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Article published In: Names and Naming
Edited by Philipp Krämer, Eeva M. Sippola and Rachel Selbach
[Journal of Pidgin and Creole Languages 41:1] 2026
► pp. 112–140

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What do we talk about when we talk about Chavacano?

Language names in the archaeology of knowledge

ORCiD logo with link | University of Helsinki, Finland
Published online: 26 May 2025
DOI logo with link
https://doi.org/10.1075/jpcl.23027.mel
Abstract
This article examines the polysemic nature of the glossonym ‘Chavacano’ at the level of discourse, beyond the documented structural properties of its referent, i.e. the Philippine Chavacano Creoles. Arguing that language names function as statements with epistemic value, the study explores the evolving meanings produced through the labelling of Asia’s only Spanish-based creole. By comparing colonial-era documentation with contemporary emic and etic wsritings, we observe how current uses of the creole language name interact with its original derogatory connotations through affirmation, contestation, or negotiation. Applying a Foucauldian archaeological approach to language naming broadens the analytic scope of Creolistics, shifting the focus from purely structural concerns to the discursive power embedded in language names. By analysing the glossonym ‘Chavacano’, we gain insight into the complex meaning-making processes that are couched in creole language naming, where the reproduction of colonial pejorative statements intersects with the reclamation of ethnolinguistic pride.
Article outline
  • Introduction
  • 1.What’s in a name?
  • 2.How can language names become statements?
  • 3.What do we mean by ‘Chavacano’?
    • 3.1Colonial(ist) statements
    • 3.2Instances of reduplication
    • 3.3Instances of negotiation
      • Critical Creolistics: A pathway for reconciliation
  • Notes
  • References
References (74)
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