lexifier

A lexifier is the language that provides the majority of the vocabulary in a pidgin or creole. In linguistic contact studies, the lexifier is usually the language of higher prestige or power in the contact situation, often the colonial language that contributes most of the lexicon, though its identification is based on lexical contribution rather than official status.

In many pidgins and creoles, the lexicon is drawn largely from the lexifier, while the grammar and function words derive from substrate languages or develop through creolization. This results in a mixed system in which vocabulary reflects the lexifier while grammatical features may come from substrate languages or arise through contact-induced change. Phonology and morphology can show influence from both the lexifier and the substrates.

Examples commonly cited include Haitian Creole, whose vocabulary is primarily French-based, making French the lexifier, and Tok Pisin, whose lexicon is primarily English-based. Other creoles may have lexifiers based on Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch, or other languages, depending on historical contact and sociopolitical context.

Not all contact languages have a single dominant lexifier; some exhibit substantial lexical input from multiple sources. Additionally, the term lexifier is closely related to, and sometimes used interchangeably with, the concept of a superstrate language in creolistics, though precise usage can vary across theoretical frameworks.