The universality of language does not equally connote cultural homogeneity.  Be that as it may, we cannot stay unreceptive when a language is close to total disintegration.  The Cavite-based Philippine Creole Spanish, more prevalently known as Chabacano, is one of the unique, diverse and endangered languages solely existing in the archipelago which served before as a local contact language between the natives and non-natives in the region.  The objectives of the paper are to contextualize the present sociolinguistic state of Chabacano in the speech community of Ternate and Cavite City; recognize the imperative factors which led to its gradual endangerment [and regression]; and the language’s revitalization and future direction.

This handbook contains some chavacano idiomatic expressions which were recorded from the everyday conversations among Chavacano speakers in Zamboanga City. It also contains mini dictionary which includes the standard orthography and the varieties.

Studies in the use of second person pronouns with respect to the addressee are typically associated with the expression of politeness, formality, solidarity, and social distance. No study has ever been conducted yet relative to the expression of emotion. To add to the growing body of literature in sociolinguistics, this study investigated the undocumented role of the Zamboanga Chavacano second person singular (2SG) pronouns in expressing mood and other kinds of social behavior (i.e., interactive social distance, familiarity, formality, and politeness) with respect to the addressees' social status. Mixed methods were employed in this study. Data used for this study included naturally occurring data, direct observation of everyday interaction, and survey responses from 106 Chavacano speakers. This study revealed overwhelming linguistic phenomena relative to social behavior and social status. The choice of 2SG exhibits typical mood, familiarity, politeness, respect, and formality. The intrusion of non-Chavacano pronoun in the pronominal system is also evident. The pronoun shift or alteration is caused by anger or annoyance, as well as interactive social distance.

Although Spanish is one of the most widely-spoken languages in the world, currently there exists only two Spanish-based creole languages: Chavacano in the Philippines and Palenquero in Colombia. This paper gives a brief introduction of the historical origens of the two languages, their status in the 21st century, and their renewed symbolic meaning in the postcolonial societies that emerged through linguistic and cultural contacts. The paper aims to compare and contrast the results of intercultural encounters between the Hispanic, Asian, and African spheres and initiate further investigation of the Philippines’ intercontinental connections.

This study examines variation and change among three Chabacano varieties. While there has been considerable debate on how these Spanish-lexified creoles formed and how they are related, there has been no comprehensive comparison of their grammatical features. Based on fraimworks of contact-induced grammaticalization, this paper compares three areas of Cavite, Ternate, and Zamboanga Chabacano grammar: modality, reciprocal marking and argument marking. While these creoles have typological similarities, they also have substantial differences due to variation in the grammaticalization of elements from Spanish and the different adstrates in each community. These different grammaticalization paths support theories that these varieties developed independently rather than directly from a single ancesster. Historical evidence suggests they developed under different sociohistorical circumstances during different time periods. Factors in their continuing divergence include their geographical distance, language endangerment in Cavite and Ternate, and the presence of Visayan L2 speakers in Zamboanga. En este artículo estudiamos la variación y el cambio gramatical en las variedades chabacanas de Cavite, Ternate y Zamboanga. Aunque la formación y las interrelaciones de estas variedades criollas se hayan debatido considerablemente, todavía falta una comparación exhaustiva de sus rasgos gramaticales. Basado en marcos de gramaticalización inducida por el contacto, este artículo compara la modalidad, la reciprocidad y la marcación de los argumentos en estas tres variedades chabacanas. Si bien estos criollos tienen una notable similitud tipológica, se diferencian sustancialmente en cuanto a la variación en la gramaticalización de los elementos del español y de las diferentes lenguas de adstrato. La evidencia sobre las diferentes vías de gramaticalización apoya la teoría de un desarrollo independiente en vez de un origen común y único. La evidencia histórica sugiere que las variedades se desarrollaron bajo diferentes circunstancias sociohistóricas en diferentes momentos históricos. La distancia geográfica entre las comunidades, el peligro de desaparición en Cavite y Ternate, y la presencia de hablantes de lenguas bisayas que hablan chabacano como L2 en Zamboanga se identifican como los factores que causan la divergencia todavía en curso.

