Hawai'i Creole English as a literary language

Abstract

ABSTRACTThis article deals with the use of Hawai'i Creole English (HCE) as a written language in a literary or poetic function. It is argued that HCE's lack of what Kloss 1967 callsAbstand‘autonomy, distance’ presents certain technical problems for writers, and acts as a barrier to furtherAusbau(also Kloss's term, ‘elaboration’) in the literary domain, particularly in the novel. Because it has no writing system of its own, HCE is represented as if it were a deviant or non-standard variety of English. In other words, HCE is forced to be a literarydialectrather than a literarylanguage. Some practical problems connected with the elaboration process are examined, such as standardization and related theoretical issues associated with narrative technique. The article concludes by considering the likelihood of successful resolution of these problems within the current political situation in the Hawaiian Islands. (Hawai'i, pidgin, creole, minority language, standardization,Abstand,Ausbau, orthography, literature, narrative, genre)