The Processes That Result in the Genesis of Pidgins That Exist in the Modern World - Essay Example

Running head: Pidginization Pidginization Name Institution Date Pidginization A Pidgin is a simplified language that has been derived from two or more different languages. The main objective of this paper is to identify the processes that result to the genesis of pidgins that exist in the modern world. It explains how pidgins are formulated due to the capacity for human beings to simplify languages so as to be able to communicate with other linguists. This process of simplifying a language is however subject to effects of various linguistic features in the local environment which is multilingual in nature as well as universal constraints. The paper compares the morphosyntactic features vital for the simplification processes that bore three unrelated pidgins in the country of New Guinea: Yimas Pidgin, Tok Pisin and Hiri Motu. The comparisons provide us with the types of structures that can lead to the formation of pidgins from this general capacity of humans to simplify language and these structures are well sieved through the universal constraints and local condition constraints. In the pidginization context, there are ethnolinguistic groups, none of which desires to know or acquire the other’s language(s). In an attempt to communicate, the speakers of these diverse languages make guesses, some of which are accepted by the various linguists and others of which miss the mark. Variant forms are eliminated and others are retained when coming up with guesses. This hit-and-miss process gradually results to an agreed and negotiated linguistic format that crystallizes into a stable pidgin that is passed on from generations to generations. These guesses are brought about when a person lexifies sentences of their very own language with forms learnt from other languages. Speakers of different languages often belong to different social status and it is for this reason that most lexical terms are derived from the high-status language, the superstrate language. This derivation is however done along the lines of substrate languages so as to be able to relate to a majority of the smaller native languages. Simplification plays a more important role than relexification in the process of formulating a pidgin. This involves restricting words to generic terms, eliminating allomorphy, using parataxis instead of embedding and adopting invariant word order for grammatical relations. Simplification also allows one to ignore the irregularities and variations that come with the linguistics of any language. The aim of simplification is to ease the load born by the hearer who is unfamiliar with the language spoken. This paper agrees with Kusters (2003) when argues that there is statistical correlation between the type of speech community and linguistic complexity. Communities which are open and have a history of extensive and wide contacts are more likely to have pidgins as compared to communities that are closed, isolated and greatly monolingual. The process of simplification has to be accomplished for relexification to operate on the structures produced by the simplification procedure. There is a theoretical and methodological framework that seeks to explain the principles of linguistic simplification. The first of these principles is the Economic principle that requires one to use as few inflectional categories as possible. This means that the language that is in use is reduced to a smaller vocabulary as well as heavily reduced or no affixation at all. In the genesis of, Yimas Pidgin for example, there is loss of number distinctions of nouns and gender of the original languages. Reduction in the genesis of Hiri Motu, on the other hand, is applied when adjective agreement is completely omitted. The second principle is the Isomorphy Principle or the Principle of Increased Regularity. This requires that the order of words or elements be one which is the same in various domains to allow easy use of the language with no confusion. In other words, allomorphy is eliminated and language words in use arranged in an invariable word order. Application of this principle is seen in the genesis of Yimas Pidgin where the numbers of all nouns are indicated either by two (kundamwin) or many (manba). The genesis of Hiri Motu applies this principle by using only one particle 'be' for the subjects of all intransitive verbs. The third principle is the Transparency Principle or greater transparency. This requires the relation between meaning and form to be as clear as possible. When one applies this principle, allomorphy are eliminated and monomorphemic words and paraphrases are put in place of complex words. For instance, in the genesis of Yimas Pidgin, nouns that have bound suffixes portmanteau with gender are replaced with nouns that are merely indicated by separate words that are more simplistic to understand. The final principle is that of Lack of Markedness. The complexity and difficulty presented by markedness as a multidimensional correlation is completely eliminated. Instead, more straightforward words and less ambiguous terms are used so as to enhance the simplicity of a pidgin as a medium language. This principle has been applied in the genesis of Yimas Pidgin where unelaborated clause chaining or simple paraxis is used in place of clause linkage. Also, finite, non-finite or switch reference systems are used instead of complex nominalizations. The nature of the data studied is that of proper organization such that one can easily understand the process that leads to the genesis of pidgins. Included in this process are clear illustrations of how each of the three Pidgin were developed from their superstrate and substrate languages. The style is one which is formal and the language and vocabulary used very well captures the nativity of the pidgins. In conclusion, the pidginization process is one which reveals the interesting way that humans use creative skills to arrive at various linguistic accommodations with other linguistics. Even though this pidginization process has been successful, there are negative factors that hinder the genesis of Pidgins. Universal constrains include the fact that there are no pre-existing models that can enhance the genesis of pidgins. The diverse local conditions that surround the process of pidginization also pose a threat to the genesis of pidgins. Nonetheless, pidgins and consequent creoles have built a bridge between very distant communities, enhancing trade, development and unity. Read More