What are the features that distinguish English-based pidgins and creoles called?

The correct answer, which identifies the features that distinguish English-based pidgins and creoles as "distinctive linguistic features," emphasizes the unique linguistic characteristics that arise in these hybrid languages. Pidgins typically develop as simplified means of communication between speakers of different native languages, and creoles emerge when these pidgins become more stable and are adopted as native languages.

Distinctive linguistic features can include unique grammatical structures, vocabulary drawn from various languages, and specific phonetic traits that differentiate them from standard forms of English. These features are critical for understanding the evolution and functioning of pidgins and creoles, as they reflect how language adapts to sociolinguistic contexts.

The other options do not correctly frame the nature of these pidgins and creoles. Linguistic anomalies typically refer to irregularities within a language system rather than distinct features of pidgins and creoles. Colloquialisms refer to informal expressions used in casual conversation and do not specifically pertain to the structural characteristics of pidgins or creoles. Silent pronunciations involve aspects of phonetics and do not relate to the distinguishing features of these languages.