ANTH 252: Language Contact

Readings

 

• Todd, L. (1974) Pidgins and Creoles. London: Routledge.   Friday 6 October   Presented by Peter
  • Preface
  • Chapter 1: Introduction
  • Chapter 2: Language and name
  • Chapter 3: Theories of origin: pidgins
• Joyner, C. (1984) Gullah: A Creole Language. In C. Joyner, Down By the Riverside: A South Carolina Slave Community. Urbana: University of Illinois Press.  Monday 9 October   Presented by Nicole.
• Harshav, B. (1990) The Meaning of Yiddish. Berkeley: University of California Press. Chapter 2: The Nature of Yiddish.   Read this article for an introduction.   Wednesday 11 October   Presented by Jackie.
  

  Audio Clips

  Jamaican Creole samples     Voice of America in Hatian Creole     Gullah Folk Tale     Yiddish Stories

  Assessment #2 Question (due Friday 10 November)

  Is Yiddish a creole language? Is English (i.e., the language that you speak)? Your answer to these questions should describe the main characteristics of Creole languages, and then discuss how English and Yiddish fail or succeed in matching these characteristics.

  Suggestions for Further Research

• Jamaican Creole makes a frequent appearance in Reggae music, as does the language and culture of the Rastafari movement. One way to explore this topic would be to write a lexicon of Jamaican Creole words appearing in Reggae songs, annotated with discographic information (musician, song title, album title, publisher, date, etc.), etymologies, and cultural information when relevant. (Even better would be to write it as a web page with hyperlinks.)