Post on 03-Nov-2014
Pidgin and Creole Languages
Dr. Suzanne Bardeas
smbardeas@uqu.edu.sa
Umm Al-Qura University
02/08/1431
Bardeas (UQU) Pidgin and Creole Languages 02/08/1431 1 / 21
Outline
1 Lingua Francas
2 Pidgins and Creoles: Definitions
3 Geographical Distribution
4 Linguistic Characteristics
5 Theories of Origin
6 From Pidgin to Creole and Beyond
Bardeas (UQU) Pidgin and Creole Languages 02/08/1431 2 / 21
1 Lingua Francas
2 Pidgins and Creoles: Definitions
3 Geographical Distribution
4 Linguistic Characteristics
5 Theories of Origin
6 From Pidgin to Creole and Beyond
Bardeas (UQU) Pidgin and Creole Languages 02/08/1431 3 / 21
UNESCO (1953): a language which is used habitually by peoplewhose
mother tongues are different in order to facilitate communication
between them
Bardeas (UQU) Pidgin and Creole Languages 02/08/1431 4 / 21
UNESCO (1953): a language which is used habitually by peoplewhose
mother tongues are different in order to facilitate communication
between them
trade language, contact language, international language, auxiliary
language
Bardeas (UQU) Pidgin and Creole Languages 02/08/1431 4 / 21
UNESCO (1953): a language which is used habitually by peoplewhose
mother tongues are different in order to facilitate communication
between them
trade language, contact language, international language, auxiliary
language
A lingua franca can be spoken in a variety of ways.
Bardeas (UQU) Pidgin and Creole Languages 02/08/1431 4 / 21
1 Lingua Francas
2 Pidgins and Creoles: Definitions
3 Geographical Distribution
4 Linguistic Characteristics
5 Theories of Origin
6 From Pidgin to Creole and Beyond
Bardeas (UQU) Pidgin and Creole Languages 02/08/1431 5 / 21
Pidgin
Holme (1988, pp. 4-5)
a reduced language that results from extended contact between groups of
people with no language in common; it evolves when they need some means
of verbal communication, perhaps for trade, but no group learns the native
language of any other group for social reasons that may include lack of trust
or of close contact
Bardeas (UQU) Pidgin and Creole Languages 02/08/1431 6 / 21
Pidgin
The process of pidginization involves at least three languages, with one
more dominant than the others
Bardeas (UQU) Pidgin and Creole Languages 02/08/1431 7 / 21
Pidgin
The process of pidginization involves at least three languages, with one
more dominant than the others
The Common view is that pidgins are bad versions of other languages.
This is wrong!
Bardeas (UQU) Pidgin and Creole Languages 02/08/1431 7 / 21
Creole
a pidgin that has become the first language of a new generationof
speakers
Bardeas (UQU) Pidgin and Creole Languages 02/08/1431 8 / 21
Creole
a pidgin that has become the first language of a new generationof
speakers
Holmes (1992, p.95): ‘A creole is a pidgin which has expandedin
structure and vocabulary to express the range of meanings and serve the
range of functions required of a first language’
Bardeas (UQU) Pidgin and Creole Languages 02/08/1431 8 / 21
Pidginization vs. Creolization
Pidginization: simplification: morphology, syntax, tolerance of
phonological variation, reduction in functions, and extensive borrowing
from local mother-tongues
Bardeas (UQU) Pidgin and Creole Languages 02/08/1431 9 / 21
Pidginization vs. Creolization
Pidginization: simplification: morphology, syntax, tolerance of
phonological variation, reduction in functions, and extensive borrowing
from local mother-tongues
Creolization: expansion of morphology and syntax, regularization of
phonology, increase in functions, development of stable vocabulary
Bardeas (UQU) Pidgin and Creole Languages 02/08/1431 9 / 21
1 Lingua Francas
2 Pidgins and Creoles: Definitions
3 Geographical Distribution
4 Linguistic Characteristics
5 Theories of Origin
6 From Pidgin to Creole and Beyond
Bardeas (UQU) Pidgin and Creole Languages 02/08/1431 10 / 21
mainly, but not exclusively, in the equatorial belt. e.g. the Caribbean,
north and east coasts of South America, west coast of Africa (trade)
Bardeas (UQU) Pidgin and Creole Languages 02/08/1431 11 / 21
1 Lingua Francas
2 Pidgins and Creoles: Definitions
3 Geographical Distribution
4 Linguistic Characteristics
5 Theories of Origin
6 From Pidgin to Creole and Beyond
Bardeas (UQU) Pidgin and Creole Languages 02/08/1431 12 / 21
sounds are fewer and less complicated in their configurations. For
example, Tok Pisin (New Guinea): 5 vowels, fewer consonants(sip
(ship) vs. sipsip (sheep))
Bardeas (UQU) Pidgin and Creole Languages 02/08/1431 13 / 21
sounds are fewer and less complicated in their configurations. For
