Mapping language-internal and 'apparent' grammaticalisation in Cameroon and Nigerian Pidgin English: implications for creole genesis theories

语法化是一个跨语言的语言变化过程，词汇表达随着时间的推移而演变成语法用法。研究表明，与非克里奥尔语相比，克里奥尔语中这一过程的展开是不同的。关键的区别在于过程的速度，以及它是语言内部的还是语言外部的，模仿输入语言的类似过程(明显的语法化)。克里奥尔语通常缺乏历史记录，而历史记录是传统语法化证据的来源。因此，本项目采用了最近的一种同步方法：以喀麦隆洋金英语和尼日利亚洋金英语为重点，采用基于语料库的方法来确定正在进行的语法化。为了评估“明显的”语法化的可能性，我们考虑了来自克里奥尔输入语言的证据。该项目的意义在于它对语法化和克里奥尔起源研究的贡献，以及对非学术利益相关者的贡献。

Grammaticalization is a cross-linguistic language change process, where lexical expressions evolve grammatical uses over time. Research suggests that this process unfolds differently in creole languages compared to non-creole languages. The key differences are the speed of the process, and whether it is language-internal or language-external, mimicking a similar process from an input language ('apparent' grammaticalization). Creoles typically lack historical records, the source of traditional grammaticalization evidence. This project therefore adopts a recent synchronic approach: focusing on Cameroon Pidgin English and Nigerian Pidgin English, a corpus-based method is employed to identify grammaticalization in progress. To assess the likelihood of 'apparent' grammaticalization, evidence from the creole's input languages is considered. The project's significance lies in its contributions to grammaticalization and creole genesis research, as well as to non-academic stakeholders.