Pidgin And Creole Languages

1. Definition

a. A pidgin is a language with no native speakers: it is no ones first language but is a

contact language.
b. A creole is often define as a pidgin that has become the first language of a new generation
of speakers.

2. Locations

The origin of pidgin comes from colonialism, trade and slavery. Pidgin languages started
to develop in areas where the colonists and traders came and settled. Pidgin is a mix of local
languages with influences of English, French, Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch, Arabic, Chinese
etc. At that time pidgin was the lingua franca for trading and a communication tool for slaves.
 Have you heard of this expression Long time no see? That is a simple example of
Pidgin based on English. People understand it right away although the elaborate version of it
is It has been a long time that I have seen you.

a. A pidgin has no native speakers (native speakers). If you have a native speaker's language
is called a creole language. So, creole is a pidgin development that has had a parent
language (mother tongue). Some languages are considered creole language in Indonesia,
among others, is the Malay language and Betawi Malay Ambon. So, creole is the result of
language contact as well which is the development of a pidgin.

b. Pidgin creole arises when a mother tongue in a particular community. The structure is still
describe the structure of pidgin, creole but called for being their mother tongue. Pidgin
can be a creole when the foreign speakers and used by his descendants were then frozen
as their first language. It just said creole pidgin language if this has been going on for
generations.

c. Examples of Creole languages that still exist and are actively spoken now:
1) Tok Pisin, one of the official languages of Papua New Guinea. Tok pisin is
derived from talk pidgin. Tok pisin consists of primarily English influences
but it has also absorbed influences from German, Malay, Portuguese and their
own Austronesian languages .

2) Papiamento or Papiamentu, one of the official languages in Aruba, Bonaire

en Curaao. It is a mix of local language with Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch,
English and American Indian languages.

3) Hawaiian Pidgin or Hawaiian Pidgin English or simply called Pidgin is

spoken in Hawaii. This creole language is a mix of Portuguese, Hawaiian,
American English, Cantonese and Japanese languages.

4) French based creoles are widely spoken in the Caribbean (Guadeloupe &
Martinique), Indian Ocean (Seychelles, Runion & Mauritius).