Haïtian Creole (kreyòl ayisyen) is a creole language based on the French language. It is spoken in Haïti by about 8.5 million people (as of 1998), which is nearly the whole population. Via immigration, about 1.5 million speakers live in other countries, including Canada, the United States, and France, as well as many Caribbean nations, especially the Dominican Republic, Cuba, and the Bahamas. Haiti is a country situated on the western third of the island of Hispaniola and the smaller islands of La Gonâve, La Tortue (Tortuga), Grande Caye, and Ile a Vache in the Caribbean Sea, east of Cuba; the Dominican Republic shares Hispaniola with Haiti. ... This is a list of languages ordered by number of native-language speakers, with some data for second-language use. ... Current distribution of Human Language Families Most languages are known to belong to language families. ... This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Haiti is a country situated on the western third of the island of Hispaniola and the smaller islands of La Gonâve, La Tortue (Tortuga), Grande Caye, and Ile a Vache in the Caribbean Sea, east of Cuba; the Dominican Republic shares Hispaniola with Haiti. ... ISO 639-1 is the first part of the ISO 639 international-standard language-code family. ... ISO 639-2:1998 Codes for the representation of names of languages — Part 2: Alpha-3 code Twenty-two of the languages have two three-letter codes: a code for bibliographic use (ISO 639-2/B) a code for terminological use (ISO 639-2/T). ... ISO 639-3 is in process of development as an international standard for language codes. ... The International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) is a system of phonetic notation devised by linguists to accurately and uniquely represent each of the wide variety of sounds (phones or phonemes) used in spoken human language. ... Phonetics (from the Greek word φωνή, phone = sound/voice) is the study of sounds (voice). ... Due to technical limitations, some web browsers may not display some special characters in this article. ... This is a concise version of the International Phonetic Alphabet for English sounds. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... // A creole language, or just creole, is a well-defined and stable language that originated from a non-trivial combination of two or more languages, typically with many distinctive features that are not inherited from either parent. ... French (français, langue française) is one of the most important Romance languages, outnumbered in speakers only by Spanish and Portuguese. ... Haiti is a country situated on the western third of the island of Hispaniola and the smaller islands of La Gonâve, La Tortue (Tortuga), Grande Caye, and Ile a Vache in the Caribbean Sea, east of Cuba; the Dominican Republic shares Hispaniola with Haiti. ... 1998 is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Ocean. ... Central America and the Caribbean (detailed pdf map) The Caribbean, (Spanish: Caribe; French: Caraïbe or more commonly Antilles; Dutch: Cariben or Caraïben, or more commonly Antillen) or the West Indies, is a group of islands and countries which are in or border the Caribbean Sea which lies on...

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. Haïtian Creole is not to be confused with Haïtian Vodoun Culture language.  Western Africa (UN subregion)  Maghreb West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of the African continent. ... Wolof is a language spoken in Senegal, the Gambia, and Mauritania, and it is the native language of the ethnic group of the Wolof people. ... The Gbe languages (pronounced ) form a cluster of about 20 related languages stretching across the area between eastern Ghana and western Nigeria. ... Fon (native name FÉ”ngbe) is part of the Gbe language cluster and belongs to the Kwa sub-family of the Niger-Congo languages. ... Ewe is a Kwa language spoken in Ghana and Togo by approximately three million people (Capo 1991). ... Anlo (IPA: Aŋlo) is a dialect of the Ewe language. ... A dialect (from the Greek word διάλεκτος, dialektos) is a variety of a language used by people from a particular geographic area. ... Fablas is a dialect of Haïtian Kréyòl. ... Plateau Haitian Creole is a dialect of Haitian Creole. ...

