Advanced Placement (AP) Human Geography Practice Exam

A pidgin is a simplified language that emerges when speakers of different native languages need to communicate, often in contexts such as trade or labor. Since it typically combines vocabulary and grammar from both (or multiple) languages, a pidgin serves as a bridge for communication between groups that do not share a common language. Importantly, pidgins are not fully developed languages; they tend to have a limited lexicon and simplified structure as they evolve to meet the immediate communicative needs of their speakers.

In contrast to pidgins, a fully developed language has complex grammatical rules and a rich vocabulary, which allows for nuanced expression. Written languages are systems of communication that use visual symbols, often established over time and associated with particular cultures. Extinct languages no longer have native speakers, whereas pidgins may evolve into creole languages if they become stable and are learned as a first language by subsequent generations.