Determiner Phrase In Atlantic Creoles: A comparative approach to creole genesis

This paper proposes a comparative analvsis of DP in three Atlantic Creoles, Sranan, Jamaican and Haitian, and their substrates and superstrates. It investigates whether DPs in Creoles point to the role of substrate/superstate influence or UG in creolization. Different theories of creole genesis have proposed each of these factors as the sole factor underlying creolization.It appears that creole DPs possess hybrid properties combining substrate and superstrate features in diverse ways. The combinations are only restricted by UG. Based on this, the paper argues against the suggested extraordinary homogeneity of the factors underlying creolization and the assumption of creole exceptionality. It suggests that emerging Creoles were affected by the same forces as 'normal' L2 varieties, i.e. the linguistic environment (substrate/Ll and superstrate/TL) and UG. Given that, comparative creole studies can provide interesting implications for SLA studies. In particular, they can shed more light on the mechanisms of L1 transfer and its interaction with TL.