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Dr. Richard Allsopp
--honored for Literary Achievement

The Scribbler has learnt that a distinguished QC Alumnus has been honored with a special Guyana Prize for Literature at a Georgetown ceremony on December 8. Dr. Richard Allsopp was specially recognized with this high accolade for his opus Dictionary of Caribbean English Usage which has provided the most comprehensive and learned social and literary inventory of the English spoken in 22 territories of the Caribbean. Very significantly, Dr. Allsopp immediately gave part of his prize money towards the restoration of the Queen's College library. Such a splendid gesture!

He was indeed the first Guyanese to be appointed as Principal of QC, but as fate would have it, UWI was destined to be the benefactor of his scholarship instead. It was announced that Guyana was the first Caribbean country to fund the regional Caribbean language study and also the first to honor the completion of the work. This also demonstrates the recognition of Guyanese educationists of the coherence of our spoken language as a regional unifying force for mutual understanding and harmonious cooperation among our Caribbean peoples. Our language expresses the indigenous culture that holds us together, and which was developed through a common heritage from diverse geographic origins.

When we read the foreword of Dr. Allsopp's encyclopedic Dictionary of Caribbean English Usage, its significant contribution as an authentic Caribbean record becomes very evident. It defines a Caribbean national identity and validates our own culture and self respect. We achieved a dynamic multi-culturalism in the Caribbean at least five decades ago, however politics and economics later created divisiveness. QC students experienced this unified culture long ago, not mere tolerance but genuine friendship, hilarious wit, yet striving after wisdom and scholarly achievement. Our Caribbean diaspora has spread our culture throughout the world by dint of their endeavors, fairness in dealing with issues and unmistakable humor.

Dr. Carrington, Caricom Secretary General stated at the launching ceremony in 1996, "This work of regional product of very comprehensive and intensive intellectual activity throughout our Caribbean area. It is indeed a labor of love; love of language, love for country and the wider region, love for people, love for learning and love for teaching by someone who dedicated his life to chronicling the lexical heritage of Caribbean English in its widest sense. It denotes that our language reflects our culture in all facets of life; shaped by history, geography, anthropology, natural sciences, folklore and contemporary life, This dictionary reflects all of these as may be seen in any definition, for example "lick" where the dictionary cites twenty-nine different meanings in usage in our Caribbean region."

The renowned magazine, The Economist gave it an exceptional review on June 29 1996, urging its readers: "Bow down and give thanks and praise as Samuel Johnson surely would have for this stupendous work. Scholars will marvel at the breadth of sources that have fattened this work, despite the social and geographical difficulties of data collection in the West Indies, during Dr. Allsopp's half century of tireless research. The unscholarly, non Caribbean will discover in this Dictionary a new brand world".

The Oxford Dictionary editorial committee indicated that this is the first overall record and inventory of the linguistic environment and lifestyle of the English speaking Caribbean peoples. It documents the current status of the oldest overseas export of homeland English in the world as the English tongue reached the Caribbean as early as the 1560s. The dictionary also includes a short supplement listing Caribbean French and Spanish equivalents to selected English items of the main work.

The 48th issue of the Guyanese literary journal Kyk-Over-Al, was devoted to honoring Dr. Allsopp for his celebrated compendium. He was also asked to deliver the Twelfth Mittleholzer Lectures in Guyana. It is noteworthy that on a visit to Barbados, President Clinton was presented with a copy of the dictionary. For this remarkable achievement, it would indeed be fitting honor for a Chair in Linguistics or Caribbean Social Studies at UWI to be created in the name of this illustrious alumnus.