UNIVERSITY OF THE SOUTHERN CARIBBEAN

MARACAS ROYAL ROAD, MARACAS, ST JOSEPH.

Module: Theories of Creole Language Genesis

An Assignment
Presented in Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirements for the Course
LING400: Introduction to Creole Linguistics

INSTRUCTOR:
Ms. Leiba Ann-Ferreira

By

Shanice Diaz
March 5th 2023

Approval………………
 The term "genesis theories" refers to the study of the origins of both pidgins and creoles.

Although creoles are believed to be related to pidgins, the origin of pidgins is believed to be due

the nativization of an established pidgins occurs during the creolization process. However,

pertinent genesis ideas frequently make reference to both varieties of contact languages. In order

to explain the notable structural similarities between pidgins and creoles with distinct lexifiers

and vast geographic separation in terms of their origins, various theories of genesis have been put

forth. Two theories are widely discussed among sociolinguists are the Monogenetic and

Polygenetic theories.

Ideas based on monogenesis are known as monogenetic theories. Creoles and pidgins

with European roots are said to have a single genesis. The majority of European-based pidgins

(and creoles) share a shared ancestor, which is explained by monogenetic approaches. The proto-

pidgin is thought to be the shared ancestor of all pidgins, according to monogenetic theories.

Pingins share a shared ancestor and are therefore genetically related. The proto-pidgin has been

identified as the West African Portuguese pidgin (WAPP), which dates back to the sixteenth

century. It operates similarly to the Sabir dialect of the late medieval Mediterranean Lingua

Franca. According to the theory of monogenesis, ‘WAPP’ was spread throughout the globe

during European colonization and as a result, pidgins were created in many locations. These

Portuguese-based proto-pidgins and creoles all kept specific structural elements, such as some of

their proto-lexical pidgin's remnants. The relexification concept is crucial to the monogenesis

hypothesis. Since pidgins and creoles are historically connected and share a shared ancestor in

WAPP, relexification: the process of completely or almost completely substituting a language's

lexicon with a vocabulary from a different language- explains the lexical differences between

them. Assuming relexification, the WAPP was consequently adopted by colonizers of the
English, Spanish, Dutch, and French nations when it was spread throughout the globe and its

speakers came into contact with these groups of European colonizers.

Meanwhile contrasting with the monogenesis theories, which contend that creoles and

pidgins with European roots share a single beginning, are polygenetic theories. Polygenetic

theories take into account all instances of pidginization; they do not only take into account

pidgins and creoles with European roots but also take into account the structural similarities

among pidgins and creoles around the globe. The pidgins and creoles of the world did not

develop from a common ancestor or proto-pidgin, but rather independently from one another

with distinct starting points, in accordance with polygenetic theories. Thus, structural similarities

are the result of pidgins and creoles around the globe developing concurrently but independently.

In this regard, universalists theories and substrate language impact are viewed as key explanatory

factors or processes involved in the development of the structural similarities of both pidgins and

creoles.
 References

Ello (n.d.). Monogenetic Theories (single-origin theories). Ello- English Language and Linguistics Online.

Retrieved March 3, 2023, from http://www.ello.uos.de/field.php/Sociolinguistics/Monogenetictheories

Ello (n.d.). Polygenetic Theories (Multiple-origin theories). Ello- English Language and Linguistics Online.

Retrieved March 3, 2023, from https://www.ello.uos.de/field.php/Sociolinguistics/Polygenetictheories