What is the primary differentiating factor between a pidgin and a creole regarding native speakers?

The key difference between a pidgin and a creole lies in whether they have native speakers. A pidgin is a simplified language that develops as a means of communication between two or more groups that do not share a common language. Pidgins are primarily used for specific purposes, such as trade, and they are not the native language of any of their speakers. A creole, on the other hand, arises when a pidgin becomes the first language of a new generation of speakers. This process, called creolization, leads to the expansion and grammatical complexity of the language, making it a fully-fledged language with native speakers. So, the presence of native speakers is the defining characteristic that distinguishes a creole from a pidgin. For example, Tok Pisin initially emerged as a pidgin in Papua New Guinea, but it eventually evolved into a creole as children began to acquire it as their first language.