more useful than ever before.|

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.