Pidgins and Creoles

Question 1

Why are pidgins and Creoles important?

Linguistically?

Answer 1

• essential to everyday living, markers of identity

- Language origin and change, No need to wait hundreds of years for change pidgins and creoles change fast

Question 2

Lingua Francas

Answer 2

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

Question 3

Are Lingua Francas homogenous?

Answer 3

No there is individual and regional variation

Question 4

Pidgin:

Answer 4

A language with no native speaker, Simplification of grammar and vocabulary, phonological variation, multiple lexcial borrowings.

Question 5

What Causes a Pidgin?

Answer 5

Need to communicate, usually 2 or 3 languages

Imbalance of power, speakers of the less powerful languages must communicate with all groups

Question 6

Do people still use pidgins today?

Answer 6

Yes several Million people

Question 7

Attitudes towards pidgin speakers:

Answer 7

Seen as deficient, unable to speak a normal language, baby talk. ex. Nigerian Pidgin English is called ‘Bad’ English

Question 8

Creole:

Answer 8

A pidgin that has become the L1 of a new generation, always starts with a pidgin
- expanded vocabulary and grammar, wider range of functions, a normal language
No clear cut difference between pidgin and creole

Question 9

What is the relationship between Creoles and their Standard Language

Answer 9

• A complicated relationship

- Perceived inferiority of creoles

Question 10

Pidginization:

Answer 10

• Reduction in morphologyt and syntax
• Phonological variation
• Reduction in functions
• Extensive lexical borrowing from local languages
• complex*

Question 11

Creolization:

Answer 11

• Expansion of the morphology and Syntax
• Regularization of phonology
• Increase in number of functions
• Increasing vocabulary
• May be formed in just 2 generations
• Result of second language acquisition

Question 12

Historical Origins of Pidgins:

5 of them

Answer 12

1) Slavery
2) Trade
3) European Settlement
4) War
5) Labour Migration

Question 13

Factor 1 - Slavery:

Answer 13

Triangular system: Europe – Africa – New World

- Pidgins created in slave factories in Africa and on the way to North America

Question 14

Factor 2 - Trade

Answer 14

Pidgins may develop in certain types of trading activites where several linguistic groups are involved and interpreters are unavailable ex. Naga Piidgin in India

Question 15

Factor 3- European Settlement

Answer 15

ex. Papua New Guinea, China, India, Fanakalo in South africa between english and zulu speakers, used in mines today no sign of creolization

Question 16

Factor 4- War

Answer 16

American Wars in Asia. Japan, Korea,Vietnam, Thailand

ex. Resulted in Bamboo English

Question 17

Factor 5- Labour Migration

Answer 17

Accelerated contact through employment, need for quick communication
ex. Tok Pisin in Papua New Guinea

Question 18

Name 3 English Based Pidgins:

Answer 18

Hawaiian Creole
Jamaican Creole
Former Chinese Pidgin

Question 19

How many total creoles are there in the world?

Answer 19

127

Question 20

The sound system of pidgins:

Phonology

Answer 20

Phonology

• fewer less complicated sounds, more variation
  ex. Tok Pisin [p] and [f] have same meaning

Question 21

The sound system of pidgins:

Morphology

Answer 21

Morphology

• Lack of inflection nouns
• No case markings
• some suffixes and tense markers

Question 22

The sound system of pidgins:

syntax

Answer 22

Uncomplicated clausal structure:

• No relative clauses
• simple negative particles
• preverbal particles

Question 23

Are all pidgins similar?

Answer 23

Yes despite being based on different languages all pidgins have striking similarities

Question 24

Pidgin Vocabulary:

Answer 24

1) Polysemy
2) Multifunctionality
3) Circumlocution
4) Compounding
5) Reduplication

Question 25

Polysemy:

Answer 25

Same word expressing several meanings

Question 26

Multifunctionality:

Answer 26

Same word fulfills a variety of functions | ex. Noun or adjective

Question 27

Circumlocution:

Answer 27

Paraphrase for word ex, gras bilong fes = beard gras bilong hed = hair

Question 28

Compounding:

Answer 28

Used to indicated abstractions and gender big maus = conceited hos meri/ man = mare/ stallion

Question 29

Reduplication:

Answer 29

To add meaning of intensity, plurality, duration and frequency

Question 30

Wardhaugh theories of the origin of Pidgins in 3 categories?

Answer 30

1) Theories of independent parallel development a) polygenesis, b) Simplification Strategies 2) Monogenetic theories 3) Linguistic Universals

Question 31

Theories of Parallel Development:

Answer 31

a) polygenesis - Similar circumstances, started in many places - Similarity of dominant and substratum languages b) Simplification Strategies - Baby/ foreigner- talk theory - European superiority, spoke down to slaves, prevented access to suprastrate

Question 32

Monogenetic Theories

Answer 32

a) Drew on a European language derived from pidgin Portugese (Sabir origin) formed structural basis for all pidgins. Relexification b) Relexification: i) learned portugese pidgin in the africa coast and on journey to new world. Adopted to particular plantation. ii) The portugese sailors had the pidgin once they came to a fort in africa they adopted words which slaves then learned. SUPPORT: Nautical Terminology

Question 33

Linguistic Universals: | Bickerton's Language Bioprogram hypothesis

Answer 33

The inherent linguistic skills of all humans, Universal principles of L1 acquisition, Similarities between P and C and childrens languages. Children learn rules to limit english, creoles are less artificial

Question 34

How can you tell creoles from full languages?

Answer 34

Only from their history no structural criteria

Question 35

Decreolization:

Answer 35

Creole becomes merged with the standard language. | Intermediate varieties develop

Question 36

Acrolect

Answer 36

Standard language

Question 37

Mesolect

Answer 37

Creoles more like standard language

Question 38

Basilect

Answer 38

Basic language, creole like

Question 39

What is a requirement of Bickertons Decreolization?

Answer 39

Creole and standard must be based on the same language.

Question 40

What can happen to a creole? (Bell)

Answer 40

1) Stable relationship with the superstrate ex. Haiti 2) May be absorbed by the standard ex. Sea Islands 3) A creole may become a standard ex Swahili 4 A creole continuum ex. jamaica and Guyana

Question 41

Recreolization

Answer 41

An increase in basilect creole constructions ex. Norm of British born adolescents of Caribbean origin in many parts of london, white youth may also speak the creole fluently