Book notice: Deconstructing Creole

[Harold F. Schiffman]

Deconstructing Creole: Typological Studies in Language 73
2007  John Benjamins
                http://www.benjamins.com/

Editor: Stephen Matthews
Editor: Lisa Lim
Editor: Umberto Ansaldo

Abstract:

Deconstructing Creole is a collection of studies aimed at critically
assessing the idea of creole languages as a homogeneous structural type
with shared and peculiar patterns of genesis. Following up on the critical
discussion of notions of 'creole exceptionalism' as historical and
ideological constructs, this volume tests the basic assumptions that
underlie current attempts to present 'creole structure' as a special type,
from typological as well as sociohistorical perspectives. The sum of the
findings presented here suggests that careful empirical investigation of
input varieties and contact environments can explain the structural output
recourse to an exceptional genesis scenario. Echoing calls to dissolve the
notion of 'creolization' as a special diachronic process, this volume
proposes that theoretically grounded approaches to the notions of
simplicity, complexity, transmission, etc do not warrant considering
so-called 'creole' languages as a special synchronic type.

http://linguistlist.org/issues/18/18-2131.html

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