Linguistic convergence

Insofar as BrC possesses a stable phonological structure, it is the result of linguistic convergence between (i) JamC, as speakers perceive it; (ii) local vernacular BrE; and possibly (iii) another Caribbean English variety (though few traces of this type surface). The best-known variety, treated below, takes London Vernacular English (LonVE) as input (ii); other varieties are subject to some London influence as well. At the level of the phonological inventory, BrC as expected has the more numerous phonemic contrasts of LonVE, plus some phonetic realizations typical of JamC. Social pressures may also influence speakers to converge with “proper English” (as likely to be vernacular BrE as Received Pronunciation [RP]) in formal settings, producing a more British-sounding result than conversational speech, as in the word-lists recorded.