creole
CREOLE ENGLISH AND BLACK ENGLISH
by Mark Sebba
Department of Linguistics and English Language
Lancaster University
Lancaster LA1 4YT, England e-mail: M.Sebba@lancaster.ac.uk
© 2002 Mark Sebba
THE ORIGINS OF "BLACK ENGLISH"
"Black English" can refer to two different language varieties: (1) the type of English used by people of African and Caribbean descent who live in Britain; (2) the language of African-Americans (negroes) in the United States. This is usually called Black English Vernacular or BEV for short. "Black English" in both senses has its historical roots in a creolised form of English which dates back to the time of slavery. Creoles are languages which evolve from Pidgins when the pidgins become first languages for some or all of their speakers. Black English Vernacular has a somewhat different history (and is a different language) from British Black English. This unit will concentrate on British Black English.
THE PIDGIN - CREOLE LIFE CYCLE
In another unit you were introduced to pidgin languages and their characteristics. The defining characteristic of a pidgin is that it is no one's native language: it is a second language for all its speakers. This is true of a pidgin whether it is still in the process of formation or it has been around in a stable form for hundreds of years as West African Pidgin English has. However, it is possible for a pidgin to become a native language for some or all of its speakers. In the fact file below you will find descriptions of two cases in which this has happened. When a pidgin becomes a native language for some of its speakers, it said to become a Creole. This means that it is a language which has passed through a pidgin stage, and has now become the language of a community. Children growing up in that community speak the creole as their native language. Very often, of course, there are other languages spoken in the community as well. Some children who speak the creole may also speak other
by Mark Sebba
Department of Linguistics and English Language
Lancaster University
Lancaster LA1 4YT, England e-mail: M.Sebba@lancaster.ac.uk
© 2002 Mark Sebba
THE ORIGINS OF "BLACK ENGLISH"
"Black English" can refer to two different language varieties: (1) the type of English used by people of African and Caribbean descent who live in Britain; (2) the language of African-Americans (negroes) in the United States. This is usually called Black English Vernacular or BEV for short. "Black English" in both senses has its historical roots in a creolised form of English which dates back to the time of slavery. Creoles are languages which evolve from Pidgins when the pidgins become first languages for some or all of their speakers. Black English Vernacular has a somewhat different history (and is a different language) from British Black English. This unit will concentrate on British Black English.
THE PIDGIN - CREOLE LIFE CYCLE
In another unit you were introduced to pidgin languages and their characteristics. The defining characteristic of a pidgin is that it is no one's native language: it is a second language for all its speakers. This is true of a pidgin whether it is still in the process of formation or it has been around in a stable form for hundreds of years as West African Pidgin English has. However, it is possible for a pidgin to become a native language for some or all of its speakers. In the fact file below you will find descriptions of two cases in which this has happened. When a pidgin becomes a native language for some of its speakers, it said to become a Creole. This means that it is a language which has passed through a pidgin stage, and has now become the language of a community. Children growing up in that community speak the creole as their native language. Very often, of course, there are other languages spoken in the community as well. Some children who speak the creole may also speak other