Pidgins and Pidgins and creolescreoles Presented by : Presented by :

Amal Mustafa Amal Mustafa ElsinousyElsinousy

The main points :The main points :

IntroductionIntroductionLingua francaLingua francaPidginsPidginsPidginizationPidginizationcreolecreoleCreolizationCreolizationDecreolization Decreolization

Introduction:Introduction:When two or more When two or more people from different people from different languages meet and languages meet and tried to communicate, tried to communicate, what should they do ?what should they do ?

Answers :Answers :

1. Use a third language (Lingua Franca)

2. Mix the two languages (Pidgin /Creole)

Lingua FrancaLingua Franca

A lingua franca is a language A lingua franca is a language which is used habitually by which is used habitually by people whose mother tongues people whose mother tongues are different in order to are different in order to facilitate communication facilitate communication between them.between them.

Other terms that are used to Other terms that are used to refer to Lingua francas:refer to Lingua francas:

a trade language e.g., Swahili in East a trade language e.g., Swahili in East Africa.Africa.

A contact language e.g., Greek koineA contact language e.g., Greek koineAn international language e.g., EnglishAn international language e.g., EnglishAn auxiliary language e.g., Esperanto.An auxiliary language e.g., Esperanto.A mixed language .e.g., Mitchif in A mixed language .e.g., Mitchif in

Canada Canada

English – lingua franca:Spoken in many countries Spoken in many countries as a native language .as a native language .

Spoken as a second Spoken as a second language in other countries language in other countries e.g., India and the e.g., India and the Philippines. Philippines.

Other languages – lingua Other languages – lingua francas:francas:

• Many Languages throughout the Many Languages throughout the history history servedserved as lingua franca:as lingua franca:o ChineseChineseo FrenchFrencho ArabicArabico Chinook Jargon ( American Indian)Chinook Jargon ( American Indian)• We can conclude that mainly We can conclude that mainly

political and economical power political and economical power defines the Lingua Franca.defines the Lingua Franca.

pidginspidginsOrigin:Origin:Assumed to be coming from Assumed to be coming from a a ChineseChinese

attempt to pronounce the English attempt to pronounce the English word word businessbusiness during trades in the during trades in the Far East.Far East.

Historically, pidgins arose in colonial Historically, pidgins arose in colonial situations where the representatives situations where the representatives of the particular colonial power, of the particular colonial power, officials, tradesmen, sailors, etc., officials, tradesmen, sailors, etc., came in contact with nativescame in contact with natives

Definition: Definition: A pidgin or contact language is aA pidgin or contact language is a

restricted restricted and and extendedextended language language which arises with an urgency of which arises with an urgency of communication to serve specific communication to serve specific needs between social groups that are needs between social groups that are ethnically and linguistically different ethnically and linguistically different from each other .from each other .

One of these groups is in a more One of these groups is in a more dominant position than the other; the dominant position than the other; the less dominant group is the one which less dominant group is the one which develops the pidgin.develops the pidgin.

Pidginization:Pidginization:

Is a complex combination of Is a complex combination of different processes of change, different processes of change, including reduction and including reduction and simplification of input simplification of input materials ,internal innovation, materials ,internal innovation, and regularization of structure, and regularization of structure, with L1 influence also playing with L1 influence also playing role.role.

Characteristics of pidgin Characteristics of pidgin language:language:

No native speakers yet .No native speakers yet . spoken by millions as means of spoken by millions as means of

communicationcommunication Not used as a means of group identification.Not used as a means of group identification. A product of multilingual – 3 languages – one A product of multilingual – 3 languages – one

is dominant. The dominant language is dominant. The dominant language superior because of superior because of economical or social economical or social factorfactor. .

Two languages involved Two languages involved a power struggle a power struggle for dominance.for dominance.

The dominant group –more vocabulary The dominant group –more vocabulary (lexifier –superstrate) ,while the less (lexifier –superstrate) ,while the less dominant languages –grammar (substrate).dominant languages –grammar (substrate).