example, Tok Pisin (New Guinea): 5 vowels, fewer consonants(sip
(ship) vs. sipsip (sheep))
no morphophonemic variation in pidgins (e.g. space, spacious),
developed in creoles
Bardeas (UQU) Pidgin and Creole Languages 02/08/1431 13 / 21
sounds are fewer and less complicated in their configurations. For
example, Tok Pisin (New Guinea): 5 vowels, fewer consonants(sip
(ship) vs. sipsip (sheep))
no morphophonemic variation in pidgins (e.g. space, spacious),
developed in creoles
a copmlete lack of inflection. For example, pronouns are not
distinguished by case
Bardeas (UQU) Pidgin and Creole Languages 02/08/1431 13 / 21
sounds are fewer and less complicated in their configurations. For
example, Tok Pisin (New Guinea): 5 vowels, fewer consonants(sip
(ship) vs. sipsip (sheep))
no morphophonemic variation in pidgins (e.g. space, spacious),
developed in creoles
a copmlete lack of inflection. For example, pronouns are not
distinguished by case
Simplified sentence structure. For example, no embedding, use of
particles for negation or tense
Bardeas (UQU) Pidgin and Creole Languages 02/08/1431 13 / 21
sounds are fewer and less complicated in their configurations. For
example, Tok Pisin (New Guinea): 5 vowels, fewer consonants(sip
(ship) vs. sipsip (sheep))
no morphophonemic variation in pidgins (e.g. space, spacious),
developed in creoles
a copmlete lack of inflection. For example, pronouns are not
distinguished by case
Simplified sentence structure. For example, no embedding, use of
particles for negation or tense
vocabulary: reduced, techniques (e.g. repetition) to avoid confusion. In
Tok Pisin: ‘hair’ isgras bilong het, ‘beard’ isgras bilong fes
Bardeas (UQU) Pidgin and Creole Languages 02/08/1431 13 / 21
1 Lingua Francas
2 Pidgins and Creoles: Definitions
3 Geographical Distribution
4 Linguistic Characteristics
5 Theories of Origin
6 From Pidgin to Creole and Beyond
Bardeas (UQU) Pidgin and Creole Languages 02/08/1431 14 / 21
Easy to refute
lack of ability to learn standard languages
Bardeas (UQU) Pidgin and Creole Languages 02/08/1431 15 / 21
Easy to refute
lack of ability to learn standard languages
Europeans simplifying their language (foreigner-talk)
Bardeas (UQU) Pidgin and Creole Languages 02/08/1431 15 / 21
Polygenesis
different origins, similar circumstances
Bardeas (UQU) Pidgin and Creole Languages 02/08/1431 16 / 21
Monogenetics
McWhorter (1995)
one origin, retain structure, change vocabulary (relexification)
Bardeas (UQU) Pidgin and Creole Languages 02/08/1431 17 / 21
Monogenetics
McWhorter (1995)
one origin, retain structure, change vocabulary (relexification)
Objection: similarities are generals, assumes speakers are able to learn
grammars without vocabulary
Bardeas (UQU) Pidgin and Creole Languages 02/08/1431 17 / 21
Bioprogram
Bickerton (1983)
universal principles of first language acquisition
Bardeas (UQU) Pidgin and Creole Languages 02/08/1431 18 / 21
1 Lingua Francas
2 Pidgins and Creoles: Definitions
3 Geographical Distribution
4 Linguistic Characteristics
5 Theories of Origin
6 From Pidgin to Creole and Beyond
Bardeas (UQU) Pidgin and Creole Languages 02/08/1431 19 / 21
Creolization
assimilation and reduction (faster speech): ma bilong mi - mamblomi
Bardeas (UQU) Pidgin and Creole Languages 02/08/1431 20 / 21
Creolization
assimilation and reduction (faster speech): ma bilong mi - mamblomi
expansion of vocabulary, shorter words: paitman (fighter),man bilong
pait
Bardeas (UQU) Pidgin and Creole Languages 02/08/1431 20 / 21
Creolization
assimilation and reduction (faster speech): ma bilong mi - mamblomi
expansion of vocabulary, shorter words: paitman (fighter),man bilong
pait
borrowing of technical vocabulary
Bardeas (UQU) Pidgin and Creole Languages 02/08/1431 20 / 21
Creolization
assimilation and reduction (faster speech): ma bilong mi - mamblomi
expansion of vocabulary, shorter words: paitman (fighter),man bilong
pait
borrowing of technical vocabulary
tense system. e.g.bin: past,bai: future
Bardeas (UQU) Pidgin and Creole Languages 02/08/1431 20 / 21
Creolization
assimilation and reduction (faster speech): ma bilong mi - mamblomi
expansion of vocabulary, shorter words: paitman (fighter),man bilong
pait
borrowing of technical vocabulary
tense system. e.g.bin: past,bai: future
greater sentence complexity, e.g. relative clauses
Bardeas (UQU) Pidgin and Creole Languages 02/08/1431 20 / 21
creole continuum: acrolet (close to standard), basilect (different),
mesolects (in between)
diglossic (different languages involved)
decreolization: strong influence of the standard
Bardeas (UQU) Pidgin and Creole Languages 02/08/1431 21 / 21