UCLA

Abstract: The best-documented variety of Lingua Franca (lf), the one spoken in Algiers just before the French colonization of Algeria, comprises three main Romance lexical components; in order of numerical importance, these are Italian, Spanish and French. While it is agreed that the French component is the most recent one, the relationship between the Spanish and the Italian components has given rise to competing diachronic interpretations. This paper examines probable Spanish contributions to Algerinelfin the lexicon, copula and pronominal possession. It contributes to our understanding of the origins and evolution of Algerinelf, as revealed through language-internal analysis of its lexical and structural components.