Pidgins and Creoles (PS Lange WiSe 2023/24)

Expressions like A don tchop bif (‘I have eaten meat’, Cameroon Pidgin English) or Yumi gat ol liklik dok (‘We have little dogs’, Tok Pisin from Papua New Guinea) may leave you baffled: are we dealing with remote dialects of English or separate languages? Contact languages such as Pidgins and Creoles arise in specific circumstances and provide a fascinating opportunity to study the emergence, stabilization and spread of a new language within a few generations of speakers, a process which typically lasts much longer.We will first look at the historical conditions that gave rise to Pidgins and Creoles around the world, prime among them the process of European expansion and colonialism. We will touch upon the interesting similarities between English-, French-, Spanish-, Dutch- and Portuguese-based Pidgins and Creoles, but our main focus will be on English-based varieties. We will then investigate in more detail two particular regions and their creole languages: The Atlantic area covering the Caribbean and West Africa, and the Pacific with a focus on Papua New Guinea. We will also include Creoles closer to home, for example London Jamaican, and consider the considerable literary creativity associated with Creoles.

When: WED 3.DS

Where: BSS/0133/U