Author and title: Cristiano Furiassi, Bajanyms: Toponymic Idioms in Barbadian English and Bajan.
Publisher: Peter Lang
Date of publication: 2026
ISBN (PDF): 9783034360111
ISBN (ePUB): 9783034360128
ISBN (Hardcover): 783034360104
Presentation
Bajanyms: Toponymic Idioms in Barbadian English and Bajan by Cristiano Furiassi is hot off the press.
Published by Peter Lang within the series International Folkloristics, edited by Wolfgang Mieder, retired professor of Folklore Studies at the University of Vermont, it includes a foreword by Jeannette Allsopp, founder and former director of the Richard and Jeannette Allsopp Centre for Caribbean Lexicography at the University of the West Indies at Cave Hill, Barbados.
The volume also features three endorsements, respectively by John Simpson, OBE, editor of the Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Alissandra Cummins, director of the Barbados Museum & Historical Society and chair of the Barbados National Commission for UNESCO, and Tara Inniss, lecturer in History and Heritage Studies at the University of the West Indies at Cave Hill, Barbados.
Drawing on amateur glossaries as well as scholarly dictionaries, this book explores the idiomatic use of toponyms, or place names, either tied to Barbados or connected to the island’s colonial legacy, while chronicling its lexicographic tradition. By tracing their etymological origin and establishing their cultural relevance, the volume focuses on Barbadian toponymic idioms, namely Bajanyms, and their pivotal role in conveying collective memory and shaping national identity. When geographical names transcend their literal meanings and acquire figurative nuances, they carry historical significance, embody local folklore, and reflect societal values. Consequently, the cataloging of the idiomatic toponymic inventory of Barbadian English and Bajan offers insights into their uniqueness. Dedicated to Barbadophiles, this homage to Barbadianness is intended to preserve the speech community’s linguistic heritage, at risk of fading in the face of modernization and globalization.More details can be found on the publisher’s website:
