Sociolinguistics lecture 4: Lingua franca, pidgin, creoles

30/09/20

SOCIOLINGUISTICS L.4

L INGUA FRANCA
Some languages are used in situations of language contact:
1. Lingua franca
2. Pidgin
3. Creole
4. Mixed language
Lingua franca: a language of wider communication, that is used in
situations where speakers of different languages interact. It exists
already, it does not arise because of language contact
The term “lingua franca” is now used to describe any language of
wider communication
Pidgin: comes from “business
Creole: the term comes from criar (person raised in one’s
house); in general creoles were the languages of slaves

They both are languages come from a linguistic outcome from a
colonial situation

P IDGINS: languages that develop in a situation of language
contact and limited exposure to one of the languages; a reduced
or simpli ed language that develops as a means of


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, 30/09/20

communication between two or more groups that do not share a
common language
Pidgins never become the main language
Difference with interlanguage: (“imperfect” second
language learning”)
1. Pidgins are conventionalized systems of communication,
whereas an interlanguage can be idiosyncratic and can vary
between individuals
2. A Pidgin is often a target language (a language that somebody
can be interested in learning
3. An interlanguage is spoken by an individual, pidgin involves
various individuals speaking a second languag


C REOLES
A language that develops in contact situations that typically
involve more than two languages. More elaborate than Pidgin.
Creole is a native and primary language of a speech community.
It’s suitable for all forms of communication


C ONTACT LANGUAGES
• Superstrate: the language of the socially dominant group
• Substrate: languages of the subordinated gou
• Lexi er: language that contributes the most to the vocabulary
(often superstrate

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