The Languages spoken in Bermuda

The main language in Bermuda is English and majority of its population has a strong Bermudian accent similar to those in some southern US states. English is used in daily conversation and in doing business. The most unique feature of the Bermudian language is the lack of any English Creoles spoken on the island. Being one of the top tourist destinations in the world and home to large international companies, minor foreign languages spoken in Bermuda include Portuguese, Spanish, and French. Tourists and visitors may find the Bermudian English a little difficult to understand because of the locals’ accent. Some other accents commonly found in Bermuda are Jamaican, Canadian, and West Indian. Based on an extensive study made by Harry Morgan Ayres, unique features of the Bermudian English are a small number of lexical terms distinct to the islands. The study also noted some phonological features of the language. A recent tourist publication in 1985 by Smith and Barritt identifies 292 lexical, 84 phonetic, and 12 syntactic entries.

Some of the colloquial terms common in Bermuda are the following:

• Bermuda time – being late for an event
• Ace boy – a really good pal
• Deck – accident
• Piggly – grocery shop
• Longtail – foreign white woman
• Jet – driving very fast
• Horse – motorcycle