What are Creoles and Pidgins? And What`s the Difference?

00:05:47
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qqJI7SdS9Gg

Summary

TLDRThe video explains Pidgins and Creoles, which are types of languages that emerge when speakers of different languages need to communicate. Pidgins are simplified languages with no native speakers, often arising in colonial or trade contexts. They serve specific communication needs but can evolve into Creoles when they become the native language of a community. The video provides examples, such as Jamaican Creole and Bislamá, illustrating how these languages differ from their parent languages and highlighting the dynamic nature of language development.

Takeaways

  • 🌍 Pidgins and Creoles arise from language contact.
  • 🗣️ Pidgins have no native speakers; Creoles do.
  • ⚖️ Pidgins are simplified languages for specific purposes.
  • 🔄 Creoles evolve from Pidgins when they become native languages.
  • 📚 Examples include Pidgin English and Haitian Creole.
  • 🔍 Language structures can differ significantly from parent languages.
  • 💬 Pidgins often develop in colonial or trade contexts.
  • 👶 Creoles can be passed down through generations as native languages.
  • 📖 Bislamá is an example of an English-based Creole.
  • 🌱 Languages are living entities that adapt to their speakers' needs.

Timeline

  • 00:00:00 - 00:05:47

    In this video, Paul introduces the topic of Pidgins and Creoles, explaining that they are categories of languages that develop when speakers of different languages come into contact. He highlights that Pidgins are non-native lingua francas, while Creoles have native speakers. Paul elaborates on Pidgins, describing them as simplified languages that arise quickly in situations like trade or colonialism, where a dominant group communicates with a less dominant group. He provides an example of English-speaking colonial powers and laborers from various countries needing a common language, resulting in a Pidgin. He notes that while Pidgins are initially restricted in use, some can expand to become languages used in all aspects of life. Paul then transitions to Creole languages, explaining that if a Pidgin survives and becomes the native language of the next generation, it becomes a Creole. He gives examples of Creoles based on English, French, and Spanish, and discusses how they differ from their parent languages, using Bislamá as an example. Paul concludes by emphasizing the dynamic nature of languages and their ability to adapt to the needs of speakers.

Mind Map

Video Q&A

  • What are Pidgins?

    Pidgins are simplified languages that arise when speakers of different languages need to communicate, typically having no native speakers.

  • What are Creoles?

    Creoles are languages that develop from Pidgins when they become the native language of a community.

  • How do Pidgins and Creoles differ?

    Pidgins have no native speakers and are used for specific purposes, while Creoles have native speakers and are used in all aspects of life.

  • Can you give an example of a Creole language?

    Jamaican Creole and Haitian Creole are examples of Creole languages.

  • What is an example of a Pidgin language?

    Pidgin English is a well-known example of a Pidgin language.

  • How do Pidgins develop?

    Pidgins develop quickly in situations where communication is needed, often in trade or colonial contexts.

  • What happens to Pidgins over time?

    Some Pidgins can expand and become Creoles if they are adopted as native languages by the next generation.

  • What is an example of a sentence in a Creole language?

    In Bislamá, 'This is my house' translates to 'Hem ya haos blong mi'.

  • Why are Pidgins and Creoles important?

    They demonstrate how languages evolve and adapt to the needs of their speakers.

  • What influences the structure of Creole languages?

    Creole languages often borrow vocabulary from their parent languages but have unique grammatical structures.

