Pidgin and Creole
A fictitious story to illustrate the
difference between Lingua
Franca, pidgin and creole.
A ship arrived
One day a ship docked
at a harbour in a
small island in Asia, in
the 15th Century.
They came to find
spices and other
goods such as silk
and cotton.
The Captain
This is their captain.
Well, he didn’t have the
right attire…. But
what the heck…
He came to barter the
goods from the island
with gold and silver.
But alas, he couldn’t
speak the language.
Lingua Franca
• So he resorted to gestures, and saying a
few words.
• The locals were eager to sell him things.
So they too spoke some words, pointed
and waved their hands vehemently.
• Soon enough they learnt a bit of each
other’s language. A lingua franca was then
born.
Pidgin
• The captain and his crew built their station
there.
• They wanted more and more of the goods
from the land.
• The lingua franca they used for trading,
developed and used in more places,
churches, schools, courts, etc. A pidgin
was born
Marriage
• The captain had a daughter, who came a
month later to join her dad. After three
months she laid her eyes on a local
farmer, Wu. They got married after 6
months of courting, defying the objections
of their parents.
Creole
• They spoke pidgin at home.
• Soon a baby arrived. And another a year
later. These kids spoke pidgin literally
since they could speak. So, a creole
emerged.
• They lived happily ever after.
• So did the Creole…-gaining more statusup to this day..