Agency in the Emergence of Creole Languages

This book is a ‘must read’ for those who are looking for fresh perspectives on the process of creolization of language. Focusing on peoples whose agency has too often been rendered invisible in colonial and neo-colonial history and on voices which have too often been silenced in linguistic accounts of creole genesis, this volume considers socio-historical and linguistic evidence that attests to the important roles played in the emergence of the Atlantic and Pacific Creoles by marginalized populations, such as women and people of non-European descent. In this work, the authors amass and critically analyze a wealth of compelling data not only from phonology, morpho-syntax, pragmatics, and descriptive, theoretical, and applied linguistics, but also from history, economics, political science, sociology, anthropology, and critical theory to demonstrate how enterprising women, rebellious slaves, insubordinate sailors, and a host of other renegades and maroons had a major impact on the creolized societies, cultures, and languages of the colonial era Atlantic and Pacific.

Don Winford, Ohio State University:
This collection of original and provocative essays offers fresh and powerful insights into the contributions made by marginalized groups to every aspect of Caribbean societies, especially language. It is a powerful attempt to remedy previous neglect of the role of women, West Africans and indigenous people in shaping the social and linguistic landscape of New World colonies. Its broad scope and impressive scholarship illuminate the complexity of the emergence of creole cultures and languages. It will undoubtedly have a major impact on the field, and provide promising new avenues for future research in creole studies.