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Labrador Inuit Pidgin French, also called Belle Isle Pidgin or Inuit French Jargon, was a French-lexified pidgin spoken between Breton and Basque fishermen and the Inuit of Labrador from the late 17th century until about 1760.

History

The first traces of Labrador Inuit Pidgin French (LIPF) first appear in 1694, though it is first fully attested in the 1740s by a French Canadian entrepreneur named Jean-Louis Fomel. He said the pidgin was used by the Inuit and made up of a mix of French, Spanish, and possibly Breton. The last attestations were recorded in the 1760s, though the pidgin almost certainly survived past this date.

Lexicon

The lexicon of LIPF was mostly French based but contained influence from Spanish, English, Dutch, Basque, and Breton.

See also

• Algonquian-Basque pidgin, used in the same area
• NunatuKavut people

References

1. Arends, Jacques; Muysken, Pieter; Smith, Norval (1995). Pidgins and Creoles: An Introduction. John Benjamins Publishing. p. 139. ISBN 978-90-272-5236-4.
2. ^ Bakker, Peter (1991). TRADE LANGUAGES IN THE STRAIT OF BELLE ISLE. University of Amsterdam. pp. 7–10.

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• French-based pidgins and creoles
• Languages of Canada
• Extinct languages of North America
• North America Native-based pidgins and creoles
• Languages attested from the 17th century
• Languages extinct in the 18th century
• Inuit in Newfoundland and Labrador
• European-Canadian culture in Newfoundland and Labrador
• French language in the Americas
• Pidgin and creole language stubs
• Romance language stubs