In part because of the efforts of Felix Morisseau-Leroy, since 1961 Haïtian Creole has been recognized as an official language along with French, which had been the sole literary language of the country since its independence in 1804, and this status was upheld under the country's constitution of 1987. Its usage in literature is small but growing, with Morisseau being one of the first and most prolific examples. Many speakers are bilingual and speak both Haïtian Creole and French. Many educators, writers and activists have emphasized pride and written literacy in Creole since the 1980s. There are newspapers, radio and television programs in this language. Félix Morisseau-Leroy or Moriso Lewa, March 13, 1912 - September 5, 1998, was a writer who worked, often exclusively, in Haitian Kreyol, the first significant writer to do so. ... 1961 (MCMLXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (the link is to a full 1961 calendar). ...

Usage Outside of Haïti

Haïtian Creole is used widely among Haïtians who have relocated to other countries, particularly the United States. Some of the larger population centers include parts of New York City, Boston and South Florida (Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and Palm Beach). Various public service announcements, school-parent communications, and other materials are produced in this language by government agencies. Miami-Dade County in Florida sends out paper communications in Haïtian Creole in addition to English and Spanish. Announcements are posted in the Boston subway system in this language. Miami-Dade County also sends out public announcements in Creole. HTN, a Miami-based television channel, is the nation's only Creole langauge television network. The Miami area also features over half a dozen Creole langauge AM radio staitons. Nickname: The Big Apple, The Capital of the World Official website: City of New York Government Counties (Boroughs) Bronx (The Bronx) New York (Manhattan) Queens (Queens) Kings (Brooklyn) Richmond (Staten Island) Mayor Michael Bloomberg (R) Geographical characteristics Area Total 468. ... Nickname: City on a Hill, Beantown, The Hub (of the Solar System), Athens of America Official website: www. ... Location of metropolitan area in the state of Florida Major cities Miami, Florida Fort Lauderdale, Florida West Palm Beach, Florida Area  - Total  - Water 15,896 km² (6,137 mi²) 2,621 km² (1,011 mi²) 16. ... The Magic City, The American Riviera, The Sixth Borough Location of Miami in Miami-Dade County, Florida. ... Nickname: Venice of America Location of Fort Lauderdale in Broward County, Florida. ... Palm Beach County is a county located in the state of Florida. ... County slogan: Delivering Excellence Every Day Location of county in the state of Florida County Seat Miami, Florida Area  - Total  - Water 6,297 km² (2,431 mi²) 1,257 km² (485 mi²) 19. ... Official language(s) English Capital Tallahassee Largest city Jacksonville Area  Ranked 22nd  - Total 65,794 sq. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) is a quasi-governmental organization formed in 1964 that controls the subway, bus, commuter rail, and ferry systems in the Boston, Massachusetts area. ... County slogan: Delivering Excellence Every Day Location of county in the state of Florida County Seat Miami, Florida Area  - Total  - Water 6,297 km² (2,431 mi²) 1,257 km² (485 mi²) 19. ...

Sounds and spellings

Haïtian Creole spelling is mostly phonetic, and in fact quite close to the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA). The main differences are j = [ʒ], y = [j], è = [ɛ], ou = [u]. The International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) is a system of phonetic notation devised by linguists to accurately and uniquely represent each of the wide variety of sounds (phones or phonemes) used in spoken human language. ...

Lexicon

Most of the lexicon is derived from French, with simplified pronuciation. Often, the French definite article was retained as part of the noun. Definite Article is the title of British comedian Eddie Izzards 1996 performance released on video and CD. The video/DVD and CD performances were both recorded on different nights at the Shaftesbury Theatre in London, England. ...

Sample

Nouns derived from trade marks

Many trade marks have become common nouns in Haïtian Creole (as happened in English with "aspirin" and "biro", for example). The Bass Red Triangle, was the first trademark registered in Britain in 1876. ...

