|
|
|
|
|
|
|
HAITIAN CREOLE |
|
Caribbean Creoles emerged
mainly in the context of European colonization around the
seventeenth century when millions of Africans were captured
in Africa and transported to the Americas to work as slaves
on Caribbean plantations. France, Spain, Britain, Portugal
and the Netherlands are the most important European nations
that were involved in the colonial expansion and in the
slave trade. The languages of these nations became
ideologically dominant on the Caribbean islands (English in
Jamaica, French in Haiti, Martinique or Guadeloupe…) but the
overwhelming majority of these populations continue to speak
a creole variety based lexically on the language of the
former colony. The following is a list of resources for
Haitian Creole:
Dictionary Haitian
Haitian Language
Creole Books
Creole Language
Haitian Book
Book
Haitian Creole books
In Haiti,
two languages were spoken: Creole and French.
The social relationship between these languages was complex.
Nine of every ten Haitians spoke only Creole (Haitian
Education ), which was the
everyday language for the entire population. About one in
ten also spoke French. And only about one in twenty was
fluent in both French and Creole. Thus, Haiti was neither a
francophone country nor a bilingual one. Rather, two
separate speech communities existed: the monolingual
majority and the bilingual elite.
The most widely spoken creole
in the world today is Haitian Creole ( Kreyol )
(about 8 Million Speakers). Kreyòl Créole Creole Haitian
Creole. The sound systems of Haitian Creole and
English share many similarities. Therefore, Haitians
learning English should not have overwhelming problems with
the pronunciation of individual words. Basically, Haitian
Creole only lacks the /th/
sounds in "thick" and "the," the /i/ sound in "pin,"
the /a/ sound in "hat," and the /r/ sound in
"row." It contains, however, other sounds (e.g., nasals)
that do not exist in English. Haitian Creole has ten vowels and three semi-vowels. In other words, each
sound is consistently represented by the same written symbol
(i.e., letter or group of letters). The written equivalent
for each sound is noted in bold letters.
Learn to speak Haitian Creole
Haitians of all classes took
pride in Creole as a means of expression and as the national
tongue. Nevertheless, many monolingual and bilingual
Haitians regarded Creole as a non-language, claiming that "it
has no rules." Thus, the majority of the population did not
value their native language and built a mystique around
French.
In Creole the
phrase "to speak French" means "to be a hypocrite." The use
of French in public life excluded the Creole-speaking
majority from politics, government, and intellectual life.
Bilingual families used French primarily for formal
occasions. Because Creole was the language of informal
gatherings, it was filled with slang and was used for
telling jokes. Haitian French lacked these informal
qualities. Monolingual Creole speakers avoided formal
situations where their inability to communicate in French
would be a disadvantage or an embarrassment. In an attempt
to be accepted in formal or governmental circles, some
monolingual Creole speakers used French-sounding phrases in
their Creole speech, but these imitations were ultimately of
little or no use.
Find resources on Haitian Creole
Middle-class
bilinguals in
Port au Prince suffered the greatest
disadvantage because they frequently encountered situations
in which the use of French would be appropriate, but their
imperfect mastery of the language tended to betray their
lower-class origins. It was in the middle class that the
language issue was most pressing. The use of French as a
class marker made middle-class Haitians more rigid in their
use of French on formal occasions than Haitians who were
solidly upper class.
Please click here to
contribute to some of the best Haitian Jokes from our
viewers
The origins of Creole are still debated. Some scholars
believe that it arose from a pidgin that developed between
French colonists and African slaves in the colonies. Others
believe that Creole came to the colony of Saint-Domingue as
a full-fledged language, having arisen from the French
maritime-trade dialect. Whatever its origins, Creole is
linguistically a separate language and not just a corrupted
French dialect. Although the majority of Creole words have
French origins, Creole's grammar is not similar to that of
French, and the two languages are not mutually
comprehensible.
There are regional and class variations in Creole.
Regional variations include lexical items and sound shifts,
but the grammatical structure is consistent throughout the
country. Bilingual speakers tend to use French phonemes in
their Creole speech. The tendency to use French sounds
became common in the
Port au Prince variant of Creole. By
the 1980s, the
Port au Prince variant was becoming
perceived as the standard form of the language.
Please click here to comment
on Haitian History
The use of French and Creole during the colonial and the
independence periods set speech patterns for the next
century. During the
Colonial period, it was mostly whites
and educated mulatto freedmen who spoke French. When the
slaves gained their freedom and the plantation system
disintegrated, the greatest barriers among the various
classes of people of color collapsed. French language became
a vital distinction between these who had been emancipated
before the
Haitian Revolution (the anciens libres) and
those who achieved freedom through the
Revolution , and it
ensured the superior status of the anciens libres.
French became the language not only of government and
commerce, but also of
culture and refinement. Even the most
nationalist Haitians of the nineteenth century placed little
value on Creole.
Attitudes toward Creole began to change during the
twentieth century, however, especially during the
U.S. Occupation of Haiti. The
occupation forced Haitian
intellectuals to confront their non-European heritage. A
growing black consciousness and intensifying nationalism led
many Haitians to consider Creole as the "authentic" language
of the country. The first attempt at a Creole text appeared
in 1925, and the first Creole newspaper was published in
1943.
