Pidgin Fijian

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Pidgin Fijian
Fijian-based pidgin
Language codes
ISO 639-3None (mis)
Glottologpidg1237

Pidgin Fijian (also known as Jargon Fijian, Fijian Pidgin, Broken Fijian) was a plantation language used by iTaukei (Indigenous) Fijians and foreigners in Fiji's plantations.[1]

History[]

Indigenous Fijians first came into contact with Europeans in 1800's when a few sailors were stranded in a shipwreck. [1] After that initial incident, contact between Indigenous Fijians and Europeans became common. The Europeans then started to exploit Fiji's resources. [2] The cotton plantation industry began in the 1860s.[1] The development of Pidgin Fiji is correlated with the development of plantation agriculture in Fiji.[1]At this point, the Europeans only used Fijian labourers and needed a form of communication to use between them.[1]The cotton industry collapsed in 1870, but the European settlers found other crops, such as sugar, to farm. [3] The plantation industry then grew, compelling the European settlers to recruit more labourers from neighbouring Pacific Islands.[3] The new labour workers came from various islands with around 180 different languages. [3] Because there was a need for communication and no mutually intelligible language between all, the Jargon Fijian was modified and became the lingua franca on the plantations.[3]The sugar plantation industry rapidly grew, with a higher demand for labourers, the European settlers recruited from India.[3] Between 1879 and 1916, over 60 000 India from vast areas of India were brought to Fiji as labour workers.[4]Jargon Fijian was being used more often, leading to its pidginization.[1]

Features[]

Pidgin Fijian began as a jargon and developed into a pidgin but never extended further into an extended pidgin or pidgin creole.[4] Pidgin Fijian has features that can trace to simplifications made by Indigenous Fijians to make it easier for foreigners to learn.[1] There is evidence of modifications that were errors made by Europeans and other foreigners.[1] English was not a target language in Pidgin Fijian.[1] The European settlers were given orders to learn the language of the labourers and believed that non-Europeans should not learn English to put them in their 'place.'[1]

Today[]

Pidgin Fijian has likely existed for more than a hundred years.[1]

References[]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Siegel, Jeff (1987). Language contact in a plantation environment: a sociolinguistic history of Fiji. Cambridge; New York: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9780521325776.
  2. ^ Siegel, Jeff (1985). "Plantation languages in Fiji". The Australian National University, The Australian National University: xvii, 368 leaves. doi:10.25911/5D723A3CECB53. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  3. ^ a b c d e Mangubhai, Francis; Mugler, France (December 2003). "The Language Situation in Fiji". Current Issues in Language Planning. 4 (3–4): 367–459. doi:10.1080/14664200308668058. ISSN 1466-4208. S2CID 145577377.
  4. ^ a b Siegel, Jeff (22/1982). "Plantation Pidgin Fijian". Oceanic Linguistics. 21 (1/2): 1–72. doi:10.2307/3623154. JSTOR 3623154. {{cite journal}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
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