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  • 00:00:00
    Hello everyone! Welcome to the LangFocus channel, and my name is Paul.
  • 00:00:04
    Today we are going to talk about the language of pigeons.
  • 00:00:08
    Not funny, bro.
  • 00:00:10
    Sorry, I know that joke isn't very good, but that's all I've got.
  • 00:00:14
    Today, I'm going to talk about some special kind of languages, called Pidgins and Creoles.
  • 00:00:19
    You've probably heard thoses terms before.
  • 00:00:21
    Maybe in the names of certain languages, like Pidgin English or Haitian Creole,
  • 00:00:25
    but please note, there is not just a single pidgin language or a single creole language.
  • 00:00:30
    They are actually refering to categories of languages.
  • 00:00:33
    There are many pidgins and many creoles around the world.
  • 00:00:37
    First, what do they have in common?
  • 00:00:38
    Well, Pidgins and Creoles are new languages that developped
  • 00:00:42
    when speakers of different languages come into contact with each other and have a need to communicate.
  • 00:00:47
    Many Pidgins and Creoles have arisen when colonial powers came into contact with local people,
  • 00:00:52
    as they spread around the world.
  • 00:00:54
    So, what is the difference between Pidgins and Creoles?
  • 00:00:57
    Well, Pidgins are non native lingua francas while Creoles have native speakers.
  • 00:01:02
    But let me get into both types of languages.
  • 00:01:05
    Okay
  • 00:01:05
    First of all, pidgin languages.
  • 00:01:07
    As I just mentioned, pidgin languages have no native speakers.
  • 00:01:10
    They are languages that arise very suddenly, very quickly,
  • 00:01:13
    when there is a need of communication in a certain situation.
  • 00:01:16
    For example, for trade or for labour.
  • 00:01:19
    The Pidgin language is a sort of compromise between two different languages or between multiple languages.
  • 00:01:25
    Pidgins usually arise when one group of people is dominant over another group of people,
  • 00:01:29
    and the less dominant group needs to learn to communicate with the more dominant group.
  • 00:01:34
    But, without any formal education in the language of that dominant group,
  • 00:01:38
    they adopt a sort of simplified language based on the most basic vocabulary of that dominant group's language
  • 00:01:44
    and based on the most basic grammar of their own native language.
  • 00:01:49
    This happens most commonly in situations of trade, slavery or colonial contact.
  • 00:01:54
    And in a situation like that, the dominant group is usually the colonial power or the most influential trading partner.
  • 00:02:01
    Imagine this situation: an English-speaking colonial power has a sugar plantation
  • 00:02:06
    and they bring over labourers from various different countries to that sugar plantation
  • 00:02:11
    and those people speak different languages.
  • 00:02:13
    But, in order to work together, they need to have a common language.
  • 00:02:16
    So they try to adopt English, but since they do this quickly, and they just adopt the basics,
  • 00:02:21
    the resulting language is a very simplified language, just using the basic vocabulary of English
  • 00:02:27
    and a very non English grammar. That is a Pidgin language.
  • 00:02:31
    Got it!
  • 00:02:33
    When Pidgins first developped, they are typically restricted in use.
  • 00:02:36
    Meaning that they are only used for a certain purpose. For example, on the job or for trade.
  • 00:02:42
    But some Pidgins become expanded Pidgins, meaning that they begin to be used for all facettes of life
  • 00:02:47
    including social life, family life, things like that, and they become languages in their own rights.
  • 00:02:53
    Even though they are not native languages, they are passed down from generation to generation
  • 00:02:57
    as lingua francas among people who speak different native languages
  • 00:03:02
    Now about Creole languages.
  • 00:03:03
    So, Pidgins have no native speakers.
  • 00:03:06
    They arise because the need for a lingua franca,
  • 00:03:09
    but if that language survives and becomes the native language of the next generation,
  • 00:03:13
    then it is now a Creole language.
  • 00:03:16
    For example, slaves from several different countries are working closely together on a plantation,
  • 00:03:21
    but they have no common language.
  • 00:03:23
    So, they develop their Pidgin and it quickly becomes their expanded Pidgin,
  • 00:03:26
    the language they use for all everyday purposes.
  • 00:03:29
    Their children grow up in that environment with that Pidgin language and it becomes their native language.
  • 00:03:35
    That is now a Creole language.
  • 00:03:37
    In the days when African slaves were brought to the Americas,
  • 00:03:40
    they were often separated from people who spoke the same native language.
  • 00:03:44
    That was to prevent them from rebelling or from making plans together, that kind of things.
  • 00:03:48
    So, in those kinds of situations, the Pidgin languages became expanded very quickly
  • 00:03:53
    and, within one generation, sometimes became Creoles.
  • 00:03:56
    Some Creoles are based on English. For example, Jamaican Creole.
  • 00:04:00
    Some Creoles are based on French,
  • 00:04:01
    Including Haitian Creole, which has 12 million native speakers.
  • 00:04:05
    And the smaller number of Creole languages are based on Spanish,
  • 00:04:08
    including Chavacano, in the Philippines.
  • 00:04:10
    Now, how different are these Creole languages from their parent languages?
  • 00:04:14
    Well, it depends of the particular language; but let's look at an example.
  • 00:04:17
    This example is from Bislamá, which is an English-based Creole spoken in Vanuatu.
  • 00:04:22
    The first sentence is "This is my house"
  • 00:04:25
    In Bislamá: "Hem ya haos blong mi".
  • 00:04:27
    Or in more Standard English phonology : "Him here house belong me"
  • 00:04:32
    Another example sentence: "I have already been to town"
  • 00:04:35
    In Bislamá: "Mi bin long taon finis".
  • 00:04:38
    Or in Standard English phonology : "Me been long town finish"
  • 00:04:43
    So look at each word : "Mi" is like "I", "bin", that's self-explanatory.
  • 00:04:48
    "long" is used as a preposition here instead of an adjective. So "long" means "towards" or "to"
  • 00:04:53
    And then, we have "taon", that is like "town"
  • 00:04:55
    and "finis". "finis" is used instead of "already" to show that something has been accomplished.
  • 00:05:00
    So, again you can see that the words are from English
  • 00:05:03
    but they are used and arranged in a very different way,
  • 00:05:06
    and this is what makes it a different language than the parent language.
  • 00:05:09
    Pidgins and Creoles are fascinating because they are proof that languages are living entities,
  • 00:05:14
    that are constantly changing and adapting to the needs of their speakers.
  • 00:05:18
    Sometimes, two or more languages can even join forces and take on a life of their own as a new language.
  • 00:05:24
    Thank you for watching.
  • 00:05:25
    Be sure to leave your comments down below.
  • 00:05:28
    And have a nice day.
Tags
  • Pidgin
  • Creole
  • Language
  • Communication
  • Colonialism
  • Linguistics
  • Language Evolution
  • Bislamá
  • Jamaican Creole
  • Haitian Creole