Pidgins and Creole

Difference between creole and dialect

•Dialects: Variations of a single language

•Creoles: Mixtures of two or more languages, evolving over time into full-fledged languages

Pidgins

develop when two language systems merge for a specific purpose, they mix the vocabulary from one language with the grammar of another

Creoles

originate from pidgins but develop into native languages with fully formed grammar.

Lexicon

The vocabulary of a language

Lexifier

The dominant language that contributes most of the vocabulary to a creole

Non-creole languages

Any language that did not originate as a creole (e.g., English, Hindi, Mandarin, Warrau

Indigenous Languages in the Caribbean examples

Lokono, Garifuna, Makushi, Carib, and Kekchi.

The evolution of creole and pidgins

•Some pidgins became extinct.

•Some evolved into lingua francas (languages used for communication between different groups).

•Some became expanded pidgins with more complex structures.

•Some developed native speakers and became creoles.

Decreolization

occurs when speakers of a creole or dialect shift toward the standard language due to social pressure.

Post creole continuum

Basilect (most non-standard) → Mesolects (intermediate) → Acrolect (most standard).

Indigenous languages in the Caribbean

originally spoken by the native peoples of the Caribbean archipelago.