Influence of stress on linguistic change. Some Bickerton's concepts in the study of aphasia

Abstract

According to Bickerton (1981), Creole languages have been developed in psychological and linguistic stress situations. As a puzzling result, creoles resemble each other more than they resemble –linguistically speaking– the dominant language of the environment. Among the features of Creole languages are: use of minimal phonetic-phonological systems, with non-marked elements; paratactic constructions or simple syntax with elements attached by conjunction, and use of pragmatic discursive modes, linked to the context (Givón, 1979). This paper suggests that aphasia can also be conceived as the result of a psychological and linguistic stress situation similar to that described for creoles, in which speakers must address their communication needs with resources of universal grammar.