Haitian Creole facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Haitian Creole |
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|---|---|---|---|---|
| kreyòl ayisyen | ||||
| Native to | Haiti | |||
| Ethnicity | Haitians | |||
| Native speakers | Over 10 million (date missing) | |||
| Language family |
French Creole
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| Writing system | Latin (Haitian Creole alphabet) | |||
| Official status | ||||
| Official language in |  Haiti |
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| Regulated by | Akademi Kreyòl Ayisyen (Haitian Creole Academy) | |||
| Linguasphere | 51-AAC-cb | |||
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Haitian Creole is a special language spoken by many people, mostly in Haiti. About 13 million people use it, including Haitians living in other countries. They call their language Kreyòl Ayisien. It's a type of Creole language, which means it developed from a mix of different languages.
How Haitian Creole Started
Haitian Creole began in Haiti. It formed when French-speaking people, who were colonizers, interacted with people from Africa. These African people were brought to Haiti and spoke many different African languages.
Language Blending
The new language, Haitian Creole, mixed parts of French with elements from various African languages. You can hear African influences in how the words sound. You can also see them in the way sentences are put together and in some of the words themselves.
Becoming Accepted
For a long time, some people in Haiti, especially those from wealthier families, did not respect Haitian Creole. This was true even if they spoke it themselves. However, things are changing. More books are now written in Haitian Creole. In 1987, Haiti's constitution officially recognized Haitian Creole as an important language.
Images for kids
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Haitian Creole version of the Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants and Pearl of Great Price; note the grave accents.
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Haitian Creole display at a car rental counter in the Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport (2014).
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See also
In Spanish: Criollo haitiano para niños
