Alyssa Burns

A pidgin language is no one’s native language, but is a mix of multiple languages (Schiffman).

A creole language is created when the pidgin language becomes the native language of a certain area.

Not all pidgins become creoles because there is a chance that the language will die out before it can become the native language.

Lexicon- the vocabulary of a language or of an individual

This was formed in order for the immigrants to communicate with the Hawaiians. There is still some pidgin used a little today. For example:- akamai – smart, intelligent (which is also a Hawaiian word)- brah – brother- ono – means delicious in Hawaiian, but can mean many other things in pidgin

While some may refer to this as a creole language, it is not considered one because the majority think it’s not their first language, even if many children do learn it early.- “You are coming, right?” - Şe you dey come? or You de come abi?- “Man! That test was hard.” – Nna, that test hard no be small.

Referred to Guinea Coast Creole English as well and was used along the West African coast during the period of the Atlantic slave trade.

This was used so that British slave merchants and local African traders could communicate their exchanges.

The majority of the vocabulary came from English; while most of the sounds, grammer, and syntax came from West African Niger-Congo languages.- flog – beat, punish- dek - floor

This is an “English-lexified creole language” that originated with West African influence.

The language came about when slaves from West and Central Africa learned the English that their owners spoke, and thus the Jamaican Patois was born.

Although, in the Patois there are no past tense forms like –ed or –t, but preverbial particles en and a.- /mi ɹon/ - I ran- /mi a ɹon/ or /mi de ɹon/ - I am running

This language contains aspects of French, Native American, Spanish, and West African languages.

Definite articles vary between the le, la, and les which occur in French, as well as a and la for the singular and yé for the plural.- Hello - Bonjou – Bonjour- How are things? - Konmen lé-z'affè? - Comment vont les affaires?

Haitian Creole and French are considered the official languages of Haiti.

This is based on 18th to 21st century French, some African languages, Arabic, Spanish, Taíno, and English.- The books-Liv yo – Les livres- The cars – Machin yo – Les machines- The girls put on dresses – Fi yo mete rob – Les filles mettent les robes

Taíno – pre-columbian inhabitants of the Bahamas, Greater Antilles, and the Lesser Antilles.

Not many undergraduates will have a course devoted solely to pidgins and creoles.(Sebba).

These can be considered a way of knowing because as Sapir believed, language and the thoughts that we have are effected by the confines of our language.

The Sapir-Whorf hypothesis- language shapes our ideas and people cannot think outside of their language.

These confines create many different world views and perceptions. Creole and pidgin languages could in part be a solution to this problem because it brings two languages together.

Schiffman, Harold. "Pidgin and Creole Languages." 25 Mar. 1997. Web. 06 Apr. 2011. <http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/~haroldfs/messeas/handouts/pjcreol/node1.html>.

"Eye of Hawaii - Pidgin, The Unofficial Language of Hawaii." Eye of Hawaii - Your Complete Guide to the Big Island, Kona to Hilo. Web. 06 Apr. 2011. <http://www.eyeofhawaii.com/Pidgin/pidgin.htm>.

Sebba, Mark. "The Teaching of Pidgin and Creole Studies | Subject Centre for Languages, Linguistics and Area Studies." Homepage | Subject Centre for Languages, Linguistics and Area Studies. Web. 07 Apr. 2011. <http://www.llas.ac.uk/resources/gpg/2784>.