Divided into two main sections, this study of language contact in West Africa deals firstly with multilingualism and pidgin forms in Cameroon in particular. The second part concerns language teaching and learning in contact situations. Many of the chapters are in French. BNS, 204pp, USA. NOVA SCIENCE.

This book seeks to establish both to what extent all Creole languages share a set of structural features and whether traits typical of those of the Atlantic region are also found in Creoles spoken elsewhere in the world. It contains comparative grammars of 18 Creole languages in the Americas, Africa, Southeast Asia, the Indian Ocean and the Pacific, in a single descriptive framework with some 100 structural features treated in sections with corresponding numbers for easy comparison. This volume includes a socio-historical introduction to each of the 18 languages and also provides a handy cross-linguistic comparison of unprecedented scope and detail. 404pp, UK. BATTLEBRIDGE PUBLICATIONS.

A very detailed analysis of two recently discovered 18th century texts from the island of Reunion (formerly called Bourbon), together with a thorough examination of the relevant socio-historical situation, transforms our knowledge of this variety of Creole French. It also provides the basis for understanding why this Creole is so very different from - and much closer to French than - other varieties spoken in the Indian Ocean (Mauritius, Seychelles) and the Caribbean (Martinique, Guadeloupe, etc.). IN FRENCH. Index, bib, 160pp, UK. BATTLEBRIDGE PUBLICATIONS.

A dictionary combining an etymological study and a comparison of the six Portuguese Creoles, bringing out the different aspects of contact between the Portuguese and African languages. Text in French. BNS, 464pp, FRANCE. KARTHALA.

Pidgin English is the chief medium of communication for the great majority of Cameroonians and is also a lingua franca spoken in many West African countries. It sustains a world view, culture and way of life. This is the poet's attempt at capturing these speech patterns, inspired by the his conviction that this vital language that has been subjected to multiple forms of denigration from self-styled linguistic purists. Gloss, 68pp, CAMEROON.. LANGAA RPCIG.

This volume is based on a collection of 60 texts, covering the period 1734 - 1929 and containing more than 100,000 words. This book includes a complete concordance of these with statistical information of the frequency of each word as well as of variant spellings of each word. It also prints in full all of these texts not readily available elsewhere, including several previously unpublished manuscripts, together with a representative selection of other texts. Most importantly, it also includes a dozen articles by leading specialists which deal with the evolution of the most salient features of this language, demonstrating just how much can be learned about the construction of a new language by a diverse range of people brought together by slavery. Index, bib, 380pp, UK. BATTLEBRIDGE PUBLICATIONS.

An 'ultimate Creole phrase book and dictionary', with some unusual features. It comprises a phrase book for tourists in the first part. This features a simplified presentation of the language. Thus famille [family] is shown as fami; pacques [easter] as pac, cadeau as cado, etc. Part two looks at the origins, history and evolution of the various languages spoken on the island. An English-Creole dictionary is included. There are also notes on Mauritian gastronomy, idioms, expression and swear words. 160pp, UK. GREENPRINT.

A wide ranging general discussion of the origins, nature, development and characteristics of Nigerian Pidgin. Chapters on its structure, orthography and prospects. Makes clear the distinc-tions between Nigerian Pidgin and a range of pidgin-like forms in Nigeria. 188pp, NIGERIA. HEINEMANN EDUCATIONAL BOOKS NIGERIA.

A history of imperialism, language, and creolization in the largest African diaspora of the Indian Ocean in the early modern period. Ranging from Madagascar to the Mascarenes, the Comores, and South Africa, Pier M. Larson sheds new light on the roles of slavery, emancipation, oceanic travel, Christian missions, and colonial linguistics in the making of Malagasy language in the islands of the western Indian Ocean. 384pp, UK. CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS.

Twenty million peoples speak Creole languages in the Caribbean and in other Atlantic islands. What distinguishes these languages are the diverse influences they have carried over from the languages of Africa. It is these specific influences which make Creoles differ from each other. This is the most comprehensive survey of African features in Atlantic Creoles to date, using data culled from over 800 sources, and refering to 150 African language families. Also deals with potential Africanisms on many different language levels. An essential work of reference for students of cultural heritage. Bib, index, notes, tables, map, viii, 188 pages, UK. BATTLEBRIDGE PUBLICATIONS. 1903292050

A study focused on English based pidgins and creoles which have arisen since the fifteenth century, examing the nature of the phenomenon and evaluates different definitions of the terms and theories surrounding their existence. The author also looks at the sociological implications of using pidgins and creoles in education and in the community. Index, bib, apps, x, 117pp, UK. ROUTLEDGE. 0415053110

Places pidgins and creoles in the wider setting of linguistic theory, and bridges the gap between introductory and primary material. Index, 142pp, bib, gloss, notes, maps, UK. ARNOLD.

Philippe Maurer has rescued a critically endangered language from oblivion with this volume, turning Principense - one of the least documented varieties of Afro-Portuguese - into one of the best described creoles of any lexical base. The contents reflect his gift for clear organization and lucid explanation of knotty problems ranging from tone to exotic morphosyntactic structures. He has minutely analyzed an extensive corpus, illustrating his points with over 1,270 Principense sentences and providing a word list as well as a rich collection of texts. Bib, apps, maps, 280pp, UK. BATTLEBRIDGE PUBLICATIONS.

The languages covered in this book include: Afrikaans, Arabic-based Pidgins, Bahamian, Berbice Dutch Creole, Bislama, Cape Verdean Creole, Chabacano (of Mindanao), Chinook Jargon, Fanakalo, French Caribbean Creoles, Ghanaian Pidgin English, Guinea-Bissau Creole, Gulf of Guinea Creoles, Gullah, Guyanais, Guyanese, Hawai'ian Creole English, Indo-Portuguese, Jamaican Creole, Krio, Liberian Pidgin English, Limonese Creole Lingua Franca, Macaense, Malayo-Portuguese, Mauritian Creole, Negerhollands, Papiamentu, Pidgin Hawaiian, Pitkern-Norfolk, Reunion Creole, Saint Kitts English Creole, Saramaccan, Seychelles Creole, Sranan, and Surinam Eastern Maroon Creole. 335pp, notes, index, UK. BATTLEBRIDGE, 1903292026