Our argument in respect of pidgin borrows largely from elugbe and omamor 1991. Pidgins and creoles educational research techniques. Furthermore, the large number of shared features among widely dispersed pidgins and creoles leads to the conclusion that creoles at least show characteristics which are typical of language in the most general sense, the features of older languages, such as complex morphology or intricate phonology, arising due to the action of various forces. Malry of rhem tnd to hav certain features in common, bur creolists are divided as to the interpretation ofthis fact, and a language. Journal of pidgin and creole languages rg journal impact.
This section is concerned with the description of socalled pidgin and creole languages. Visualmanual languages offer linguists important insights into the nature of language bellugi and fischer 1972. Krio is, of course, the native language of the krios, the descendants of freed slaves. Discuss some of the basic differences that characterize pidgins and creoles, based on your understanding of what is meant by the following quote. At first, youre just two languages who are sort of seeing each other. Pidgins are onthespot languages that develop when people with no common language come into contact with each other. Pidgins and creoles are typically referred to as contact languages because they arise from contact between two or more existing languages more precisely, such languages develop in areas where speakers with different native languages who do not speak and. Most pidgins have relatively simple sound systems characterized by five vowels i, e, a, u, o and no consonant clusters. Definition and examples of pidgins in language studies. Language differs by geography, social class, economic status, age, gender and religion. Accordingly, the grammars of pidgins are characteristically less complex than the grammars of their source languages. An example of this is the creole above from papua new guinea, tok pisin, which has become a national language. Language variation 1 chapter 7 language and variation 7.
What are the linguistic characteristics of pidgin and. American sign language asl is a full language with grammatical rules, discourse structure, community of speakers, and everything else that goes with being a language. The origin and diffusion of world languages cultural geography. The native language of the subordinate people learning the dominant language. Collocations are words that are often used together and are brilliant at providing natural sounding language for your speech and writing. This paper should in no way be regarded as anything near a comprehensive treatment of the language varieties included under the term pidgin sign english pse.
Pidgin is also termed a trade language since people of different language backgrounds are often brought together for business reasons. Language that developed from contact between speakers of different languages and that serves as the primary means of communication for a particular group of speakers similar to pidgins but it is no longer a pidgin once it becomes the native language of a particular group. In coastal west africa, a pidgin language called wes kos is continuing to develop. Once the pidgin has evolved and has acquired native speakers the children learn the pidgin as their first language, it is then called a creole. They arise in situations of trade or where both groups speak different languages from the language of the place. The vocabulary of a pidgin comes mainly from one particular language called the lexifier. This site is like a library, use search box in the. Well, a pidgin has a fairly basic grammatical structure, due to its out of the blue construction, and its vocab bears a relationship to the languages it was influenced by. Hawai i creole pidgin, local identity, and schooling. Language has been a subject of study, examination, philosophy and criticism for thousands of years, and complex terminology has been developed to discuss its nuances.
An introduction to sociolinguistics fifth edition ronald wardhaugh aita01 3 5905, 4. This happens when people speaking two different languages have to work together, usually in some form of trade relation or administrative routine. Creole languages develop most easily when parents communicate with each other only through the pidgin language, and the pidgin will become the first language of the child. Pidgin language is a simplified form of speech formed out of one or more existing languages and used by people who have no other language in. In pidgins, the codeswitching can be much more complex than a simple phrase, as the entire language is comprised of combining different languages and creating new words in the process. In time, most pidgin languages disappear, as the pidgin speaking community develops, and one of its established languages becomes widely known and takes over the role of the pidgin as the lingua franca, or language of choice of those who do. Language, a system of conventional spoken, manual signed, or written symbols by means of which human beings, as members of a social group and participants in its culture, express themselves. Chapter 2 the genesis of pidgin and creole languages. Project muse some characteristics of pidgin sign english. This theory suggests that a pidgin variety of a language consists of a frozen or fossilized interlanguage which has become accepted as a medium for group rather than individual use bell, 1976, p. Usually a pidgin language is a blend of the vocabulary of one major language with the.