• koget (Colgate) — "toothpaste"
• jilet (Gillette) — "razor"
• pamper (Pampers) — "nappy" or (Am) "diaper"
• kodak (Kodak) — "camera"

Colgate-Palmolive Company NYSE: CL is a multinational corporation in the business of the provision of products such as soaps, detergents, and oral hygiene products such as toothpaste and toothbrushes. ... Global Gillette (formerly The Gillette Company) was founded by King C. Gillette in 1901 as a safety razor manufacturer. ... Pampers is a brand of disposable diaper (or nappy) marketed by Procter & Gamble worldwide. ... American English (AmE) is the dialect of the English language used mostly in the United States of America. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

The word neg

The term neg strictly means a dark-skinned man, as in gen yon neg e gen yon blan ("there is a black man and a white man"). However, it is also generally used for any man, regardless of skin color (i.e. like "guy" in American English).

Etymologically, the word derives from Spanish negro ("black", both the color and the people), and is therefore cognate of English "negro". In Haïtian Creole, however, neg does not have pejorative connotations. Black is a color with several subtle differences in meaning. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

There are many other Haïtian Creole terms for specific tones of skin, such as grimou, brin, woz, mawon, etc. However, such labels are considered offensive by some Haïtians, because of their association with racial discrimination and the Haïtian class system.

Grammar

Haïtian Creole grammar differs greatly from French and is much simpler; for example, verbs are not inflected for tense or person, and there is no grammatical gender — meaning that adjectives and articles are not inflected according to the noun. The same primary word order (SVO) is the same as French, but the variations on the verbs and adjectives are miniscule compared to the complex rules employed by French. It has been suggested that natural gender be merged into this article or section. ...

Many grammatical features, particularly pluralization of nouns and indication of possession, are indicated by appending certain suffixes (postpositions) like yo to the main word. There has been a debate going on for some years as what should be used to connect the suffixes to the word: the most popular alternatives are a dash, an apostrophe, or a space. It makes matters more complicated when the "suffix" itself is shortened, perhaps making only one letter (such as m or w). A postposition is a type of adposition, a grammatical particle that expresses some sort of relationship between a noun phrase (its object) and another part of the sentence; an adpositional phrase functions as an adjective or adverb. ...

Pronouns

There are six pronouns, one pronoun for each person/number combination. There is no difference between direct and indirect. Some are obviously of French origin, others are not.

Plural of nouns

Nouns are pluralized by adding yo at the end.

liv yo or liv-yo - "books"

machin yo or machin-yo - "cars"

Possession

Possession is indicated by placing the possessor after the item possessed. This is similar to the French construction of chez moi or chez lui which are "my place" and "his place" respectively.

lajan li - "his" (or "her") "money"

fanmi mwen or fanmi'm - "my family"

kay yo - "their house" or "houses"

papa ou or papa'w - "your father"

chat Pierre - "Pierre's cat"

chez Marie - "Marie's chair"

zanmi papa Jean - "Jean's father's friend"

papa vwazin zanmi nou - "our friend's neighbor's father"

Indefinite article

The language has an indefinite article yon, roughly corresponding to English "a"/"an" and French un/une. It is placed before the noun:

yon kouto - "a knife"

yon kravat - "a necktie"

Definite article

There is also a definite article, roughly corresponding to English "the" and French le/la. It is placed after the noun, and the sound varies by the last sound of the noun itself. If the last sound is a non-nasal consanant, it becomes la:

kravat la - "the tie"

If the last sound is a vowel, it becomes an a:

kouto a - "the knife"

mango a - "the mango"

If the last sound is a nasal (usually an "n" sound) it becomes nan:

machin nan - "the car"

telefon nan - "the telephone"

"This" and "that"

There is a single word sa that corresponds to French ce/ceci or ça, and English "this" and "that". As in English, it may be used as a demonstrative, except that it is placed after the noun it qualifies:

jardin sa bel (or jardin-sa bel)- "This garden is beautiful

As in English, it may also be used as a pronoun, replacing a noun:

sa se zanmi mwen - "this is my friend"

sa se chyen frè mwen - "this is my brother's dog"

Verbs

Many, many verbs in Haïtian Creole are the same spoken words as the French infinitive, but they are spelled phonetically. As indicated above there is no conjugation in the language.

