This book investigates the mechanisms of creole genesis by examining the specific case of Haitian Creole and its grammatical development. Claire Lefebvre, a prominent linguist specializing in creole languages, utilizes a comparative framework to analyze the role of relexification in the formation of new languages. By drawing on extensive data from Haitian Creole and its substrate languages, the author argues that the acquisition of grammar in creole genesis is a systematic process driven by cognitive constraints and linguistic contact.

Linguists and scholars in the field of creole studies frequently cite this work as a foundational text for understanding the structural origins of Haitian Creole. The prose is noted for its high level of academic rigor and technical detail, making it a primary resource for advanced students and researchers of linguistic theory.