or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering.
 
 
Express Checkout with PayPhrase
What's this? | Create PayPhrase
Sorry!
More Buying Choices
31 used & new from $5.97

Have one to sell? Sell yours here
 
   
Dread Talk: The Language of Rastafari
 
 
Tell the Publisher!
I’d like to read this book on Kindle

Don’t have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here.
 
  

Dread Talk: The Language of Rastafari (Paperback)

~ (Author) "The history and sociology of the Rastafari in Jamaica have been the subject of enough literature2 to legitimize Rex Nettleford's comment that the movement is..." (more)
Key Phrases: Dread Talk, Jamaica Creole, Haile Selassie (more...)
5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)

List Price: $18.95
Price: $17.05 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details
You Save: $1.90 (10%)
o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o
In Stock.
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com. Gift-wrap available.

Only 5 left in stock--order soon (more on the way).

Want it delivered Friday, November 13? Choose One-Day Shipping at checkout. Details
17 new from $13.33 14 used from $5.97

Formats

Amazon Price New from Used from
  Paperback $15.00 $15.00 $14.99
  Paperback, July 2000 $17.05 $13.33 $5.97

Frequently Bought Together

Dread Talk: The Language of Rastafari + Understanding Jamaican Patois: An Introduction to Afro-Jamaican Grammar + A Dictionary of Jamaican English
Price For All Three: $54.26

Show availability and shipping details

  • This item: Dread Talk: The Language of Rastafari by Velma Pollard

    In Stock.
    Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
    Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details

  • Understanding Jamaican Patois: An Introduction to Afro-Jamaican Grammar by L. Emilie Adams

    In Stock.
    Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
    Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details

  • A Dictionary of Jamaican English by R. B. Le Page

    In Stock.
    Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
    This item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping. Details


Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

A Dictionary of Jamaican English

A Dictionary of Jamaican English

by R. B. Le Page
5.0 out of 5 stars (1)  $27.00
Chanting Down Babylon: The Rastafari Reader

Chanting Down Babylon: The Rastafari Reader

by Nathaniel Samuel Murrell
5.0 out of 5 stars (6)  $32.65
Native Tongue

Native Tongue

by Suzette Haden Elgin
4.5 out of 5 stars (15)  $13.45
Les Liaisons dangereuses (Oxford World's Classics)

Les Liaisons dangereuses (Oxford World's Classics)

by Choderlos DeLaclos
4.6 out of 5 stars (58)  $8.54
Rastafari: Roots and Ideology (Utopianism and Communitarianism)

Rastafari: Roots and Ideology (Utopianism and Communitarianism)

by Barry Chevannes
4.1 out of 5 stars (9)  $13.57
Explore similar items

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Dread Talk is one of the most dramatic examples of the imbrication of language, culture and society to be found anywhere, and no one has explored this topic with as much sensitivity, detail, and insight as Velma Pollard. I regard this book as required reading for sociolinguists and linguistic anthropologists, and I recommend it enthusiastically to scholars in social and cultural anthropology, sociology, comparative literature, lexicography, Caribbean Studies, and Africana/Black Studies." John R. Rickford, Martin Luther King, Jr., Centennial Professor of Linguistics and Director, African and Afro-American Studies, Stanford University.


Product Description

In "Dread Talk", Velma Pollard describes the language of Rastafari, tracing its development as an expansion of Jamaican Creole while showing how it is distinct both from Creole and Standard English. She demonstrates that dread talk must be understood in terms of Jamaican social history, emphasizing its religious origins, its evolution as a language of social protest, and its spread around the world through the Reggae music of Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, and Jimmy Cliff. "Dread Talk" examines the effects of Rastafarian language on Creole in other parts of the Carribean, its influence in Jamaican poetry, and its effects on standard Jamaican English. This revised edition includes a new introduction that outlines the changes that have occurred since the book first appeared and a new chapter, 'Dread Talk in the Diaspora', that discusses Rastafarian as used in the urban centres of North America and Europe.Pollard provides a wealth of examples of Rastafarian language-use and definitions, explaining how the evolution of these forms derives from the philosophical position of the Rasta speakers: 'The socio-political image which the Rastaman has had of himself in a society where lightness of skin, economic status, and social privileges have traditionally gone together must be included in any consideration of Rastafarian words, for the man making the words is a man looking up from under, a man pressed down economically and socially by the establishment'.

Product Details

  • Paperback: 117 pages
  • Publisher: McGill-Queen's University Press; Rev Sub edition (July 2000)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0773520309
  • ISBN-13: 978-0773520301
  • Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5 x 0.2 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
  • Amazon.com Sales Rank: #623,486 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

    #18 in  Books > Religion & Spirituality > Other Practices > Rastafari
    #42 in  Books > History > Americas > Caribbean & West Indies > Jamaica

More About the Author

Velma Pollard
Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Visit Amazon's Velma Pollard Page

Inside This Book (learn more)
First Sentence:
The history and sociology of the Rastafari in Jamaica have been the subject of enough literature2 to legitimize Rex Nettleford's comment that the movement is "one of the most significant phenomena to emerge out of the modem history and sociology of Plantation America, that New World culturesphere of which Jamaica and the Caribbean are a part.  Read the first page
Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Dread Talk, Jamaica Creole, Haile Selassie, Jamaican Source, Bongo Jerry, Daily Gleaner, Standard Jamaican English, Jamaica Talk, Ras Tafari, Standard English, University of the West Indies, Bob Marley, Calling Rastafari, Eastern Caribbean, Jamaican Rasta Talk, Black Power, Youth Black Faith
New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats
Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Search Inside This Book:




What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?


Suggested Tags from Similar Products

 (What's this?)
Be the first one to add a relevant tag (keyword that's strongly related to this product).
 
(10)

Your tags: Add your first tag
 

Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store

If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store. Learn more

 

Customer Reviews

1 Review
5 star:
 (1)
4 star:    (0)
3 star:    (0)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
5.0 out of 5 stars (1 customer review)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
26 of 27 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Overstanding the Language of I-man, July 25, 2000
By T. C. Ross (Washington, D.C.) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
With Dread Talk, Velma Pollard has done a remarkable job of both describing the language of Rastafarians, highlighting its growth from and influence upon Standard Jamaican English and Jamaican Patois, and explaining the cultural and philosophical rationale behind the language. She also tracks its influence, growth and spread across the Caribbean and around the world. Linguists and others interested in the growth of language (especially when the growth is partially shaped by a sociocultural agenda) should find Dread Talk an interesting read. Especially illuminating are the discussions of the ways new words are formed and the illustrations of these processes from Rasta poetry and reggae music.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)


Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Only search this product's reviews



Customer Discussions

This product's forum
Discussion Replies Latest Post
No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
 


Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
Search all Amazon discussions
   




Product Information from the Amapedia Community

Beta (What's this?)


Look for Similar Items by Category


Look for Similar Items by Subject

Ad
 

Feedback

If you need help or have a question for Customer Service, contact us.
 Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
Is there any other feedback you would like to provide?

Your comments can help make our site better for everyone.


Your Recent History

 (What's this?)

After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.