Portuguese pidgin and Chinese Pidgin English in the Canton trade
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Stephen Matthews
Abstract
While the role of Chinese Pidgin English (CPE) in the Canton trade is relatively well-understood, the role of pidgin Portuguese has remained less clear. We review the evidence for the use of pidgin Portuguese and for its influence on the development of CPE. There is evidence of gradual replacement of certain Portuguese lexical items by English ones. In addition, we propose that two puzzling grammatical properties of CPE may be explained in terms of pidgin Portuguese influence: the use of have as locative copula, and the use of for as complementizer. Taken together, the lexical replacement and grammatical influence provide evidence for the role of pidgin Portuguese in the development of CPE.
Abstract
While the role of Chinese Pidgin English (CPE) in the Canton trade is relatively well-understood, the role of pidgin Portuguese has remained less clear. We review the evidence for the use of pidgin Portuguese and for its influence on the development of CPE. There is evidence of gradual replacement of certain Portuguese lexical items by English ones. In addition, we propose that two puzzling grammatical properties of CPE may be explained in terms of pidgin Portuguese influence: the use of have as locative copula, and the use of for as complementizer. Taken together, the lexical replacement and grammatical influence provide evidence for the role of pidgin Portuguese in the development of CPE.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Acknowledgements vii
- List of abbreviations ix
- Introduction 1
- Notes on the phonology and lexicon of some Indo-Portuguese creoles 15
- A closer look at the post-nominal genitive in Asian Creole Portuguese 47
- Luso-Asian comparatives in comparison 81
- Measuring substrate influence 125
- Indefinite terms in Ibero-Asian Creoles 149
- Maskin, maski, masque… in the Spanish and Portuguese creoles of Asia 181
- Nenang, nino, nem não, ni no 205
- Bilug in Zamboangueño Chavacano 239
- Portuguese pidgin and Chinese Pidgin English in the Canton trade 263
- Traces of superstrate verb inflection in Makista and other Asian-Portuguese creoles 289
- Mindanao Chabacano and other ‘mixed creoles’ 327
- Language index 365
- Location index 369
- General index 371
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Acknowledgements vii
- List of abbreviations ix
- Introduction 1
- Notes on the phonology and lexicon of some Indo-Portuguese creoles 15
- A closer look at the post-nominal genitive in Asian Creole Portuguese 47
- Luso-Asian comparatives in comparison 81
- Measuring substrate influence 125
- Indefinite terms in Ibero-Asian Creoles 149
- Maskin, maski, masque… in the Spanish and Portuguese creoles of Asia 181
- Nenang, nino, nem não, ni no 205
- Bilug in Zamboangueño Chavacano 239
- Portuguese pidgin and Chinese Pidgin English in the Canton trade 263
- Traces of superstrate verb inflection in Makista and other Asian-Portuguese creoles 289
- Mindanao Chabacano and other ‘mixed creoles’ 327
- Language index 365
- Location index 369
- General index 371
