Hawaiian Pidgin
Hawaiian Pidgin English, also known as Hawaiian Creole English or simply Pidgin, is a creole language based on English that is widely spoken by residents of Hawaii. Although standard American English is one of the official languages of the State of Hawaii, Pidgin is used in everyday conversation, and is often used in radio and television.
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2 Highlights of Grammar and Pronunciation 3 Literature 4 Miscellaneous 5 Links 6 References |
History
Pidgin English originated as a form of pidgin Hawaiian used among whites (especially Portuguese), Hawaiians, and Chinese. As trade with the United States increased during the late 19th century, pidgin Hawaiian evolved into pidgin English. Also, as other nationalities were brought in to work in the plantations, such as Japanese, Filipinos, and Koreans, Pidgin English acquired words from these languages.
Even today, Pidgin English retains some influences from these languages. For example, the word stay in Pidgin has the same meaning as the Portuguese verb estar, meaning "to be" when referring to a temporary state or location. (Sakoda & Siegel, 2003, p. 1-13)
In the 20th century, Pidgin started to be used outside the plantation between ethnic groups. Public school children learned Pidgin from their classmates and eventually it became the primary language of most people in Hawaii, replacing the original languages for the most part.
Today, most people born or raised in Hawaii can speak and understand Pidgin to some extent, and many consider it an important part of local culture. However, some consider it substandard, as corrupted or broken English. Its role in the schools of Hawaii has been a subject of controversy, as critics of Pidgin blame its widespread use for poor results in standardized national tests in reading and writing. In 1987, the state Board of Education implemented a policy allowing only standard English in the schools; this sparked an intense debate. There have been similar debates since then.
Highlights of Grammar and Pronunciation
Pidgin has distinct pronunciation differences from standard American English (SAE). Among some key differences:
It also has distinct grammatical forms not found in SAE:
Da baby cute. (or) Cute, da baby.
Da book stay on top da table.
Jesus wen cry. (DJB, John 11:35)
God goin do plenny good kine stuff fo him. (DJB, Mark 11:9)
He neva like dat.
Literature
In recent years, writers from Hawaii have written poems, short stories, and other works in Pidgin. This list included well-known Hawaii authors such as Lois-Ann Yamanaka and Lee Tonouchi. A Pidgin translation of the New Testament (called Da Jesus Book) has also been created.Miscellaneous
Pidgin has its own sign language, called Hawaiian Pidgin Sign Language. Most users of Hawaiian Pidgin Sign Language are between the ages of 70 and 90. Ethnologue lists it as "nearly extinct," as most deaf people in Hawaii use American Sign Language with some local signs. [1]Links
References