Chinese Pidgin English Grammar and Texts

CHINESE PIDGIN ENGLISH 1 is the 'minimum language ' in use since the early eighteenth century in the Treaty Ports and in central and southern China, as a medium of intercourse between Chinese and foreigners (chiefly native speakers of standard English British and American). The social situations in which it is used are primarily those of master (foreigner) and servant (Chinese), and of business relations, especially in retail shops catering to foreigners; during the period of greatest expansion of CP in the nineteenth century, it was also used in other situations involving contact between foreigners and Chinese (of the upper classes as well as servants and tradesmen). In the history of CP, four main periods are to be distinguished: 2 1. Origin at Canton and Macao, ca. 1715-48; 2. 'Classical' period, use at Canton, 1748-1842; 3. Period of expansion 'and greatest use, in llongkong, Treaty Ports, and Yangtze valley, 1842-ca. 1890; 4. Decline (as consequence of social and political disfavor, and preference for standard English), 1890-present time. This language has previously been discussed only briefly and in terms of standard English orthography and grammar; it is our purpose in this article to outline the grammatical structure of twentieth-century CP in the usage of English speakers,4 and to give a selection of texts (modern and old) in phonemic transcription. 1. PHONOLOGY is, in general, close to that of standard English. Chinese speakers make certain substitutions, which will be discussed under the individual phonemes.