Get an answer for discuss the nature of pidgins and creole in languages. The gullah language, considered as a whole, is also remarkably similar to sierra leone krioso similar that the two languages are probably mutually intelligible. Reinforcement for a creole language occurs when all the families in an area are forced to speak a pidgin. At first a pidgin language has no native speakers and is used just for doing business with others with whom one shares the pidgin language and no other. These dominant languages are called superstrate languages. Swahili, on the other hand, cannot be considered a pidgin or a successor to a creole language. The gullah language the gullah language is what linguists. The functions of language include communication, the expression of identity, play, imaginative expression, and emotional release. Click download or read online button to get social and linguistic history of nigerian pidgin english book now. The creole language of the large black population in the region is called gullah, spoken by about a quarter of a million people.
Pidgin, creole, lingua franca, relexification, language variety. There have been several ideas and views about its origin whether it is indigenous or exogenous. Yet a hundred years since it was first recognized as a distinct form of speech, it remains a primary language among many in the state. Some specialized languages were developed to keep the outsider at bay. How is pidgin signed english distinct from american sign. Whats the difference between a pidgin and a creole. Characteristic definition and meaning collins english. However, from then 1672 until 1788 the slave trade was a cornerstone of english economic life. Is a process where a pidgin expanded in structure and vocabulary in order to express the range of meanings and serve the range of functions required of a first language.
This paper merely attempts to introduce some of the observed characteristics of pse varieties and to present a very general case for the classification of these language varieties as a pidgin. To be sure, like all languages, it has changed over time. The difference between pidgin and creole is a bit more subtle than you think. Pidgin and creole are two terms that are sometimes used. Omodiagbe 1992, comments that pidgin is an offshoot of the pure english of the early missionaries and colonial administrators. Social and linguistic history of nigerian pidgin english. Pidginisation is second language learning with restricted input, while creolisation was first language learning with restricted input. But as for the differences between a pidgin and a creole. Definition and examples of west african pidgin english.
Most important, asl is a language that arose independently of english. This section summarises approaches to pc genesis that share the characteristic of having language varieties as opposed to processes that lead to these varieties. Pidgins and creoles around the world pidgin refers to a simplified language that was developed when two people do not speak the same language. On the other hand all the other minority languages that contribute to a pidgin are called substrate languages. Introduction pidgin can be viewed as a language that results from contact between people who are not able to speak a common language but who are in a bad need to talk with and understand each other. This important form of language replacement is known as creolization. Compared to their source languages, pidgins show a characteristic simplification of linguistic structure that concerns all aspects of grammar. You must know what are characteristics of human language, if you want to study language. One striking characteristic of pidgins and creoles is that they. A pidgin is a new language which develops in situations where speakers of different languages need to communicate but dont share a common language. In the papua new guinea creole the superstrate language was english. Pidgin and creole are two common terms used in linguistics to describe a language. Usually a pidgin language is a blend of the vocabulary of one major language with the grammar of one or more other languages. Definitions and characteristics of pidgins and creoles pidgin and.
Nonetheless, its grammatical and phonetic characteristics make it distinctive and recognizable. In linguistics, a pidgin pronounced pidgin is a simplified form of speech formed out of one or more existing languages and used as a lingua franca by people who have no other language in common. Because of its complex structure and vocabulary, it is a distinct bantu language. The third category of languages in nigeria is the nigerian pidgin. A creole is when children grow up speaking a pidgin. The journal of pidgin and creole languages is designed to be part of an international effort to bring together scholarly treatments of all aspects of pidginization and. The characteristics of a person or thing are the qualities or features that belong to. Pidgins pidgins and creoles by grace crouch what are pidgins and creoles. Pidgin and creoles are both the result of mixing two or more languages, but in a different level. In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content some characteristics of pidgin sign english james c. Pidgin is typically, a mixture of simplified languages or a simplified primary language with other languages elements included. Nativization is when pidgin passed onto new generations and became a mother tongue which is.
Also known as a pidgin language or an auxiliary language. Language is sound language is an organization of sounds, of vocal symbols the sounds produced from the mouth to convey some meaningful message. Creole has native speakers, unlike pidgin it is first language to children of. A pidgin is quite restricted in use and variable in structure. The reasons for pidgins to occur are generally for trade matters when different cultures do not share a common language and when they.
1384 310 47 447 706 1490 976 114 1203 856 440 86 371 559 433 1288 245 1027 1499 284 637 1182 538 898 1399 433 245