Li ale travay le maten - "He goes to work in the morning".

Li dòmi le swa - "He sleeps in the evening".

Li li Bib la - "She reads the Bible".

Mwen fe manje - "I make food".

Nou toujou etidye - "We study all the time".

Copulas

The concept expressed in English by the verb "to be" is expressed in Haïtian Creole by two words, se and ye.

The verb se (pronounced as the English word "say") has roughly the same meaning as "to be" (and its inflections "am", "are", "is") in English. It is used like any verb, namely between the subject and the predicate:

Li se fre mwen - "he is my brother"

Mwen se doktè - "I am a doctor"

Sa se yon pyebwa mango - "That is a mango tree"

Nou se zanmi - "we are friends"

The subject sa or li can sometimes be omitted with se:

Se yon bon ide - "That is a good idea"

Se nouvo chemiz mwen - "This is my new shirt"

For the future tense, such as "I want to be" usually devenir is used instead of se.

"Ye" has a similar meaning, but it is placed at the end of the sentence, after the predicate and the subject (in that order):

Ayisyen mwen ye = Mwen se Ayisyen - "I am Haïtian"

Ki moun sa? - "Who is that?"

Kouman ou ye? - "How are you?"

To have

The verb "to have" is genyen, often shortened to gen.

There Is

The verb genyen (or gen) also means "There is" (or "There are")

Genyen anpil Ayisyen nan Florid - "There are many Haïtians in Florida".

Gen yon moun la - "There is someone here".

Pa gen moun la - "There is nobody here".

To know

There are two verbs which are often translated as "to know", but they mean different things. Konn or konnen means just about what "to know" means in English.

Èske ou konnen non li? - "Do you know his name?"

M pa konnen kote li ye - "I don't know where he is." (note pa = negative)

The other word is konn. It is not easy to translate as a single word, but it most approximately means "to know how", "to have experience", or "to know how to do something". This is similar to the "know" is used in the English phrase "know how to ride a bike": it denotes not only a knowledge of the actions, but also some experience with it.

Mwen konn fe manje - "I know how to cook" (lit. "I know how to make food")

Eske ou konn ale Ayiti? - "Have you been to Haïti?" (lit. "Do you know to go to Haïti?")

Li pa konn li franse - "He can't read French" (lit. "He doesn't know how to read French.")

Another verb worth mentioning is fe. It comes from the French faire and is often translated as "do" or "make". It has a broad range of meanings.

Kouman ou fe pale kréyòl? - "How did you learn to speak Haïtian Creole?"

Marie konn fe mayi moulen. - "Marie knows how to make cornmeal"

To be able to

The verb kapab or shortened to ka means "able to (do something)". It means both "capability" and "availability", very similar to the English "can"

Mwen ka ale demen - "I can go tomorrow"

Petet m ka fe se demen - "Maybe I can do that tomorrow"

Tense markers

There is no conjugation in Haïtian Creole. In the present, non-progressive tense, one just uses the basic verb form:

Mwen pale kréyòl - "I speak Haïtian Creole"

For other tenses, special "tense marker" words are placed before the verb. The basic ones are:

te - simple past

ap - present progressive

a - future (some limitations on use)

pral - future (translates to "going to")

tap (or t'ap) - past progressive

For the present progressive (I am eating now)- (notice that it is not necessary to say "right now" but it is customary) ap is used:

M'ap manje kounye a - "I am eating now"

Note that manje means both "food" and "to eat", and m'ap manje manje is also said and means "I am eating food".

With ap and a the pronouns nearly always take the short form (m'ap, l'ap, n'ap, y'ap):

Mwen te we zanmi ou ye - "I saw your friend yesterday"

Nou te pale lenten - "We spoke for a long time"

Le li te gen wit an... - "When he was eight years old..."

