First, I will briefly portray the emergence of pidgin and creole languages and their development towards the post-creole continuum. I will examine the different types of pidgin-creole developments and the phenomenon of decreolizing - the approximation of the creole towards the lexifier by using the example of the Hawaiian Creole that I will also portray out of a socio-historical point of view. That creole is officially still called ‘Hawai’i Pidgin’ by its speakers, but I will avoid using that term in my paper.
Therefore, the term Hawai’i Creole English, short HCE, is more appropriate. Furthermore, I will deal with HCE’s phonology, especially with its difference to Standard English, in detail – due to the question whether HCE is decreolizing or not. As Norval S. H. Smith states, creole phonology is a “neglected field” and “younger languages” have the tendency to be not as much irregular as “elder language” tend to be.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Development and emergence of Pidgins and Creoles by using the example of Hawai’i Pidgin English
2.1 Emergence of Pidgin and Creole languages
2.2 A brief socio-historical overview of pidgin
2.3 Stages in the development of a pidgin towards a creole
2.4 Further Development: Decreolization
3. Grammatical Features of Hawai’i Pidgin English
3.1 Phonology of Hawai’i Pidgin English with textual proof
3.1.1 Vowels in Hawai’i Pidgin English
3.1.2 Consonants in Hawai’i Pidgin
3. Conclusion
4. Bibliography
Research Objectives and Themes
This paper examines the linguistic status of Hawai’i Creole English (HCE) within the post-creole continuum, specifically addressing whether the language is currently undergoing decreolization. It explores the socio-historical emergence of the creole and provides a detailed analysis of its phonological features compared to Standard English.
- Socio-historical development of Hawai’i Creole English
- The concept of the post-creole continuum and decreolization
- Phonological analysis: vowel shifts and consonant variations
- The role of the Language Bioprogram Hypothesis in HCE
- Socio-psychological factors influencing language maintenance
Excerpt from the Book
3.1 Phonology of Hawai’i Pidgin English with textual proof
In the following chapter I will deal with the phonological changes that are made in building the Hawaiian Creole. It has its own phonological system with its own set of rules according the use of consonants and vowels. HCE has a different rhythm of syllable timing according to the intonation of “yes” or “no” questions. A falling stress can be observed with a higher tone in the first syllable, whereas in all varieties of Standard English, stress is increasing within words ending up in a higher tone. HCE is characterized by the lack of [r], tense and pure vowels and by avoiding diphthongization. Also, the lexical adoptions borrowed from Standard English are integrated into the original Hawaiian phonology, such as hokela (‘hotel’) or kula (‘school’).
Vowels that occur in basilectal Hawai’i Creole, the variety that is most divergent from Standard English, are portrayed in the following table seen below. I will particularly focus on the vowels that differ from Standard English on the basis of texts taken from “Da Kine Dictionary” that is written in Hawai’i Pidgin. The phrase “da kine” seems to be most common in HCE, but its meaning is incomprehensible, because it can refer to almost anything apparently, even if it can be translated directly to “that kind”. In another HCE dictionary, “Pidgin to Da Max”, this phrase is defined in a humorous way. “Da kine is the keystone of pidgin. You can use it anywhere, anytime, anyhow. Very convenient. What would we do without DA KINE? ‘Ey, I no can da kine if you no like da kine, too!’
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: Outlines the scope of the paper, introducing the Hawaiian Pidgin context and the research question regarding decreolization.
2. Development and emergence of Pidgins and Creoles by using the example of Hawai’i Pidgin English: Discusses the formation of contact languages and the specific historical socio-economic conditions that led to the development of Hawaiian Creole.
2.1 Emergence of Pidgin and Creole languages: Provides theoretical definitions of pidgin and creole formation processes in colonial and trade environments.
2.2 A brief socio-historical overview of pidgin: Details the chronological history of linguistic contact in Hawaii, from early merchant interactions to the influence of the plantation era.
2.3 Stages in the development of a pidgin towards a creole: Categorizes types of creolization and explains why the "standard" life-cycle model does not apply linearly to HCE.
2.4 Further Development: Decreolization: Analyzes the post-creole continuum and investigates whether HCE is approximating back to its lexifier, Standard English.
3. Grammatical Features of Hawai’i Pidgin English: Critically reviews the syntactic and semantic structures of HCE, referencing the Language Bioprogram Hypothesis.
3.1 Phonology of Hawai’i Pidgin English with textual proof: Provides an empirical study of phonological deviations of HCE from Standard English.
3.1.1 Vowels in Hawai’i Pidgin English: Examines specific vowel shifts and the tendency toward tension and monophthongization.
3.1.2 Consonants in Hawai’i Pidgin: Explores the substitution of labio-dental fricatives and the impact of the vocalic 'r' on HCE pronunciation.
3. Conclusion: Summarizes the findings, arguing that HCE exhibits stable maintenance rather than active decreolization.
4. Bibliography: Lists the academic sources and digital resources utilized for this research.
Keywords
Hawai’i Creole English, HCE, Pidgin, Decreolization, Post-creole continuum, Phonology, Language Bioprogram Hypothesis, Socio-historical linguistics, Vowel shifts, Consonant systems, Standard English, Language maintenance, Basilect, Acrolect, Mesolect
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this research paper?
The paper focuses on the linguistic position of Hawai’i Creole English (HCE) and investigates whether it is currently undergoing a process of decreolization or maintaining its unique characteristics.
What are the central thematic fields covered?
The themes include the socio-historical development of creole languages in Hawaii, phonological analysis of vowel and consonant changes, and theoretical discussions on language evolution.
What is the central research question?
The core inquiry is whether HCE is significantly decreolizing—approximating toward its lexifier, Standard English—or if it is maintaining its structural identity despite social pressures.
What scientific methodology is utilized?
The author employs a comparative linguistic analysis, utilizing texts from local sources like the "Da Kine Dictionary" to contrast HCE phonology with Standard English, supported by literature review.
What topics are discussed in the main body of the work?
The main body covers the theoretical framework of pidgin-to-creole development, a detailed historical overview, an evaluation of Bickerton’s Language Bioprogram Hypothesis, and phonological empirical evidence.
Which keywords characterize this work?
Key terms include HCE, post-creole continuum, decreolization, phonology, Language Bioprogram Hypothesis, and language maintenance.
Why is HCE often referred to as "Hawaii Pidgin" by its speakers?
The author explains that this nomenclature persists due to the rapid, "abrupt" nature of its development, which skipped typical stages of an expanded pidgin, leading to a colloquial usage of the term.
How does the author evaluate the "decreolization" of HCE?
The author concludes that HCE is not currently decreolizing; rather, it coexists with English, with its maintenance driven by the community’s desire to preserve local identity and social cohesion.
What is the significance of the "Da Kine Dictionary" for this paper?
The dictionary serves as the primary source for "textual proof" of phonological variations, allowing the author to analyze concrete examples of how HCE sounds differ from Standard English.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Thomas Gantner (Autor:in), 2011, Development and Stages of Pidgins and Creoles towards Decreolization. A Phonological Analysis, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/300313
