Pidgins, Creoles and Mixed Languages

Velupillai, Viveka

doi:10.1075/cll.48

Cited by 174 publications

(32 citation statements)

References 300 publications

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“…Despite the strong tendency for variation to be conditioned, there are some circumstances in which unconditioned variation is nevertheless found. For instance, unconditioned variation can occur when new variants are first introduced into an established system, or when input is limited and conventions are still not established, as in the context of language formation (Good 2012;Kouwenberg & Singler 2009;Siegel 1997;Velupillai 2015). Under these circumstances, there is evidence that learners tend to reduce or remove such variation, i.e., they regularise the system (Newport 1999;Siegel 1997).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Is regularisation uniform across linguistic levels? Comparing learning and production of unconditioned probabilistic variation in morphology and word order.

Saldana¹,

Smith²,

Kirby³

et al. 2018

Preprint

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Languages exhibit variation at all linguistic levels, from phonology, to the lexicon, to syntax. Importantly, that variation tends to be (at least partially) conditioned on some aspect of the social or linguistic context. When variation is unconditioned, language learners regularise it, either by removing some or all variants, or by conditioning variant use on context. Previous studies using artificial language learning experiments have documented regularising behaviour in learning of lexical, morphological, and syntactic variation. These studies implicitly assume that regularisation reflects uniform mechanisms and processes across linguistic levels. However, studies on natural language learning and pidginisation suggest that morphological and syntactic variation may be treated differently. In particular, there is evidence that morphological variation may be more susceptible to regularisation (Good 2015;Siegel 2006;Slobin 1986). In this paper we provide the first systematic comparison of the strength of regularisation across these two linguistic levels. In line with previous studies, we find that the presence of a favoured variant can induce different degrees of regularisation. However, when input languages are carefully matched-with comparable initial complexities, and no variant-specific biases-regularisation is comparable across morphology and word order. This is the case both when the task is not explicitly communicative, and when the language must be used for communication with a partner. Overall, our findings suggests a single regularising mechanism at work, with apparent differences among levels likely due to differences in inherent complexity or variant-specific biases.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Is regularisation uniform across linguistic levels? Comparing learning and production of unconditioned probabilistic variation in morphology and word order.

Saldana¹,

Smith²,

Kirby³

et al. 2018

Preprint

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“…It is the main cause of ambiguity when considering the verbal status of locative deiy in CPE. Multifunctionality is a common feature of pidgin creole languages as the early vocabularies of pidgin languages are typically limited (Holm, , p. 103; Velupillai, , p. 31). When these vocabularies expand, zero derivation is often a productive word creation strategy, resulting in smaller, multifunctional vocabularies which are often a feature of pidgin creole languages (Crowley, , p. 85).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A corpus‐based method for identifying word class in an English lexified extended pidgin

FitzGerald

2019

World Englishes

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This paper outlines an innovative corpus-based method for establishing word class using as a case study the verbal status of the locative copula in Cameroon Pidgin English. The corpusbased methodology outlined here uses a combination of distributional, sociolinguistic, and frequency analysis to establish that the Cameroon Pidgin English locative copula, deiy, is a verb and in doing so outlines a blueprint for establishing word class in under described languages. Pidgin creole languages are often under described and identifying the word class of multifunctional words can be particularly challenging. The methodology presented here can resolve such ambiguity by basing the classification on the language in which the word occurs rather than on typological generalisations. This corpus-based methodology has wide ranging applicability and could be especially useful in establishing word class in lesser described world English varieties and pidgin creole languages.

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“…Additionally, this project contributes to the discourse on the ways in which language transforms over time. My research analyzes and discusses past studies on hybridity, Third Space, creolization, and related processes (Brathwaite, 1971(Brathwaite, , 1979(Brathwaite, /1981Bhabha, 1994;Gilroy, 1993;Hall, 2001, 2015, Glissant, 1989Bernabé, Chamoiseau, & Confiant, 1990;Kraidy, 2005), as well as adds to the discourse on what occurs when this hybridization process transports, transforms, and unfolds in new localities. This project demonstrates that hybridity is a continuous process that allows people, through the Third Space, to "negotiate and translate their cultural identities in a discontinuous intertextual temporality of cultural difference" (Bhabha, 1998, p. 22).…”

Section: Theoretical Contributionsmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…The strongest influence is that of Europe, and England in particular. This Présence Européenne speaks all the time and is the voice that cannot be turned off in the colonial discourse of power, domination, and history (Hall, 1994;2015). Caribbean culture revolved around England to the point where "I met the world through England, and if the world wanted to meet me it would have to do so through England" (Kincaid, 1988, p. 33).…”

Section: Présence Africaine and Présence Européenne: Origins Of Identmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…also notes that Canadian youth perceive Patois as "cool" as a result of "popular culture, music and the media" (inJames and Davis, 2012, p. 100). Many have studied creole and identity(Bryan, 2004), creole in music and poetry(Leung, 2004;Branca, 2007;Mann, 2016), and creole within the study of linguistics(Bailey, 1966;Sebba & Dray, 2012;Velupillai, 2015). That said, there are few texts that have examined a combination of these topics through a contemporary lens to understand how Patois has continued to evolve in a new locality, and the ways in which this language is appreciated and used by those within and outside of the diaspora.…”

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confidence: 99%

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Diaspora’s Dialect: Cultural Exchange and the Transformation of Jamaican Patois in the Greater Toronto Area

Wilkinson¹

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Patois, the unofficial language of Jamaica, has been hybridized since its inception due to the slavery, violence, and subversion that took place during colonialism, and is thus influenced by various cultures, styles, and identities. Over time, its significance has surpassed the borders of the Caribbean and influenced numerous localities such as the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), which has incorporated many aspects of Jamaican culture and language. As such, this project asks, in what ways is Patois, a language long used to define Jamaican culture, now contributing to cultures in locations abroad, through various processes and connections?Using an online survey and interviews, this empirical project weaves postcolonial thought together with cultural studies and personal narratives to provide new insights on the ways in which Patois has connected Jamaica with the Toronto community, and what it means for a language to transform significantly throughout space and time. This research contributes a fresh perspective to the wider discourse on social and cultural exchange in the modern age.ii

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Pidgins, Creoles and Mixed Languages

Cited by 174 publications

References 300 publications

Is regularisation uniform across linguistic levels? Comparing learning and production of unconditioned probabilistic variation in morphology and word order.

Is regularisation uniform across linguistic levels? Comparing learning and production of unconditioned probabilistic variation in morphology and word order.

A corpus‐based method for identifying word class in an English lexified extended pidgin

Diaspora’s Dialect: Cultural Exchange and the Transformation of Jamaican Patois in the Greater Toronto Area

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