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Tuesday, October 23, 2012

What is Superstrate Language?


Superstrate language

In a pidginization situation the language which affects another less prestigious or socially and culturally dominated language is called the superstrate language.

The term superstrate language is often used to label the target language of a creole or in the context of second language acquisition.

With Atlantic Creoles, "superstrate" usually means European and "substrate" non-European or African.
A post-creole continuum is said to come about in a context of decreolization where a creole is subject to pressure from its superstrate language. Speakers of the creole feel compelled to conform their language to superstrate usage introducing large scale variation and hypercorrection.

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