Now I know about Afrikaans, Cajun and other assorted pidgin languages. But I'd like to see some surviving pidgin languages. Maybe a pidgin variation of German or Russian.
Now I know about Afrikaans, Cajun and other assorted pidgin languages. But I'd like to see some surviving pidgin languages. Maybe a pidgin variation of German or Russian.
Afrikaan is not a pidgin, its a variety of dutch or a derivated language from DUtch, and Cajun french is a 'national' variety of french, like NZ english.
I suppose I used the wrong word for it. I meant a language that while descended from one language changes from it to form a distinct identity.
I suppose I used the wrong word for it. I meant a language that while descended from one language changes from it to form a distinct identity.
In many colonial settings, this is quite common. Linguists are increasingly no longer prepared to talk about English, but about Englishes, varieties of the same substrate that have changed into quite distinct, if still mutually intrelligible, forms. African French and South American Spanish seems to have undergone similar changes (though the French Academie was reluctant to so acknowledge, my Senegalese neighbour sounded nothing like my French teacher).
Of course the question is where you draw the line between descent from a language and development out of a language group or dialect cline. All Romance languages can be thought of as Latin's "bastard children" or pidgins, but IMO it makes more sense to think of them as distinct evolutions from a vulgar Latin dialect group that had enough variety in it to accommodate the lot.
Does anyone know about diaspora or Taiwanese Chinese vs. PRC Chinese?
Cajun French is a dialect. Afrikaans is a creole.Now I know about Afrikaans, Cajun and other assorted pidgin languages. But I'd like to see some surviving pidgin languages. Maybe a pidgin variation of German or Russian.
The first wave of diaspora Chinese spoke mainly Cantonese.
Unsure about your question regarding Taiwan and the PRC. They both speak Mandarin in an official capacity (difference being Traditional as opposed to Simplified script), and the local dialects are completely different (except for Hakka, I think).
Huh... I never knew mainlanders could understand regular old Taiwanese. The ones I've met have claimed it's unintelligible to them (even the ones from Fujian province).
Now I know about Afrikaans, Cajun and other assorted pidgin languages. But I'd like to see some surviving pidgin languages. Maybe a pidgin variation of German or Russian.
Cajun French is not a pidgin - it's just a localized version of Acadian French, which in turn is archaic compared to Modern French.
As for pidgin Russian - the one historical one I know of that would be interesting to see survive a glorious existence into now is Russenorsk - essentially, a pidgin language combining both Russian and Norwegian elements.
Now I know about Afrikaans, Cajun and other assorted pidgin languages. But I'd like to see some surviving pidgin languages. Maybe a pidgin variation of German or Russian.