Creolize

Creolize \KREE-uh-lahyz\ , verb;
1. To combine local and foreign elements into a new, distinct whole
2. To render a pidgin into a distinct, spoken language

Creole came from French créole in the 17th century. The French word came from Spanish criollo ("person native to a locality") which came from Portuguese crioulo, the diminutive of cria ("person, especially a servant, raised in one's house"). Cria is related to criar ("to raise or bring up"), which derives from Latin creare ("to produce, create"). Basically this is a word that appears in several languages and conveys a somewhat different sense in each. Originally this word bore no connotation of race or skin color and in the US it was applied to Louisiana settlers for French for Spanish descent at least as early as 1792. It has referred to a language type or category since about 1879. Its adjectival use dates to 1748.

Today's word and the first definition were both taken from Dictionary.com's 'Word of the Day' for Thursday, January 13
Etymologies come from the Oxford English Dictionary and/or Etymonline.com