On pidgin languages
The Weekly Wrap Up (1/15/2021)
Each week, I’m going to be sharing some things I’ve learned from stuff I’ve read. Topics may range from philosophy to sports and anywhere in between.
If you’re interested, you can signup below.
Pidgin Languages
Pidgin languages are a blend of two or more different languages, and they tend to be wonderfully simple. These languages tend to have just a few verb tenses while still allowing speakers to express themselves fully.
To highlight what I mean, let’s look at two sentences.
“I had eaten by that time.”
“I ate already by that time.”
While #2 is grammatically incorrect, notice how #1 and #2 convey the same point.
Moreover, #2 conveys the same point without having to know the subtleties of the past perfect tense (e.g. “had eaten”).
Sentence #2 is a decent approximation of how some pidgin languages work. Replacing verb tenses with some more context. Personally, I think that’s a great tradeoff. I’m all for doing away with those complex tenses if we don’t need them.
But there is a darker side to pidgin languages. These languages usually arise out of unique situations where there’s steady, regular contact between multiple linguistic groups. While this can sometimes happen organically along shared borders, these unique situations can also result from coercion.
Haitian Creole, for example, is derived from a French-based pidgin language that arose from white indentured servants and African slaves working together in Haitian plantations.
Stir-Fried Rats
Along the Vietnamese-Cambodian border, there’s apparently a booming rat trade. These rats are caught in Cambodian rice fields, sold to Vietnamese kitchens, and then marinated in fish sauce, lemongrass, and garlic. You can eat these marinated meats fried or grilled.
Because these rats survive on a clean diet of Cambodian rice-stalks, they’re supposed to be much safer to eat than their sewage dwelling counterparts in cities. You are what you eat, I suppose.