Jamaica Talk: Three Hundred Years of the English Language in Jamaica.
London: Macmillan / Institute of Jamaica, 1961. [Linguistics] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (22 x 14cm) pp.x; 469; [1], blank. Island map as frontispiece. Publisher's hardcovers in typographic dust-jacket priced 30s. Spotting to edges, first and final leaves else fine, in a clean, bright, fine dust-wrapper. The history, pronunciation and grammar of this specific Caribbean version of the English language, with its 'musical lilt, stacatto rhythms, mingling of strange words, salty idioms, compressed proverbs and nicknames'. This copy is from the comprehensive archive assembled by Ian Fleming bibliographer Jon Gilbert (pencil signature within). Fleming was a longtime resident of the island and may well have consulted such a volume when creating dialogue for his native Jamaican characters in the James Bond novels, such as Quarrel and Honey Ryder. Item #73683
Gilbert B1.
Price: £75.00
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Biographies and Reference
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