Question

What sociolinguistic phenomenon does the following sentence exemplify?

• A. Code switching
• B. Bilingualism
• C. Pidgin
• D. Mixed language

Hint:

Remember: If a language combines nouns from one language and verbs from another into a stable grammar (e.g., Michif = Cree + French), it is a mixed language, not simple code-switching.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is D

 

Step 1: Distinguish the terms. 

• Code switching: Alternating between languages within a sentence or discourse, but each word comes entirely from one language.
• Bilingualism: Knowledge and use of two languages by a speaker; it is a competence, not a sentence phenomenon. 
• Pidgin: A simplified contact language that arises for trade or communication, not native to anyone. 
• Mixed language: A stable language that blends structural elements of two languages into a single grammatical system.

Step 2: Analyze the example. In the given sentence, French words ("la fam," "li pci") supply the nouns and determiners, while Cree contributes the verb "micimine:w." This is not mere switching — the grammar itself is systematically split between two languages, creating a mixed language.

Step 3: Real-world parallels. Examples include Michif, a mixed language spoken by the Métis people in Canada, which combines Cree verb morphology with French nouns and determiners — exactly like the example given here. 

\[ \boxed{\text{Correct Answer: Mixed language (D)}} \]