What characterizes a Creole language?

A Creole language is characterized by being a pidgin that has evolved to become the first language of a community. This typically occurs in contexts where speakers of different languages come into contact, leading to the creation of a simplified means of communication—a pidgin. Over time, when this pidgin is used consistently and becomes stabilized, especially within a community where it is passed down to new generations, it transforms into a Creole. This process involves the pidgin acquiring more complex grammatical structures and a wider vocabulary, enabling it to serve as the primary language for the community's daily use.

The other options do not accurately reflect the nature of Creole languages. Code-switching pertains to the practice of alternating between languages or language varieties in conversation, which is not a defining feature of Creole languages. A collection of loan words represents instances where one language adopts words from another but does not constitute a language on its own. Lastly, broadening in semantic change refers to the process where the meanings of words expand over time, which is unrelated to the structural development of a Creole language.