Studio comparativo delle origini, caratteristiche e politiche linguistiche di due Inglesi non-standard (Hawaiian Pidgin English e Singlish)

The following dissertation paper provides a detailed overview of two English-based creole languages spoken in Hawaiʻi and in Singapore, Hawaiian Pidgin English and Singapore Colloquial English (Singlish), respectively. A comparative approach was chosen while analyzing the historical development, relevant linguistic features and language policies concerning these two varieties of English. Overall, the findings show that the two creoles share a great deal when it comes to their origins, as they originated in a favorable and strategic colonial context among foreign settlers. More specifically, Hawaiʻi provided a plantation setting, while Singapore was a trade outpost. From a linguistic point of view, the two languages represent a continuum of varieties that display the majority of the features associated with creole languages. They share a significant number of unique features among those analyzed, such as: syllable-timed rhythm, an increasingly stronger American accent, article one, aspect and modality markers stei, go, wen and bin in Hawaiian Pidgin and Singlish’s use(d) to and already. Both creoles have become identity carriers, but Hawaiian Pidgin seems to still be more stigmatized compared to Singlish, which has instead thrived thanks to a more effective activism, and it has earned overtime a higher prestige. There is ongoing research to prove how they can be used as a support tool for English acquisition in schools. Ultimately, the goal of a general acceptance and valorization of the linguistic worth of both Hawaiian Pidgin and Singlish seems to be close.