Pidgins and creoles have always attracted a great deal of interest - academic and otherwise - but in recent decades they have become increasingly important as a field of linguistic inquiry. Placing pidgins and creoles in the wider setting of linguistic theory, this book bridges the gap between introductory material and primary material, revising students' knowledge of the field as well as acquainting them with key areas of debate in pidgin and creole studies. The author provides a carefully balanced introduction to theoretical aspects of creolistics as well as an even-handed discussion of influences on pidgins and creoles which is well illustrated with rare examples of longer texts.

    Part 1 Definitions
    Introduction
    What is a Creole?
    Pidgins and Creoles in Linguistics
    Part 2 Once long ago, not too long ago: Theories of Genesis
    Introduction
    The superstratal target
    The substratal essence
    The universalist dimension
    Part 3 An' den de news spread across de lan': The Creole Continuum
    Quibbles and queries
    Part 4 Crick crack, monkey break 'e back for a piece of pommerac?: Language Planning
    Introduction
    Language planning: definitions and stages
    Case study: Language planning in Trinidad.

    Biography

    Ishtla Singh

    Singh's work is an excellent introduction to the field of pidgins and creoles.
    Journal of Sociolinguistics

    Singh's book is very readable.
    The Carrier Pidgin

    The book of Ishtla Singh is a surprise as one hears the voice of a Creole speaking scholar and discovers the presentation of known material from an entirely new point of view, that of the Creole speaker. I am sure that this book will encourage students to major in Pidgin and Creole studies.
    Elena Perekhvalskaya Milkova, St. Petersburg Unive

    Singh's book is an excellent introductory textbook written in a very readable style from a native speaker's perspective.
    Year's Work in English Studies