11-08-2011, 01:20 PM
Pidgin refers in general to a makeshift language that occurs when speakers of different languages come together. The word pidgin is thought to come from the English word business. Pidgin languages typically evolve from doing business. For example, there is a Chinese pidgin.
Hawaiian pidgin is a unique entity and involves seven languages. The base language is English primarily, Hawaiian secondarily. By which I mean that you will find plenty of Hawaiian words in pidgin. The other linguistic influences come from Chinese, Japanese, Filipino, Samoa, and Korea.
Oftentimes with pidgin, the dominant language is shown in the words, but the grammar/structure will reflect the other language.
When a pidgin language becomes nativized, such that a community claims it as their first language, that is linguistically a Creole language, not pidgin. (You would know about Creole.) By definition, true pidgin is not anyone's first language.
Pidgin historically has a connotation of class inferiority, because it has often arisen out of colonialism, slavery, indentured servitude.
One big difference between pidgin and a dialect, IMHO, is that a dialect often arises out of regional isolation. However, true pidgin is created entirely by CONTACT with those who speak differently from each other. But then Creole takes that contact-produced language and makes it the property of a certain population group. Then the language is depidginalized. (yes, real word).
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Hawaiian pidgin is a unique entity and involves seven languages. The base language is English primarily, Hawaiian secondarily. By which I mean that you will find plenty of Hawaiian words in pidgin. The other linguistic influences come from Chinese, Japanese, Filipino, Samoa, and Korea.
Oftentimes with pidgin, the dominant language is shown in the words, but the grammar/structure will reflect the other language.
When a pidgin language becomes nativized, such that a community claims it as their first language, that is linguistically a Creole language, not pidgin. (You would know about Creole.) By definition, true pidgin is not anyone's first language.
Pidgin historically has a connotation of class inferiority, because it has often arisen out of colonialism, slavery, indentured servitude.
One big difference between pidgin and a dialect, IMHO, is that a dialect often arises out of regional isolation. However, true pidgin is created entirely by CONTACT with those who speak differently from each other. But then Creole takes that contact-produced language and makes it the property of a certain population group. Then the language is depidginalized. (yes, real word).
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