Pidgin Grammar


Book Description

Devoted to a serious description of Pidgin origins and grammar, this work on Pidgin grammar does not require knowledge of linguistics. This reference is useful for anyone wanting to know more about this unique language of the Hawaiian Islands.




The Creole English Grammar


Book Description

The Creole-English Grammar (it is written in the book Kreyòl) is one of a series of Bèl Kontwòl kreyòl books designed to teach or learn the Haitian French-based but African-rooted Creole language by taking control of it and by comparing it with other languages, namely English, Spanish, and French, among others. Nowadays, speaking only one language is not enough in this era of globalization.




A grammar of Pichi


Book Description

Pichi is an Afro-Caribbean English-lexifier Creole spoken on the island of Bioko, Equatorial Guinea. It is an offshoot of 19th century Krio (Sierra Leone) and shares many characteristics with West African relatives like Nigerian Pidgin, Cameroon Pidgin, and Ghanaian Pidgin English, as well as with the English-lexifier creoles of the insular and continental Caribbean. This comprehensive description presents a detailed analysis of the grammar and phonology of Pichi. It also includes a collection of texts and wordlists. Pichi features a nominative-accusative alignment, SVO word order, adjective-noun order, prenominal determiners, and prepositions. The language has a seven-vowel system and twenty-two consonant phonemes. Pichi has a two-tone system with tonal minimal pairs, morphological tone, and tonal processes. The morphological structure is largely isolating. Pichi has a rich system of tense-aspect-mood marking, an indicative-subjunctive opposition, and a complex copular system with several suppletive forms. Many features align Pichi with the Atlantic-Congo languages spoken in the West African littoral zone. At the same time, characteristics like the prenominal position of adjectives and determiners show a typological overlap with its lexifier English, while extensive contact with Spanish has left an imprint on the lexicon and grammar as well.




The Haitian Creole Language


Book Description

The Haitian Creole Language is the first book that deals broadly with a language that has too long lived in the shadow of French. With chapters contributed by the leading scholars in the study of Creole, it provides information on this language's history; structure; and use in education, literature, and social interaction. Although spoken by virtually all Haitians, Creole was recognized as the co-official language of Haiti only a little over twenty years ago. The Haitian Creole Language provides essential information for professionals, other service providers, and Creole speakers who are interested in furthering the use of Creole in Haiti and the Haitian diaspora. Increased language competencies would greatly promote the education of Creole speakers and their participation in the social and political life of their countries of residence. This book is an indispensable tool for those seeking knowledge about the centrality of language in the affairs of Haiti, its people, and its diaspora.




A Grammar of Saramaccan Creole


Book Description

Saramaccan has been central to various debates regarding the origin and nature of creole languages. Being the most removed of all English-based creoles from European language structure in terms of phonology, morphology and syntax, it has been seen as one of the most extreme instantiations of the creolization process. This is the first full-length description of Saramaccan. The grammar documents, in particular, a valence-sensitive system of indicating movement and direction via serial verb constructions, hitherto overlooked amidst the generalized phenomenon of serialization itself.




Language Change and Language Contact in Pidgins and Creoles


Book Description

This book collects a selection of fifteen papers presented at three meetings of the Society for Pidgin and Creole Linguistics in 1996 and 1997. The focus is on papers which approach issues in creole studies with novel perspectives, address understudied pidgin and creole varieties, or compellingly argue for controversial positions. The papers demonstrate how pidgins and creoles shed light on issues such as verb movement, contact-induced language change and its gradations, discourse management via tense-aspect particles, language genesis, substratal transfer, and Universal Grammar, and cover a wide range of contact languages, ranging from English- and French-based creoles through Portuguese creoles of Africa and Asia, Sango, Popular Brazilian Portuguese, West African Pidgin Englishes, and Hawaiian Creole English.




Creole Genesis and the Acquisition of Grammar


Book Description

This study focuses on the cognitive processes involved in creole genesis: relexification, reanalysis, and direct leveling. The role of these processes is documented by a detailed comparison of Haitian creole with its two major contributing languages, French and Fongbe, to illustrate how mechanisms from source languages show themselves in creole. The author examines the input of adult, as opposed to child, speakers and resolves the problems in the three main approaches, universalist, superstratist and substratist, which have been central to the recent debate on creole development.




From Jamaican Creole to Standard English


Book Description

This guide indicates the ways in which Jamaican Creole differs from Standard Jamaican English. It is organized into four sections: words that look alike but mean different thing; words that are different but mean the same things; grammatical structures that are different but convey the same information; and idiomatic Speech or writing.




An Introduction to Pidgins and Creoles


Book Description

A clear and concise introduction to the study of how new languages come into being.




Creole Meets English: Kreglish - The Easiest Way to Learn Creole


Book Description

Make Learning, Understanding, and Speaking Creole Easy & Fast! The Smart Way with Kreglish! If you're one of the people who thinks learning a new language is hard and time consuming then this is the book for you. Kreglish is a new way to learn Creole that makes mastering the language a quick and simple process. This Creole language learning book will help you recognize Creole alphabets, identify the words and teach you to pronounce them with confidence. Kreglish isn't just a book, it's a new methodology that will help you learn Creole in the shortest time so you can keep up with most conversations while laying a solid foundation for the future. Teach Yourself Creole Anytime & Anywhere! Whether you're on a flight and only have a couple of hours to learn Creole or simply planning a vacation, this book will allow you to easily teach yourself Creole without taking up all your time. You can bring Creole Meets English along and learn enough during the flight to be able to communicate when you get there. It's filled with most words, phrases, and examples you need to know to get through your trip. Coupled with the unique self-instruction resources, it allows you to hold a conversation with a native speaker under various situations in less than 24 hours! It's the perfect choice for travelers or anyone else who wants to expand their skill set. It can also be used to teach kids Creole from an early age. Key Features of Kreglish: Build a Foundation Allows you to start speaking Creole immediately using essential words and phrases. Learn with Confidence Helps you learn phrases and words to formulate full sentences and actual conversations. Achieve Your Goals Helps you develop practical language skills instead of simply memorizing vocabulary. Learn from what You Know We use hundreds of words that are spelled the same way in English and Creole to help you understand faster and better. Made for Everyone Filled with sentences and mocked conversations for adoptive parents, adopted children, vacationers, business travelers, and medical professionals Start learning Creole today and begin speaking like a native. Meet Your Goals With Creole Meets English