8. On the principled nature of the respective contributions of substrate and superstrate languages to a creole's lexicon

This paper argues that the respective contributions made to creoles by their substrate and superstrate languages are principled, and that they can be derived from a sound theory of creole genesis. More specifically, it is shown that the division can be derived from the nature and extent of the main cognitive process at work in creole formation, relexification/relabelling, and from how this process applies in the contexts where creole languages emerge.

• Affiliations: 1: Université du Québec à Montréal and Max-Planck-Institut für Evolutionäre Anthropologie