Contact language: Difference between revisions
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==Pidgins and Creole== | ==Pidgins and Creole== | ||
Very often, ''[[pidgin]]'' and ''[[creole language|creole]]s'' are contact languages. A pidgin is a language that is created through a contact situation - typically, users employ [[word]]s from one or more languages they have some knowledge of, underlain by the [[grammar]] of their own native languages together with attempts to simplify sentences. The result is a rudimentary language with fewer 'rules' than other languages - there are fewer sentence types, for instance, so expressing certain ideas may be difficult. The pidgin is fine-tuned to the immediate needs of the speakers, who may primarily use it for bartering, friendly introductions, or some other specific purpose. It therefore has no immediate need to be elaborated unless it proves useful for the [[speech community]] to develop an ''[[extended pidgin]]'', used for more purposes and with increasingly rigid rules. | Very often, ''[[pidgin]]'' and ''[[creole language|creole]]s'' are contact languages. A pidgin is a language that is created through a contact situation - typically, users employ [[word]]s from one or more languages they have some knowledge of, underlain by the [[grammar]] of their own native languages together with attempts to simplify sentences. The result is a rudimentary language with fewer 'rules' than other languages - there are fewer sentence types, for instance, so expressing certain ideas may be difficult. The pidgin is fine-tuned to the immediate needs of the speakers, who may primarily use it for bartering, friendly introductions, or some other specific purpose. It therefore has no immediate need to be elaborated unless it proves useful for the [[speech community]] to develop an ''[[extended pidgin]]'', used for more purposes and with increasingly rigid rules. | ||
One example of extended pidgins is [[Fanagalo]], used in some [[South Africa|South African]] [[mine]]s, and which is actually taught in underground classrooms to miners of different linguistic backgrounds. Another is [[Tok Pisin]], which is widely used throughout [[Papua New Guinea]], in [[writing|print]] as well as in conversation.<ref>Smith (2002).</ref> | |||
In a minority of cases, an extending a pidgin may lead to [[creolisation]]. This occurs when a pidgin becomes the first language of [[children]], the resulting native language being a creole. This new language is inevitably more complex than the original pidgin; there is no evidence that creoles are in any way deficient. For example, not only are creoles used for a wide variety of purposes, but works written in conventional languages have been translated into creole versions.<ref>See an example of a [http://www.worldscriptures.org/pages/tokpisin.html Tok Pisin Bible] and [<ref>See Sebba (1997), for a comprehensive introduction to pidgins and creoles; and Wardhaugh (2006: 58-87) for discussion on these languages as lingua francas.</ref> | |||
==Post-contact== | ==Post-contact== | ||
The term ''contact language'' is also sometimes applied to languages which originated in a contact situation, but which are no longer used out of the necessity to communicate. For example, most creoles have emerged from such situations, but may no longer be used as a lingua franca - such as in [[Jamaica]], where the [[Jamaican creole|local creole]]<ref>Sebba (1997: 204-210).</ref> is used in informal situations, and a variety closer to [[Standard English]] for speaking to outsiders.<ref>Sebba (1997) labels all | The term ''contact language'' is also sometimes applied to languages which originated in a contact situation, but which are no longer used out of the necessity to communicate. For example, most creoles have emerged from such situations, but may no longer be used as a lingua franca - such as in [[Jamaica]], where the [[Jamaican creole|local creole]]<ref>Sebba (1997: 204-210).</ref> is used in informal situations, and a variety closer to [[Standard English]] for speaking to outsiders.<ref>Sebba (1997) labels all pidgins and creoles as contact languages; see title.</ref> | ||
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==References== | ==References== | ||
*Samarin WJ (1968) Lingua francas of the world. In Fishman JA (ed.) ''Readings in the Sociology of Language'' | *Samarin WJ (1968) Lingua francas of the world. In Fishman JA (ed.) ''Readings in the Sociology of Language.'' The Hague: Mouton. pp.660-672. | ||
*Sebba M (1997) ''Contact Language: Pidgins and Creoles''. London: Macmillan. | *Sebba M (1997) ''Contact Language: Pidgins and Creoles''. London: Macmillan. ISBN 90-333-63024-6. | ||
*Wardhaugh R (2006) ''An Introduction to Sociolinguistics'' | *Smith GP (2002) ''Growing Up with Tok Pisin: Contact, Creolization, and Change in Papua New Guinea's National Language.'' London: Battlebridge. ISBN 903292-06-9. | ||
*Wardhaugh R (2006) ''An Introduction to Sociolinguistics.'' Oxford: Blackwell. 6th edition. ISBN 1-4051-3559-X. | |||
Revision as of 22:46, 20 February 2007
A contact language is a type of language which is used when people who share no native language need to communicate. Such languages are often more generally known as lingua francas.
While contact languages are necessarily lingua francas, not all lingua francas are contact languages. Other types include trade languages (e.g. Swahili in East Africa), international languages (e.g. English in much of the world) and auxiliary languages (languages artificially designed for a purpose, such as Esperanto or Basic English).[1]
Pidgins and Creole
Very often, pidgin and creoles are contact languages. A pidgin is a language that is created through a contact situation - typically, users employ words from one or more languages they have some knowledge of, underlain by the grammar of their own native languages together with attempts to simplify sentences. The result is a rudimentary language with fewer 'rules' than other languages - there are fewer sentence types, for instance, so expressing certain ideas may be difficult. The pidgin is fine-tuned to the immediate needs of the speakers, who may primarily use it for bartering, friendly introductions, or some other specific purpose. It therefore has no immediate need to be elaborated unless it proves useful for the speech community to develop an extended pidgin, used for more purposes and with increasingly rigid rules.
One example of extended pidgins is Fanagalo, used in some South African mines, and which is actually taught in underground classrooms to miners of different linguistic backgrounds. Another is Tok Pisin, which is widely used throughout Papua New Guinea, in print as well as in conversation.[2]
In a minority of cases, an extending a pidgin may lead to creolisation. This occurs when a pidgin becomes the first language of children, the resulting native language being a creole. This new language is inevitably more complex than the original pidgin; there is no evidence that creoles are in any way deficient. For example, not only are creoles used for a wide variety of purposes, but works written in conventional languages have been translated into creole versions.Cite error: Closing </ref> missing for <ref> tag
Post-contact
The term contact language is also sometimes applied to languages which originated in a contact situation, but which are no longer used out of the necessity to communicate. For example, most creoles have emerged from such situations, but may no longer be used as a lingua franca - such as in Jamaica, where the local creole[3] is used in informal situations, and a variety closer to Standard English for speaking to outsiders.[4]
Footnotes
References
- Samarin WJ (1968) Lingua francas of the world. In Fishman JA (ed.) Readings in the Sociology of Language. The Hague: Mouton. pp.660-672.
- Sebba M (1997) Contact Language: Pidgins and Creoles. London: Macmillan. ISBN 90-333-63024-6.
- Smith GP (2002) Growing Up with Tok Pisin: Contact, Creolization, and Change in Papua New Guinea's National Language. London: Battlebridge. ISBN 903292-06-9.
- Wardhaugh R (2006) An Introduction to Sociolinguistics. Oxford: Blackwell. 6th edition. ISBN 1-4051-3559-X.