ABSTRACT
Language has been selected in this book as the reference system for the study of creolization. The reason is that descriptions of creole languages and of their genesis are more advanced than those of creole music and literature. Were the situation different, one could still argue that, even if the linguistic approach is not the only way to develop a model of creolization, it is critical to examine linguistic facts, because language plays a fundamental role both in social evolution and in the development of most other cultural systems. We need not go all the way back to Sapir’s and/or Whorf ’s hypotheses, nor do we need to take a position on the relation between language and world-view, thought, etc. We must nonetheless admit, hic et nunc, that language is almost always a central component of any culture. Besides, in the case of the world of creoles, we have a very rare opportunity to observe the conditions and modes of social and cultural development. These geneses have the remarkable peculiarity of taking place in isolated, more or less ‘closed,’ island settings, over relatively recent time periods, with specific dates, and with demographic, economic, social, and cultural components whose variation and relevance can be determined. These are quite exceptional conditions for observation and study. The facts can be examined both in vivo, without the usual speculations and musings on language genesis, and in vitro, since a designed experiment could not have done better regarding choice and diversification of parameters.
