TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. INTRODUCTION 1
2. DEFINITIONS 2
2.1 PIDGINS 2
2.2 CREOLES 3
3. THEORIES OF ORIGINS OF PIDGINS 4
3.1. BABY-TALK-THEORY 4
3.2. NAUTICAL JARGON THEORY 6
3.3. PARALLEL DEVELOPMENT THEORY 6
3.4. MONOGENETIC/RELEXIFICATION THEORY 7
4. THE DEVELOPMENT FROM PIDGIN TO CREOLE 8
4.1. JARGON STAGE 8
4.2. STABILIZATION PHASE 9
4.3. EXPANSION PHASE 9
4.4. CREOLIZATION 10
5. THE LIFE CYCLE OF CREOLES 11
5.1. DE-CREOLIZATION AND THE POST-CREOLE CONTINUUM 11
5.2. RE-CREOLIZATION 13
6. CONCLUSION 15
REFERENCES 16
PLAGIARISM DISCLAIMER 17
1. INTRODUCTION
“Chrismus time ah de time ob gladness, and de time ob goodwill, when de goodwill pirit tek hold ob we, we feget ebery libing ting bout de grudge we gat against wen ex doah neighbour; an we begins fe wish him all kinda nice something, cause we feel nice weself. [...]”
(Todd, 2006: 100)
This sequence of Jamaican Creole is only one of the diversity in the creole-speaking world. In my term paper I will examine the emergence of a Creole.
I start with an outline of the definitions of Pidgins and creoles and how they relate to each other. I continue with the most known origins of Pidgins, which is followed by the four phases of development from a Pidgin to a Creole. Finally, I will introduce the topic of De- and Re-creolization.
2. DEFINITIONS
2.1. Pidgins
Defining what is a pidgin and what is not is a challenging undertaking. Generally, a Pidgin is “any combination and distortion of two languages as a means of communication.” (Sebba, 1997: 1) Pidgin English is defined as “any lingua franca consisting of English and another language.” (Sebba, 1997: 1)
It is a reduced language that arises through extensive contact between different groups of people who do not share a common language (Holm, 1988: 4). The Pidgin is strengthened because there is a need for these stated groups to communicate (for example for trade) but none of these groups learns the mother tongue of the other group (Holm, 1988: 4). Speakers of these groups can be divided into at least two groups: Speakers with less power are speakers of the substrate language. Mostly, they are accommodating by adopting words of speakers with more power, speakers of the superstrate language (Holm, 1988: 5). Furthermore, the superstrate speakers accept many of the emerging changes in order to facilitate communication and to become more comprehensible, simultaneously they do not try to speak as they do within their own group (Holm, 1988: 5).
Table of Contents
- 1. INTRODUCTION
- 2. DEFINITIONS
- 2.1 Pidgins
- 2.2 Creoles
- 3. PIDGINS: THEORIES OF ORIGINS
- 3.1 The Baby-Talk-Theory
- 3.2 The independent parallel development theory
- 3.3 The Nautical Jargon Theory
- 3.4 The Monogenetic/Relexification Theory
- 4. THE PROCESS OF DEVELOPMENT: FROM PIDGIN TO CREOLE
- 4.1 The Jargon Stage
- 4.2 The Stabilization Stage
- 4.3 The Expansion Stage
- 4.4 Creolization
- 5. THE LIFE-CYCLE OF CREOLES
- 5.1 De-Creolization and Post-Creole continuum
- 5.2 Re-Creolization
- 6. CONCLUSION
Objectives and Key Themes
This paper examines the emergence of creoles, beginning with definitions of pidgins and creoles and their interrelationship. It then explores prominent theories regarding the origins of pidgins, followed by an analysis of the four developmental phases from pidgin to creole. Finally, the paper introduces the concepts of de- and re-creolization.
- Definitions and distinctions between pidgins and creoles
- Theories on the origins of pidgins
- The developmental stages of pidgins into creoles
- The life cycle of creoles: de-creolization and re-creolization
- The role of social and historical context in the development of pidgins and creoles
Chapter Summaries
1. INTRODUCTION: This introductory chapter sets the stage for the paper by using an example of Jamaican Creole to highlight the diversity within creole languages. It outlines the paper's structure, promising to explore the definitions of pidgins and creoles, their origins, developmental phases, and the concepts of de- and re-creolization.
