substratum language

A substratum language refers to a language that has influenced another language, typically when a population adopts a new language but retains elements of their original tongue. This influence is often seen in the phonology, syntax, or lexicon of the adopted language.12

Creole languages are a prime example of this phenomenon. They emerged in colonial settings, particularly in the 17th and 18th centuries, when speakers of mutually unintelligible languages came into contact, often on European plantations. These new languages developed from the interaction between European languages and non-European languages, with the non-European languages acting as the substratum. Examples include Haitian Creole, based on French, and various English-based creoles like Gullah. While the term "creole" originally referred to people born in colonies, it was later applied to the languages that developed in these environments.3