Merico language

The original settlers numbered 19,000 in 1860. By 1975 the language was partly decreolized, restricted to informal settings.

Grammatical features

Plurals are unmarked, as in rak "rock", "rocks", or marked with a -dɛ̃ suffix, as in rak-dɛ̃ "rocks". The verb expressing "to be" is sʌ, as in shi sʌ smo "she is small", but adjectives may be used without it, as in hi big "he is big". Verbs are not inflected for past tense.

Separate particles are used to indicate some verb tenses:

• ɛ̃ for negation (ai ɛ̃ æs di chææ "I didn't ask the child"),
• dɘ or lɛ for continuing action (hi dɘ spiish "he is talking at great length", shi lɛ kræ "she is crying"),
• wu for future (wi wu kʌ̃ "we will come"),
• dɔ̃ or nɔ̃ for completed action (de dɔ̃ go dædɘdwe "they have gone that way", lilpis nɔ̃ lɛf "not a little piece was left")

The pronouns include:

• Subject: ai/a, yu/yɔ/yo, hi/i, shi, wi, de/dɛ̃
• Object: mi, yu, hi/hĩ, hɔ, wi/ɔs, dɛ̃'
• Possessive: mʌ/mi, yu/yo, hi/i, shi/hɔ, ou, dɛ