About the Book
This lucid and theory-neutral introduction to the study of pidgins, creoles and mixed languages covers both theoretical and empirical issues pertinent to the field of contact linguistics. Part I presents the theoretical background, with chapters devoted to the definition of terms, the sociohistorical settings, theories on the genesis of pidgins and creoles, as well as discussions on language variation and the sociology of language. Part II empirically tests assumptions made about the linguistic characteristics of pidgins and creoles by systematically comparing them with other natural languages in all linguistic domains. This is the first introduction that consistently applies the findings of the Atlas of Pidgin and Creole Language Structures and systematically includes extended pidgins and mixed languages in the discussion of each linguistic feature. The book is designed for students of courses with a focus on pidgins, creoles and mixed languages, as well as typologically oriented courses on contact linguistics.
Table of Contents:
1. Acknowledgements; 2. List of abbreviations; 3. General introduction; 4. Part I. General aspects; 5. 1. Pidgins; 6. 2. Creoles; 7. 3. Mixed languages; 8. 4. Sociohistorical contexts of pidgins and creoles; 9. 5. Theories on the formation processes of pidgins; 10. 6. Theories on the formation processes of creoles; 11. 7. Variation and change; 12. 8. Language in society; 13. Part II. Linguistic features; 14. Introduction to Part II; 15. 9. Phonology; 16. 10. Morphology; 17. 11. The noun phrase; 18. 12. The verb phrase and predication; 19. 13. Simple sentences; 20. 14. Complex sentences; 21. 15. Pragmatics; 22. Glossary; 23. References; 24. Index
Review :
Velupillai set out to provide a well-organised state of the art introductory textbook for use in many different countries, incorporating APiCS and other recent data and demonstrating how the scientific method can be used by linguists. She has accomplished this goal.
Velupillai's comprehensive introduction sets new standards by taking the recent typological work on pidgins and creoles into account. Other strong points are the extensive chapter on mixed languages, the many concise yet surprisingly rich language sketches, and the truly global coverage, encompassing the Atlantic, the Indian Ocean, and the Pacific worlds. Highly recommended.
Few surveys of contact linguistics have been so committed to remaining based in documentation, and VV covers so much material that she could not address all possible viewpoints and implications. She excellently summarizes e.g. the salient points of numerous creole-genesis theories (in tables on pp.187-188). Her empirical statistical testing in Part II of traits assumed typical of contact languages is groundbreaking. In many instances, it provides surprising insights, in others it finally confirms long-promoted hypotheses, and in the considerable number of cases where VV is able to demonstrate objectively that we lack sufficient data for generalization, we are effectively directed to specific questions needing further research. The latter, if emphasized by an attentive instructor, could prove a life-changing encounter for budding young contact linguists, and this in itself is a great reason to highly recommend this book.
Pidgins, Creoles and Mixed Languages is a comprehensive textbook and sourcebook, excellent for courses in the field of Creole studies, linguistic anthropology (alongside, for example, Ahearn 2012), language contact (together with Matras 2009), or linguistic typology (together with Velupillai’s own textbook, 2012). Additionally, the individual chapters have a unified format (overview, main topic, brief introduction to the three discussed languages, snapshots, summary, key points and exercises), which makes them self-contained units, appropriate for separate usage as supplementary material in different linguistics courses. Velupillai’s hope that “this book will not only whet the appetite of the newcomer to the study of pidgin, creole, and mixed languages, but also serve the linguistic community in general as a guide to the current state of the field” (5) has been fully realized.
This book is certainly a text book sensu stricto which can used in teaching creolistics with confidence. It is very close to being a one-volume handbook as well. Although it is not an attempt to be comprehensive in its coverage of the languages within its purview, it includes information on a very impressive number of languages, and presents this and the theoretical underpinnings and concerns of [pidgins, creoles and mixed languages] PCMLs in clear language which one does not need to be a student of linguistics to understand, though a glossary is provided. As we can see from the dates of accession listed with websites, many of which are in the early months of 2015, every attempt has been made to make the work as up to date as possible. The most comprehensive book on PCMLs probably cannot be written in under a thousand pages. V has accomplished something rather close to this in six hundred. This book will be a go-to for its subject for decades to come, and a revised edition would secure this dominance. Nobody who is curious about or who is working in creolistics or PCML studies should be without a copy.
This encyclopedic volume, written for those new to the study as well as for the specialist, presents in great detail the rapidly-growing field of contact linguistics. Copiously illustrated with maps and texts, containing much original material and providing questions for discussion with each chapter this is, in my opinion, the best available source on the subject yet. It will be the required textbook for my course in pidgin and creole languages.
PCML is highly recommended. One could even go so far as to say it is unavoidable by any reader trying to understand where creolistics and contact linguistics are headed.
This book is certainly a text book sensu stricto which can be used in teaching creolistics with confidence. It is very close to being a one-volume handbook as well. Although it is not an attempt to be comprehensive in its coverage of the languages within its purview, it includes information on a very impressive number of languages, and presents this and the theoretical underpinnings and concerns of PCMLs in clear language which one does not need to be a student of linguistics to understand, though a glossary is provided. As we can see from the dates of accession listed with websites, many of which are in the early months of 2015, every attempt has been made to make the work as up to date as possible. The most comprehensive book on PCMLs probably cannot be written in under a thousand pages. V has accomplished something rather close to this in six hundred. This book will be a go-to work for its subject for decades to come, and a revised edition would secure this dominance. Nobody who is curious about or who is working in creolistics or PCML studies should be without a copy.
This introduction to Pidgins, Creoles and Mixed Languages has raised the bar of introductory books to a new level. Its scholarly rigor and breadth is exemplary, as it provides no less than 45 language sketches. It's also pedagogically very clever in providing exercises, key points and language snapshots that promise to be invaluable resources for both students and instructors alike. A must have for any linguist interested in contact linguistics.