2. DEFINITIONS: This chapter provides detailed definitions of pidgins and creoles. Pidgins are defined as reduced languages arising from contact between groups lacking a common language, often characterized by simplified grammar and vocabulary. Creoles, conversely, are pidgins that have become native languages for a speech community, often expanding in vocabulary and grammatical complexity. The chapter emphasizes the crucial distinction that pidgins lack native speakers while creoles do not. The conditions necessary for pidgin formation are also addressed, such as social distance between language groups and a lack of significant similarity between the languages involved. This lays the groundwork for understanding the subsequent discussions of pidgin origins and development.
3. PIDGINS: THEORIES OF ORIGINS: This chapter delves into various theories explaining the origins of pidgins. It introduces the "Baby-Talk Theory," which suggests similarities between pidgin simplification and the language used when speaking to babies. While other theories (the independent parallel development theory, the Nautical Jargon Theory, and the Monogenetic/Relexification Theory) are mentioned, the provided text only details the Baby-Talk Theory, suggesting that it posits a connection between the simplified vocabulary and grammar of pidgins and the similarly simplified speech used in communicating with infants. The chapter highlights the ongoing scholarly debate surrounding the emergence of these languages and the attempts to understand the linguistic innovations they represent.
Keywords
Pidgins, Creoles, language contact, creolization, de-creolization, re-creolization, language origins, linguistic development, baby-talk theory, Jamaican Creole, lingua franca.
Frequently Asked Questions: A Comprehensive Language Preview
What is this document about?
This document provides a comprehensive preview of a paper examining the emergence of creole languages. It covers definitions, theories of origin, developmental stages, and the life cycle of creoles, including de-creolization and re-creolization.
What are the key themes explored in the paper?
The key themes include definitions and distinctions between pidgins and creoles; theories on the origins of pidgins (such as the Baby-Talk Theory, independent parallel development, Nautical Jargon Theory, and the Monogenetic/Relexification Theory); the developmental stages of pidgins into creoles (jargon, stabilization, expansion, and creolization); the life cycle of creoles, encompassing de-creolization and re-creolization; and the role of social and historical context in the development of pidgins and creoles.
What are pidgins and creoles?
Pidgins are simplified languages arising from contact between groups lacking a common language, characterized by simplified grammar and vocabulary. Creoles are pidgins that have become native languages for a speech community, expanding in vocabulary and grammatical complexity. A key difference is that pidgins lack native speakers, while creoles do not.
What are the theories of pidgin origins discussed?
Several theories are mentioned, including the Baby-Talk Theory (which suggests a connection between pidgin simplification and infant-directed speech), the independent parallel development theory, the Nautical Jargon Theory, and the Monogenetic/Relexification Theory. However, only the Baby-Talk Theory is detailed in the provided summary.
What are the stages in the development of a pidgin into a creole?
The development from pidgin to creole is described in four stages: the jargon stage, the stabilization stage, the expansion stage, and creolization itself.
What is the life cycle of creoles?
The life cycle includes the concepts of de-creolization (the process by which a creole language loses its creole features and moves towards a standard language) and re-creolization (the process by which a language that has undergone de-creolization regains some of its creole features).
What is the role of social and historical context?
The document highlights the importance of social and historical context in shaping the development of pidgins and creoles, although specific details are not provided in the preview.
What examples are used in the document?
Jamaican Creole is used as an example to illustrate the diversity within creole languages in the introduction.
What are the keywords associated with this paper?
Keywords include Pidgins, Creoles, language contact, creolization, de-creolization, re-creolization, language origins, linguistic development, baby-talk theory, Jamaican Creole, and lingua franca.
Where can I find more information?
The full paper would provide a more in-depth exploration of these topics.
- Citation du texte
- Maria Neumann (Auteur), 2015, Pidgins and Creoles and Their Emergence, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/368194