M'a travay - "I will work"

M pral travay - "I'm going to work"

N'a li'l demen - "We'll read it tomorrow"

Nou pral li'l demen - "We are going to read it tomorrow"

Additional time-related markers are:

fek - recent past ("just")

sot - similar to fek

They are often used to together:

Mwen fek sot antre kay la - "I just entered the house"

Also t'ap is a combination of te and ap and means "was doing":

Mwen t'ap mache e m'we yon chen - "I was walking and I saw a dog"

Another tense marker is ta, meaning "would":

yo ta renmen jwe - "They would like the play"

Mwen ta vini si mwen te gen youn machin - "I would come if I had a car"

Li ta bliye'w si ou pa't la -"He(she) would forget you if you weren't here"

Negating the verb

The word pa comes before a verb to negate it:

Rose pa vle ale - "Rose doesn't want to go"

Simple sample phrases

General greeting

The most common greeting is Sak pase? [sakpase], short for Ki sa ki pase? ("What's happening?"). Typical replies include

• M'ap boule! [mapbule] - "I'm great!" (Fr. je brule, lit. "I'm on fire")
• Mwen la - "I'm here"
• Neg la - same as above, but in the third person
• M'ap kenbe - "I'm holding on"
• M'ap gade - "I am looking"
• M'ap swiv - "I am following"
• Piti-piti - "Little by little"
• Pa pi mal - "Not too bad"

Useful phrases

• Hello - Salu [salu] (Fr. salut [saly])
• Good morning — Bonjou [bõʒu] (Fr. bonjour [bõʒuʁ])
• Good evening — Bonswa [bõswa] (Fr. bonsoir) [bõswaʁ]
• Goodbye (See you later)— Na wè [nawe] (or Nap we) [napwe]
• Please — Silvouple [silvuple] / Souple [suple] (Fr. s'il vous plaît [silvuple])
• Thank you (very much) - Mèsi (anpil) [mɛsi ãpil] (Fr. merci, [mɛʁsi])
• How are you? — Kijan ou ye? [kiʒãuje]
• What's your name? — Koman ou rele? [komanyorelew]
• My name is... — M rele... [yorelem]
• Who's your daddy? — Kiyès ki Papa'w? [kijɛski papaw]
• I love you — M renmen w [m̩rɛ̃mɛ̃w]
• How much/how many? — Kombyen? [kõbjɛ̃] (Fr. combien [kõbjɛ̃])
• How? — Kijan? [kiʒã] or Koman? [komã] (Fr. quel genre [kɛlʒãʁə] ; comment [kɔmã])
• Who? — Ki moun? or Kiyes? [kimun] (Fr. qui [ki], qui est-ce)
• Which? — Ki lès?
• Where? — (Ki) Kote? [kikote] / Ki bo? [kibɔ] (Fr. quel côté [kɛlkote], quel bord [kɛlbɔʁ])
• When? — Ki lè? [kilɛ] (Fr. quelle heure [kɛlœʁ])
• Why? — Pouki(sa)? [pukisa] (Fr. pourquoi (ça) [puʁkwa sa])

See also

• Romance copula (see section on Haïtian copula)
• Swadesh list of Haïtian Creole words

The copula or copulae (the verb or verbs meaning to be) in all Romance languages derive from the Latin verbs sum (esse) and sto (*stare). ... Swadesh list of 207 words in English and Haïtian Creole. ...

External links

Haïtian Creole language edition of Wikipedia

• Haïtian Creole dictionary
• UN Declaration of Human Rights in Haïtian Creole
• RFI — Kréyòl Palé Kréyòl Konprann (radio program)
• Common Creole Words and Phrases
• Haïtian Creole online test
• Haïtian Kréyòl grammar
• Haïtian Creole English Dictionary from Webster's Online Dictionary - the Rosetta Edition