Pidgins were often use in a reduced manner. What does it mean and give examples?
Pidgins are simplified languages that develop as means of communication between speakers of different native languages who need to communicate with each other, usually for trade or other pragmatic purposes. A pidgin emerges when there is no common language between the interacting groups and there is a need for a simplified communication system that will allow them to exchange basic information.
The "reduced manner" in the context of pidgins typically refers to:
1. **Simplified grammar**: The grammar in a pidgin is usually much less complex than in a full-fledged language. Complex tenses, moods, aspects, and often even the distinction between singular and plural may be absent.
2. **Limited vocabulary**: Pidgins have a limited set of words that cover only the topics necessary for the specific purposes for which the pidgin emerged, such as trade, labor, or other interactions.
3. **Absence of native speakers**: Unlike creoles, which develop from pidgins and become the first language of a community, pidgins typically do not have native speakers. They are second languages and are used as auxiliary or supplementary means of communication.
4. **Phonological simplification**: The phonetic range of a pidgin is usually reduced, with fewer vowel and consonant sounds and simpler syllables, as the pidgin incorporates elements from the various languages of its speakers.
Example of pidgin use:
Imagine a trading post where English merchants, French fur trappers, and Indigenous peoples of North America come together. None speaks the others' languages fluently, so they create a pidgin that borrows words from English, French, and the relevant Indigenous languages. The pidgin would have a limited vocabulary relevant to trading goods, such as terms for numbers, basic goods (such as "fur," "beads," "water," etc.), and simple verbs (such as "give," "want," "have").
An exchange in a pidgin might look something like this (in a hypothetical English-French-Indigenous pidgin):
- English Merchant: "Me want fur. You have?"
- French Trapper: "Oui, me have furs. You give beads?"
- Indigenous Trader: "Me give ten beads for one fur."
Note that in this simplified exchange, the sentence structure is straightforward, there is no use of articles or complex tenses, and the vocabulary is highly focused on the immediate context of trading.