post-creole continuum

A term used in SOCIOLINGUISTICS to describe the result of a STANDARD LANGUAGE exerting an influence on a CREOLE (where both are VARIETIES of the same language). People alter their creole speech in the direction of the standard, and a whole range of varieties emerge, which form a continuum between the standard and the creole. Terms which have been devised to refer to the post-creoles which form different parts of the continuum include ACROLECT (an educated variety very close to the standard), BASILECT (the variety closest to the original creole) and MESOLECT (intermediate varieties).