Publication Date
April 2008
School
School of Communication
Major
TESL--Teacher Certification
Primary Subject Area
Language, Linguistics
Keywords
pidginization, Haitian-Creole, Creole, Tok-Pisin, Haiti, Papua New Guinea, life-cycle, creolization, decreolization, nature of contact, master-servant
Recommended Citation
Schuit, Jennifer C., "Pidginization Exemplified in Haitian-Creole and Tok-Pisin" (2008). Senior Honors Theses. 45.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/honors/45
Abstract
The purpose of this thesis is to investigate the sociolinguistic process of pidginization and to show how Haitian Creole of Haiti and Tok-Pisin of Papua New Guinea are living examples of this process. This will be accomplished in three ways: by giving a synopsis of both countries’ histories and thus showing how the nature of contact between the European and indigenous people both initiates and shapes the process of language creation and transformation; by examining the theoretical life-cycle of pidginization and some elements of simplification still evident in Haitian Creole and Tok-Pisin today; and by discussing the current status and usage of each language in its respective country, with emphasis on its use in the realm of education.