Main function –tradingMain function –trading

• Reduced grammatical Reduced grammatical structure:structure:

Phonology: Phonology: Morphology: Morphology:

Syntax: Syntax:

Lexicon: Lexicon: Semantics: Semantics: Pragmatics: Pragmatics:

CV syllable preferred CV syllable preferred Poor affixation Poor affixation -Reduplication is -Reduplication is

common common SVO pattern preferred SVO pattern preferred -Articles usually omitted-Articles usually omittedLimited vocabularyLimited vocabularySemantic extensions Semantic extensions Narrower range of Narrower range of

functionsfunctions

Possible outcomes of Possible outcomes of PidginsPidgins

Die out (when original reason for communication diminishes or disappears)

Develop to more formal roles (lingua franca); which is called an ‘expanded pidgin’

Develop into a creole

CreolesCreoles Origin:Origin:

An adaptation of the Castilian An adaptation of the Castilian Spanish Spanish criollocriollo (home, local) (home, local)

from Portuguese from Portuguese criarcriar (to rear, to (to rear, to bring up), bring up),

from Latin from Latin creocreo ("to create") ("to create")..

Definition:Definition:

A creole is a pidgin that has A creole is a pidgin that has become the first language of become the first language of a new generation of a new generation of speakers.speakers.

Creolization:Creolization:Is a process where a pidgin Is a process where a pidgin

expanded in structure and expanded in structure and vocabulary in order to express vocabulary in order to express the range of meanings and the range of meanings and serve the range of functions serve the range of functions required of a first language.required of a first language.

characteristics of characteristics of CreolesCreoleso pidgins adopted as the native language.pidgins adopted as the native language.Nativization Nativization isis when pidgin when pidgin passed passed

onto new generations onto new generations and became and became a a mother tongue mother tongue which is which is acquired by acquired by childrenchildren..

Often classified as Often classified as English/French/Spanish…English/French/Spanish…basedbased

speech becomes faster, speech becomes faster, Expansion of morphology and syntax.Expansion of morphology and syntax.Expansion of phonology.Expansion of phonology.Expansion of the lexicon.Expansion of the lexicon.

DecreolizationIt  is a hypothetical It  is a hypothetical

phenomenon whereby over phenomenon whereby over time a time a creole language reconverges with one of the  reconverges with one of the standard languages from standard languages from which it originally derived. the which it originally derived. the theory of theory of creole continua..

Bickerton (1975)has proposed a Bickerton (1975)has proposed a number of terms to refer to the number of terms to refer to the creole continuum in Guyanese creole continuum in Guyanese English:English:Acrolect Acrolect : which refers to educated : which refers to educated

Guyanese English which has very Guyanese English which has very few differences from other varieties few differences from other varieties of standard language.of standard language.

Basilect:Basilect:refers to a variety that refers to a variety that would be least comprehensible to a would be least comprehensible to a speaker of the standardspeaker of the standard

Mesolects: Mesolects: are intermediate varieties are intermediate varieties which are used to fill the space which are used to fill the space between the Acrolect and basilect.between the Acrolect and basilect.

Life-Cycle Model of Pidgins Life-Cycle Model of Pidgins and Creolesand Creoles

Jargon Jargon Pidgin Pidgin Pidgin Créole Pidgin Créole Creole Creole ⇩ ⇩ ⇩ ⇩ Post-creole continuumPost-creole continuum ⇩

Post-pidgin continuumPost-pidgin continuum ⇘ ⇙ Nativized version of lexifier

e.g., - Russenorsk Solomon Islands

Haitian - Chinese PE Tok Pisin

Jamaican

An example of a creole:An example of a creole:

• Jamaican creole is mixed with English Jamaican creole is mixed with English and African.and African.For example :For example :

• instead of saying instead of saying meme they say they say mimi. . • This sentence is written in Jamaican This sentence is written in Jamaican

creole:creole:

• Unu cya lissen to we mia say!Unu cya lissen to we mia say!

English English is:is:

• Cant you listen to what I'm saying!Cant you listen to what I'm saying!

Distributions of Ps and Cs Distributions of Ps and Cs

Pidgins are distributed mainly in places Pidgins are distributed mainly in places with direct or easy access to the oceans. with direct or easy access to the oceans. They are found mainly in the Caribbean They are found mainly in the Caribbean and around the north and east coasts of and around the north and east coasts of South America and Africa .South America and Africa .

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