This collection of papers on the pidgin and creole languages covers such topics as: typology of contact languages; Saramaccan creole origins; the verb phrase in Afrikaans as evidence of creolization; Eskimo pidgins; and tense-aspect-mood in Principense.

1. Preface and Acknowledgments (by Spears, Arthur K.); 2. Contents; 3. Introduction: On the structure and status of pidgins and creoles (by Winford, Donald); 4. I. Terminology and Typology; 5. Jargons, pidgins, creoles, and koines: What are they? (by Mufwene, Salikoko S.); 6. A typology of contact languages (by Thomason, Sarah G.); 7. II. Process and evolution; 8. Directionality in pidginization and creolization (by Baker, Philip); 9. Mixing, leveling, and pidgin/creole development (by Siegel, Jeff); 10. 'Matrix language recognition' and 'morphene sorting' as possible structural strategies in pidgin/creole formation (by Myers-Scotton, Carol); 11. The creolization of pidgin morphophonology (by Samarin, William J.); 12. III. Sources and Genesis; 13. Saramaccan Creole origins: Portuguese-derived lexical correspondances and the relexification hypothesis (by Aceto, Michael); 14. Lost in transmission: A case for the independent emergence of the copula in Atlantic creoles (by McWhorter, John); 15. IV. Questions of Status; 16. Creole-like features in the verb system of an Afro-Brazilian variety of Portuguese (by Baxter, Alan N.); 17. The verb phrase in Afrikaans: Evidence of creolization? (by Kleine, Christa de); 18. Shaba Swahili: Partial creolization due to second language learning and substrate pressure (by Rooij, Vincent de); 19. The status of Isicamtho, an Nguni-based urban variety of Soweto (by Childs, G. Tucker); 20. V. Aspects of Structure; 21. New light on Eskimo pidgins (by Voort, Hein van der); 22. Reduplication in Ndyuka (by Huttar, Mary L.); 23. Tense-aspect-mood in Principense (by Maurer, Philippe); 24. Author Index; 25. Language Index; 26. Subject Index