Language Contact Theoretical Background
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that “traditionally pidgin is the language that appears in contact with new situations involving more than two language groups”. Pidgin does not have native
speakers. Pidgin is used only for limited purposes such as trade. Pidgin grammar is not selected from one language but rather a compromise or a combination of the
two languages in contact language.
Creol contrasted with pidgin because creol has native speakers. Creol formed in contact more than two languages. Creol specifically describe the
lexicon not grammar and creol grammar same as pidgin which is a combination of languages in contact language. Someone who may or may not incorporate native
speakers of a language lexifier but in fact, some creol languages are native
speakers of pidgin language.
Thomason 2001: 198 says that the final result of language contact is bilingual mixed language. This term refers to the fact that the language created by
bilingual but slightly skewed because basically there is no limit how many languages can be combined to make mixed bilingual language. Thomason said
that he did not know any stable mixed language in which all components are
reflected more than two languages.
Thomason 2001: 17-21 explains that the factors that lead to language
contact can be grouped into five, namely
a Meeting of two groups that moved into uninhabited areas
b Displacement one group to another group region
c The practice of exchange of slave and labor
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d The existence of close cultural ties among old neighbors
e The existence of education or commonly called learning contact