On the Importance of History and Historicity in the (Socio-)Linguistic Reconstruction of Pidgins and Creoles: The Case of the Original Lingua Franca

Abstract

The term “lingua franca” originally derives from an ancient Mediterranean language which was indeed called the Lingua Franca. The Lingua Franca was a commercial or trading language used at sea and in the ports of the Mediterranean basin ever since the 16th century. The paper outlines its history, deliberates the available sources of insight, and discusses the importance of historicity in sociolinguistic studies.