What Language Did "English" Pirates Actually Speak?

By far, most pirates spoke Arabic and Turkish (and by far most anti-pirates spoke French and Spanish), but since this concerns British pirates, no idea, interesting question.

If many spoke Gaelic, I'd still assume that the lingua franca was English (certainly in communication between sub- and superordinates), but with non-English elements and in unique and short-lived dialects.

It's doubtful to me any captain would have found a diversity of languages beneficial to concord and communication. And very doubtful any would much tolerate a language through which dissent and grievances can be voiced in secret. That would undermine the governance system and increase the potential for mutinous actions. And doubtful that slaves or freedmen (not sure if there's much of a distinction when you don't have a choice) and other minorities adopted any language other than the lingua franca.

In short, I would expect English as the lingua franca, at minimum, and, depending on the demographics of a crew, limited tolerance for certain languages, reserved mostly or entirely for private, off-duty communications.

As for captains themselves, I'd assume the (self-)educated ones spoke French on occasion, but I'd imagine they'd be very careful about it to avoid alienating themselves.

These are all my guesses, though. You're right, it's hard to find documentation on this. There's probably a book out there by some historian that has it all perfectly researched.

@pirate-pambo said in What Language Did "English" Pirates Actually Speak?:

If many spoke Gaelic, I'd still assume that the lingua franca was English (certainly in communication between sub- and superordinates), but with non-English elements and in unique and short-lived dialects.

As for captains themselves, I'd assume the (self-)educated ones spoke French on occasion, but I'd imagine they'd be very careful about it to avoid alienating themselves.

These are all my guesses, though. You're right, it's hard to find documentation on this. There's probably a book out there by some historian that has it all perfectly researched.

When you read about how pirates had a pretty strong hatred for other nations, and some of their motivations against "upper society" I almost wonder if anyone spoke English on those ships? How much original writings of theirs do we have?

English-speaking historians and conquerors wrote their tales.

Just-how Shakespeare wrote at a time when half of all of Britain knew ONLY Gaelic.

Shakespeare was writing to an English audience in a country that was mostly -not- English.

Kinda like how Braveheart whitewashed Gaelic from history, so do most movies/shows. We simply don't "remember" them.

I'd just wonder if English was a "linqua-franca" or not, given that if the English hated the Dutch/Spanish/French so much, wouldn't Irish/Scots pirates hate the English just as much?

@idneon

I almost wonder if anyone spoke English on those ships? How much original writings of theirs do we have?

There are court records of pirates who are interrogated in English and they respond in English.

But the argument that most British pirates were native Gaelic speakers is not contradictory to the argument that most British pirates were English speakers in their function (and even other affairs).

It seems to me to speak for itself that the language of their function would not be the language that is native to most, but the language that is common to most.

As for the political and religious considerations of a lingua franca, there are usually almost none. Once established, it's a matter of practicality. Educated Protestants throughout Europe spoke Italian and French, for example, even though they were mostly the languages of steadfast Catholics. Educated Dutchmen spoke French, no less when they were at war with them. And here I am speaking English...

In pirate crews where members are former servicemen or deserters, volunteers from London, and recruits from Africa and other places where English was introduced, Gaelic doesn't seem the most likely candidate for a lingua franca among them, even if native to most.

Now, if you had a crew of exclusively native Gaelic speakers, sure, but I don't know if they existed (after the medieval period).

I won't argue my points further, though, as only historical research that I haven't done can give a definite answer.

@pirate-pambo said in What Language Did "English" Pirates Actually Speak?:

@idneon

I almost wonder if anyone spoke English on those ships? How much original writings of theirs do we have?

There are court records of pirates who are interrogated in English and they respond in English.

But the argument that most British pirates were native Gaelic speakers is not contradictory to the argument that most British pirates were English speakers in their function (and even other affairs).

It seems to me to speak for itself that the language of their function would not be the language that is native to most, but the language that is common to most.

As for the political and religious considerations of a lingua franca, there are usually almost none. Once established, it's a matter of practicality. Educated Protestants throughout Europe spoke Italian and French, for example, even though they were mostly the languages of steadfast Catholics. Educated Dutchmen spoke French, no less when they were at war with them. And here I am speaking English...

In pirate crews where members are former servicemen or deserters, volunteers from London, and recruits from Africa and other places where English was introduced, Gaelic doesn't seem the most likely candidate for a lingua franca among them, even if native to most.

Now, if you had a crew of exclusively native Gaelic speakers, sure, but I don't know if they existed (after the medieval period).

I won't argue my points further, though, as only historical research that I haven't done can give a definite answer.

I'm not arguing to argue either, I'm just wondering if some of your valid points are really just obscured by history, for instance did the respondents in English have interpreters and we just no longer know?

The reason I have trouble and fascination with this is outline above...the fact that so many British residents at the time were native Gaelic speakers.

I did dig up a reference that Grace O'Malley's interactions with Queen Elizabeth were entirely in Latin.

So, at least in the 1550s - 1600s an otherwise unspoken truth is that Latin was the "lingua Franca" for the British isles at the time.

Grace O'Malley is a rough contemporary of that event at Crookhaven that took down Irish piracy and led to an explosion of Caribbean piracy. So, I still lean heavily that pirates spoke mostly Gaelic, and would even go so far as to say English wasn't the lingua Franca at that time.

Maybe by 1700 it was.