Are "semi-creoles" widespread?
- From: Darkstar <darkstar100@xxxxxxxx>
- Date: Thu, 23 Aug 2007 03:59:02 -0700
Pidgination-creolization could probably be more common than previously
believed. It happens every time a language becomes a local lingua
franca. As more and more non-native speakers turn to it, the koinized
tongue gets "adjusted" to the structure of the nearby languages and
experiences a major shift towards grammatical and phonological
simplification. Consequently, it shakes off its synthetic grammar (if
it has one), absorbs new lexical elements from substrata into the
basic vocabularly due to widespread bilingualism, and finally acquires
analytical typology. In some cases, an archaic noun declension system
is sometimes substitued by a simplified article system. Hence, most
major languages of the world tend to be analytical, and "easy-to-
learn". The "easiness" of grammar and phonology (as compared to the
local languages) becomes a crucial concept, otherwise the language
cannot be effectively used as a lingua franca. As the second and third
generation learns this simplified koine, it becomes creolized, and a
new standard finally develops over a few centuries.
Examples:
1. Vulgar Latin
Lost synthetic grammar in nouns, adjectives, developed articles.
Verbal structure was largely analytical.
2. Dari-Farsi-Tadzik (Modern Persian)
Borrowings from Arabic, analytical grammar, article -i, loss of cases,
number in nouns (unlike Old Persian).
3. Chinese
Either experienced a major transition at an early stage, or was
isolating ever since the proto-state. Just 4 tones, of which only 3
have any special features (cf. 6-8 tones in Mao-Yao).
4. Tagalog
Little morphological difference between word classes. The number
category in verbs hardly reflected, and expressed analytically in
nouns.
5. Arabic
The original three case system lost in other Arabic dialects.
6. French
Further loss of endings in spoken speech as compared to late Vulgar
Latin. Spoken grammar largely analytical. Germanic borrowings and
Germanic phonology, probably due to Frankish and Norman influence.
Unstressed vowels reduced, consonant groups symplified.
7. Swedish-Danish-Norwegian
Loss of most synthetic characteristcs probably due to the influence
from continental Germanic L1 speakers (?)
8. Swahili
Loss of pitch accent, reduction of word classes, 40% of Arabic
borrowings.
9. Hindi
Analytical morphology (unlike Sanskrit).
10. Bengali
Loss of vowel length, gender, verbal number, or ergativity.
11. Malay/Indonesian
Analytical morphology. No word changes in nouns. The plural category
expressed by reduplication. Temporal, modal, personal characteristics
in verbs expressed analytically, depending on context.
Exceptions:
1. Russian
Highly complicated traditional synthetic grammar. Low percentage of
borrowings before 18th century. Cause: probably due to little
interaction with other substrata except Ugoric, which is also
synthatic, or Turkic, which had little actual contact with Russian
because of considerable geographical distance.
2. Qechua
The number, case, possession categories. The verb has many derivative
forms. Any of which might be due to the initial presence of similar
features in other local languages (?)
What do you think?
.
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