Language Creation through Contact

Language creation through contact is an intricate phenomenon encompassing various linguistic developments such as pidgins, creoles, mixed languages, and constructed languages (conlangs). These language varieties often emerge in contexts of significant social change, such as colonisation, migration, and intermarriage, where speakers of different linguistic backgrounds need to communicate. Traditionally, linguists viewed pidgins and creoles as simplified or deficient forms of more prestigious languages, but modern research has highlighted their complexity and linguistic significance. Likewise, constructed languages have started receiving academic attention only in recent times. This report aims to provide an exploration of the diverse outcomes of language contact, examining the linguistic and social contexts that give rise to these languages, and the processes through which they evolve.