Avast!

Church door in Alhama
So, mi little buccaneers, it’s Pirate Day on Tuesday, oo–aar!! Read about it here and there’s more here! I’ve been wondering about the provenance of pirate-talk. My guess is that it’s actually derived from the written form. There are the early suggestions in Robinson Crusoe (1719), but you’ll find pirate talk par excellence in Moby Dick (despite the fact it’s mostly spoken by Captain Ahab) – and that’s 1851. Then it really takes hold as the way pirates are supposed to speak in Treasure Island (1883)…and the rest is history. Just like Thorne’s study of Office English, I’m sure there must be some key linguistic work around. AVAST I be forgettin, it be fun and games talkin pirate!