Haitian Creole
Haitian Creole (Kreyòl ayisyen also increasingly just Haitian' (Ayisyen); French: Créole haïtien) is a creole language based on French and is considered one of the 11 romance languages. It is spoken in Haiti by about 8 million people, which is nearly the whole population. Via immigration, several hundred thousand speakers live in other countries, including Canada, the United States and France, as well as in many Caribbean nations, especially the Dominican Republic and the Bahamas.
There are linguistic influences from several West African languages, namely from Wolof, and some Gbe languages, notably Fon and Ewe/Anlo-Ewe. There are two dialects: Fablas and Plateau Haitian Creole.
Since 1991, Haitian Creole has been recognized as an official language in Haiti; through legislation introduced under Haitian president Jean-Bertrand Aristide.
In the Caribbean, forms of French based Creole are widely spoken in Haiti, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Dominica and St. Lucia. It's also spoken in French Guyana in South America, and on the islands of Réunion and the Seychelles in the Indian Ocean.
Development
Haitian Creole developed in Saint-Domingue as the slaves from Africa - who themselves spoke many different languages - and the French colonialists had no common means of communication. Official documents by Sonthonax, during the period of the Haitian Revolution are among the first written examples of this language.
Numbers
- zero - 0
- yonn, en - 1
- de, dez - 2
- twa - 3
- kat, katr - 4
- senk - 5
- sis - 6
- sèt - 7
- uit, ywit - 8
- nèf - 9
- dis - 10
- onz - 11
- douz - 12
- trèz - 13
- katòz - 14
- kenz - 15
- sèz - 16
- disèt - 17
- dizwit - 18
- diznèf - 19
- ven, vent - 20
- venteyen, vent-yonn - 21
- vennde, vent-dez - 22
- venntwa, vent-twa - 23
- ...etc.
- trant - 30
- tranteyen, trant-yonn - 31
- trannde - 32
- tranntwa - 33
- ...etc.
- karant - 40
- karanteyen, karant-yonn - 41
- karannde - 42
- karanntwa - 43
- ...etc.
- senkant - 50
- swasant - 60
- swasenndis - 70
- swasenteyonz- 71
- swasenndouz- 72
- swasenntrèz- 73
- ...etc.
- katreven, katrevent - 80
- katrevendis, katreven-dis- 90
- katrevenonz, katreven-onz- 91
- katrevendouz- 92
- katreventrèz- 93
- ...etc.
- san - 100
- san en, san yonn - 101
- san dis - 110
- de san, dez san - 200
- de san ven - 220
- twa san - 300
- kat san - 400
- senk san - 500
- si san - 600
- sèt san - 700
- ui(t) san - 800
- nèf san - 900
- nèf san katrevendisèt - 997
- nèf san katrevendizuit - 998
- nèf san katrevendiznèf - 999
- mil - 1000
- de mil - 2000
- senk mil - 5000
- di mil - 10 000
- san mil - 100 000
- 1 milyon - 1 000 000, 1 million
- 1 bilyon - 1 000 000 000, 1 billion
See also
- Decree abolishing slavery in the North of Saint-Domingue (1793) - Original Haitian Creole text of the document by Sonthonax.
- La Dessalinienne - Haitian national anthem; includes lyrics in Kreyòl.
- Mèsi Papa Desalin - Poem in Kreyòl, honoring Jean-Jacques Dessalines (by Félix Morisseau-Leroy).
References
- Haitian Creole language. (2005, November 23). Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 18:12, December 7, 2005 [1].
External links
- Wikipedia Kreyòl pages: Lang kreyòl ayisyen - (Haitian Creole text)
- Haitian Creole Dictionary
- UN Declaration of Human Rights Deklarasyon linivèsèl Dwa Moun - Haitian Creole text.
- Radio France International - RFI - RFI - Kréyòl Palé Kréyòl Konprann (radio program)
- Common Creole Words and Phrases
- Haitian Creole online test
- Kreyol - The Language of Haiti - Haitian Kreyol grammar etc.
- Marylin Mason: Creole Links Page
Online Kreyol Courses
- Ann pale kreyòl (Let's speak creole) - An introductory course in Haitian Creole - pdf document/264 pages.