More resources on Haitian Creole
Beginning in the 1950s, a movement to give Creole
official status evolved slowly. The constitution of 1957
reaffirmed French as the official language, but it permitted
the use of Creole in certain public functions. In 1969 a law
was passed giving Creole limited legal status; the language
could be used in the legislature, the courts, and clubs, but
not in accredited educational institutions. In 1979,
however, a decree permitted Creole as the language of
instruction in the classroom. The constitution of 1983
declared that both Creole and French were the national
languages but specified that French would be the official
language. The suppressed 1987 Constitution (which was
partially reinstated in 1989) gave official status to Creole.
|
|
We Need your Help.
Please click here to contribute to
some of the best Haitian Jokes from our viewers
|
|
|
|
Current Contributors:
www.haitianYellowPages.Com
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Recommended Dealers: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Asterix
We
are your neighborhood Haitian Book store located in Petion
Ville. Independent bookstore specializes in new, used, rare,
signed, and out-of-print books. Shop for kids books,
textbooks, eBooks, as well as technical books. Find books
and magazines on Haitian politic, culture, art. We have a
wide variety of French and Creole Dictionnary as well as
Creole Bibles. Comic Book Resources - Comic Book News,
Reviews, Previews and Commentaries. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Librairie Bonne Nouvelle
We
are a leading Haitian bookstore and carry a variety of
educational books. Find thousand of used, rare, out-of-print
and collectible books, including first editions and signed
books. Find books and magazines on Haitian politic, culture,
art. We have a wide variety of French and Creole Dictionnary
as well as Creole Bibles. Guide to children's books
categorized by genre and reading level, includes coloring
activities and story telling. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Librairie De La Lumiere
Librarie De La Lumiere has a large collection of books, CDs
and videos. Feature articles including author interviews,
bibliographies, book-related essays by well-known writers,
and a selection of columns. We carry educational and
thought-stimulating CD-ROMs, videos, games and books. Find
more used, rare, out-of-print and collectible books,
including first editions and signed books. Offers global
shipping. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Librairie DuCap-Haitien
Disccover and buy books, music, DVDs, magazines, and just
about anything else. Lists population, government, art and
economic information about Haiti. We have a wide variety of
French and Creole Dictionnary as well as Creole Bibles. Find
more used, rare, out-of-print and collectible books,
including first editions and signed books. Offers global
shipping.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Librairie Emmanuel
Schutt-Aine
We
are your neighborhood Haitian Book store. Independent
bookstore specializes in new, used, rare, signed, and
out-of-print books. Shop for kids books, textbooks, eBooks,
as well as technical books. . We have a wide variety of
feature articles including author interviews,
bibliographies, book-related essays by well-known writers,
and a selection of columns. Comic Book Resources -
Comic Book News, Reviews, Previews and Commentaries. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Librairie Evangelique Lumiere
Find books and magazines on Haitian politic, culture, art.
We have a wide variety of French and Creole Dictionnary as
well as Creole Bibles. Guide to children's books categorized
by genre and reading level. Includes coloring activities and
story telling. We carry educational and thought-stimulating
CD-ROMs, videos, games and books. Find more used, rare,
out-of-print and collectible books, including first editions
and signed books. Offers global shipping. Comic Book
Resources - Comic Book News, Reviews, Previews and
Commentaries. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Librairie Le Sceau de Salomon
We
are a leading Haitian bookstore. Find books and magazines on
Haitian politic, culture, art. We have a wide variety of
French and Creole Dictionnary, Creole Bibles. Comic Book
Resources - Comic Book News, Reviews, Previews and
Commentaries. We Encourage readers to read, register, and
release books for others to enjoy. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Libreri Mapou & Cremas
We
have a wide variety of feature articles including author
interviews, bibliographies, book-related essays by
well-known writers, and a selection of columns. We also
carry a wide variety of French and Creole Dictionnary as
well as Creole Bibles. We Feature book reviews and news,
reading lists, and author and publisher information. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Maison Henri Deschamps
We
offer books related to a variety of subjects affecting the
Haitian Community. information including sections for
parents, teachers, librarians, and students, topical
features on current events, ...Lists population, government,
art and economic information about Haiti. Find classic
collectibles, rare signed editions, used textbooks, and
inexpensive bestsellers in our store. Discover and buy
books, music, DVDs, magazines, and just about anything else. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Neighborhood Bookstore &
Libreri Rincher
Lists population, government, art and economic information
about Haiti. Your source for used, new, rare and
out-of-print books. Find classic collectibles, rare signed
editions, used textbooks, and inexpensive bestsellers in our
store. We have a wide variety of French and Creole
Dictionary as well as Creole Bibles. We offer books related
to a variety of subjects affecting the Haitian Community.
information including sections for parents, teachers,
librarians, and students, topical features on current
events, ... |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Societe Biblique Haitienne
Find books and magazines on Haitian politic, culture, art.
We have a wide variety of French and Creole Dictionnary as
well as Creole Bibles. We have a wide variety of feature
articles including author interviews, bibliographies,
book-related essays by well-known writers, and a selection
of columns. We carry educational and thought-stimulating
CD-ROMs, videos, games and books.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
