~PID-CREO.ETY~

'origins of the terms'

"Pidgin" is first recorded in the Oxford English Dictionary,

2nd ed., in 1826 in reference to the Chinese pronunciation of

"business." The first reference to it in its modern sense

appears in the OED in 1891, although it was in use in that sense

since at least the middle of the same century ({<[LINK]> Holm88}

25).

"Creole" entered the language much earlier. The OED says its

etymology is uncertain, but probably related to the Spanish

"criadillo," the diminutive of "criado," meaning "to be bred" or

"domestic." It was originally applied to Spaniards born in the

Americas, later expanding to include other Europeans and Africans

born in the Americas. The OED's first reference to the modern

linguistic sense is for 1879, although it had already been in use

this way for some time. The linguistic sense of each word dates

to the mid-nineteenth century, although the respective referents

were known and discussed much earlier.({<[LINK]> Holm88} 13-24)

<Van_Name to begin chronology of creole studies>

<[LINK] to go to the menu for the history of creole studies>

~pid-creo.ety~