Introduction to Sociolinguistics 1

Pidgin and Creole Languages

With a focus on

Black American English

Introduction to Sociolinguistics 2

Pidgins

Etymology– Pidgin

Chinese corruption of English „business‟

Hebrew „pidjom‟ =exchange or trade

Yago (S. American Indian) „pidian‟=people

Definitions– Pidgin= contact vernacular, normally not the native

language of its speakers…it is characterized by a limited vocabulary, an elimination of many grammatical devices such as number and gender, and a drastic reduction of redundant features. (DeCamp ,1971).

Introduction to Sociolinguistics 3

Creoles

Etymology– Portuguese „crioulu‟ via English and French

– Originally meant a white man of European descent born and raised in a tropical or semitropical colony

– Later extended to include indigenous natives and others of non-European origin.

– Subsequently applied to certain languages spoken by creoles in and around the Caribbean and in West Africa, and then more generally to other languages of similar types

Definition– The native language of most of pidgin speakers. Therefore its

vocabulary and syntactic devices are, like those of any native language, large enough to meet all the communicative needs of its speakers

Introduction to Sociolinguistics 4

Some linguistic features of pidgins/creoles

Pronominal systems– Without an overt pronoun

Now got plenty money; no good work (Pacific Jargon English)– =Now I have lots of money so I do not need to work.

Lack of inflectional markers– Possessives

Hous bilong John ; gras bilong fes; gras bilong hed; gras antap long ai(Tok Pisin)

– =John‟s house; beard;hair;eyebrow

Absence of the copula– Be copula

Mai mada in da haus (Hawaii English Creole)– =My mother is in the house.

Introduction to Sociolinguistics 5

The Atlantic Triangle

West Africa and the slave trade (See Map20)

– Bristol, UK Cotton goods, trinkets

– Slave Coast, West Africa Middle Passage

Slaves

– West Indies, American South Sugar, tobacco

Introduction to Sociolinguistics 6

Maritime Pidgin English

17th and 18th century

French, Portuguese, and English

From West African Pidgin English (See Map 21)

– To North America

– To Europe

– Southeast Asia, China

– Australia, New Guinea

– Hawaii

Introduction to Sociolinguistics 7

Caribbean Creole

Three different Creoles (See Map 22)

– French Creoles

– Spanish Creoles

– English Creoles

Jamaica, Barbados, Antigua, and Trinidad

English-speaking tribes of Indians on the Miskito coast of Central America

Introduction to Sociolinguistics 8

Plantation Talk

Gullah– Charleston, South Carolina– ¼ million speakers

– Self-contained language community

Plantation Creole– Black servants, “mammies”, “play-children”

– Southern women Remained on the plantations Most influenced

– Southern boys from good families Sent away to White schools in the Northern states

Introduction to Sociolinguistics 9

The Move of Blacks to the North

The end of the Civil War (1861-1865) 4 million slaves were freed

– Jim Crow laws

“Separate but equal”

– Migration to the North (See Map 23)

The Union states vs. the Confederate states

Move to Chicago, Philadelphia, New York

Segregation

Economic reasons

After WW I

Introduction to Sociolinguistics 10

Black American English

– Plantation Creole

After WW I

– Jive Talk

1920s, 30s

Entertainment business

Introduction to Sociolinguistics 11

Some Characteristics of Black English

Examples quoted from Daryl Cumber Dance, Shuckin’ and Jivin’: Folklore from Contemporary Black Americans (1978)

See handouts

– Phonological ex.1-3,

– Grammatical ex.1-4

Introduction to Sociolinguistics 12

Phonological characteristics (1)

Aphaeresis „em [them], „round [around]

Apocope

– Word-final consonant clusters

Comin‟ [coming], prayin‟ [praying], doin‟ [doing], mornin‟ [morning]

Wes‟ en‟ [west end], bes‟ apple [best apple]

– (cf.) Standard English bes‟ kind, wes‟ side

Introduction to Sociolinguistics 13

Phonological characteristics (2)

/e/,/æ/ →/I/ Git [get], kin [can] (ex.1,2)

/ /→/d/, / /→/t/ Dat [that], dey [they], de [the], t‟ing [thing]

/ /→/p/, /f/ Sumpin‟ [something], somefin‟ [something]

Introduction to Sociolinguistics 14

Grammatical characteristics (1)

Deletion of the third person singular „s‟ She speak.

Absence of conjugation

– Invariable „be‟

She be there.

– Invariable „have‟, „do‟

He have a car. I guess he do.

Deletion of copular „be‟ She (is) beautiful.

Introduction to Sociolinguistics 15

Grammatical characteristics (2)

The Perfective constructions– Present Perfect

I have walked.

– Past Perfect I had walked.

– Completive I done walked.

– Remote Time I been walked.

Introduction to Sociolinguistics 16

Tense and Negative forms

Tense, affirmative, and negative forms– Pre-resent

She been sung.

– Recent She done sung./She ain‟t sing.

– Pre-present She did sing.

– Inceptive She do sing./She don‟t sing.

– Immediate She a-sing./She ain‟t a-sing.

– Post-immediate She a-gonna sing./She ain‟t a-gonna sing.