A Language of Our Own
The Genesis of Michif, the Mixed Cree-French Language of the Canadian Métis
Format:Hardback
Publisher:Oxford University Press Inc
Published:21st Aug '97
Currently unavailable, and unfortunately no date known when it will be back
This hardback is available in another edition too:
- Paperback£89.00(9780195097122)
The Michif language -- spoken by descendants of French Canadian fur traders and Cree Indians in western Canada -- is considered an 'impossible language' since it uses French for nouns and Cree for verbs, and comprises two different sets of grammatical rules. Bakker uses historical research and fieldwork data to present the first detailed analysis of this language and how it came into being.
A language of our own is an extremely valuable book, not only for linguistics, but also for many other disciplines outside linguistics. Throughout the book Bakker is careful and complete. He remains calm and analytical. He does not let popular ideas distract him; he takes nothing for granted. His writing style is very pleasant. At times it can be read as an exciting novel, and his choice of vocabulary makes it so the book can be read by a relatively broad audience. * The Carrier Pidgin, Vol 28 No 1-3, *
Peter Bakker's book is an excellent account of the birth of Michif ... Bakker's monograph is the first detailed account of the birth of a mixed language, and hopefully it will be the start of a rich tradition ... This is a pioneering work of high quality that deserves to be followed up by more studies in this field. * The Carrier Pidgin, Vol 28, No 1-3 *
ISBN: 9780195097115
Dimensions: 162mm x 238mm x 26mm
Weight: 721g
336 pages