creolization

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UK/ˌkɹiː.əʊ.laɪˈzeɪ.ʃ(ə)n/

noun

the process of a pidgin rapidly expanding its vocabulary and grammatical rules, ultimately becoming a creole.

OriginEnglish creole ← French créole ← Spanish criollo →
Scrabble 23
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Meanings

nouncreolization (countable and uncountable, plural creolizations)

plural creolizations · alternative creolisation

  1. countableuncountablehuman sciencesthe process of a pidgin rapidly expanding its vocabulary and grammatical rules, ultimately becoming a creole.
  2. Trinidad and Tobagocountableuncountableof Indo-Trinidadians, the process of assimilation into the dominant Creole culture.

Origin

  1. Portuguesecrioulo
  2. Spanishcriollo
  3. Frenchcréole
  4. EnglishCreole
  5. Englishcreole
  6. Englishcreolization

From creole + -ization.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Polish kreolizacja
  • kreolizacjaprocess of a pidgin becoming a creole
Portuguese crioulização
  • crioulizaçãoprocess of a pidgin becoming a creole
Cite this entry
APA

creolization. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/creolization

MLA

“creolization.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/creolization. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “creolization,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/creolization.

Source: creolization on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.