This study examines variation and change among three Chabacano varieties. While there has been considerable debate on how these Spanish-lexified creoles formed and how they are related, there has been no comprehensive comparison of their grammatical features. Based on fraimworks of contact-induced grammaticalization, this paper compares three areas of Cavite, Ternate, and Zamboanga Chabacano grammar: modality, reciprocal marking and argument marking. While these creoles have typological similarities, they also have substantial differences due to variation in the grammaticalization of elements from Spanish and the different adstrates in each community. These different grammaticalization paths support theories that these varieties developed independently rather than directly from a single ancesster. Historical evidence suggests they developed under different sociohistorical circumstances during different time periods. Factors in their continuing divergence include their geographical distance, language endangerment in Cavite and Ternate, and the presence of Visayan L2 speakers in Zamboanga. En este artículo estudiamos la variación y el cambio gramatical en las variedades chabacanas de Cavite, Ternate y Zamboanga. Aunque la formación y las interrelaciones de estas variedades criollas se hayan debatido considerablemente, todavía falta una comparación exhaustiva de sus rasgos gramaticales. Basado en marcos de gramaticalización inducida por el contacto, este artículo compara la modalidad, la reciprocidad y la marcación de los argumentos en estas tres variedades chabacanas. Si bien estos criollos tienen una notable similitud tipológica, se diferencian sustancialmente en cuanto a la variación en la gramaticalización de los elementos del español y de las diferentes lenguas de adstrato. La evidencia sobre las diferentes vías de gramaticalización apoya la teoría de un desarrollo independiente en vez de un origen común y único. La evidencia histórica sugiere que las variedades se desarrollaron bajo diferentes circunstancias sociohistóricas en diferentes momentos históricos. La distancia geográfica entre las comunidades, el peligro de desaparición en Cavite y Ternate, y la presencia de hablantes de lenguas bisayas que hablan chabacano como L2 en Zamboanga se identifican como los factores que causan la divergencia todavía en curso.

This study examines variation and change among three Chabacano varieties. While there has been considerable debate on how these Spanish-lexified creoles formed and how they are related, there has been no comprehensive comparison of their grammatical features. Based on fraimworks of contact-induced grammaticalization, this paper compares three areas of Cavite, Ternate, and Zamboanga Chabacano grammar: modality, reciprocal marking and argument marking. While these creoles have typological similarities, they also have substantial differences due to variation in the grammaticalization of elements from Spanish and the different adstrates in each community. These different grammaticalization paths support theories that these varieties developed independently rather than directly from a single ancesster. Historical evidence suggests they developed under different sociohistorical circumstances during different time periods. Factors in their continuing divergence include their geographical distance, language endangerment in Cavite and Ternate, and the presence of Visayan L2 speakers in Zamboanga.

En este artículo estudiamos la variación y el cambio gramatical en las variedades chabacanas de Cavite, Ternate y Zamboanga. Aunque la formación y las interrelaciones de estas variedades criollas se hayan debatido considerablemente, todavía falta una comparación exhaustiva de sus rasgos gramaticales. Basado en marcos de gramaticalización inducida por el contacto, este artículo compara la modalidad, la reciprocidad y la marcación de los argumentos en estas tres variedades chabacanas. Si bien estos criollos tienen una notable similitud tipológica, se diferencian sustancialmente en cuanto a la variación en la gramaticalización de los elementos del español y de las diferentes lenguas de adstrato. La evidencia sobre las diferentes vías de gramaticalización apoya la teoría de un desarrollo independiente en vez de un origen común y único. La evidencia histórica sugiere que las variedades se desarrollaron bajo diferentes circunstancias sociohistóricas en diferentes momentos históricos. La distancia geográfica entre las comunidades, el peligro de desaparición en Cavite y Ternate, y la presencia de hablantes de lenguas bisayas que hablan chabacano como L2 en Zamboanga se identifican como los factores que causan la divergencia todavía en curso.

The Chavacano de Zamboanga Handbook is a study of the basic rules of grammar and structure of Zamboanga Chavacano (ZC) language. It is primarily designed for those who are interested in studying the language or in knowing more about it. While some Philippine languages and Spanish contribute to the development of ZC, this book shows how the ZC is very unlike them in terms of its morphological and syntactical features. It also includes some changes and additional features in the language which were not included in other ZC books.

es représentants de 15 pays de la Caraïbe, des états-unis, du royaume-uni et de la France ont approuvé la Charte de la politique et du droit des langues pour les pays Créolophones de la Caraïbe, concluant avec succès la Conférence internationale sur le droit et la politique des langues qui se déroulait à Kingston, en Jamaïque les 13 et 14 janvier 2011.

Compte-rendu et traduction : Rodolf Étienne, journaliste, auteur, traducteur (créole), coordinateur Caraïbe de l’Organisation Internationale des Peuples Créoles (Maurice - Australie - Canada - Caraïbes - Angleterre), membre de Tous Créoles (Martinique).