Haitian Creole is a wonderful language you can start learning right now! But we bet you didn’t these some of the things we’ll show in this article. While some of them aren’t anything amazing, they’re nice bits of information that will paint a clearer picture of Haitian Creole and its amazing culture. Keep reading to learn them!
- There Are 10-12 Million Speakers of Haitian Creole Worldwide
Such an unassuming language shouldn’t have too many speakers, right? Wrong! Haitian Creole has between 10 and 12 million speakers worldwide, with more than a million of them living in the US. With so many speakers, it’s not hard to understand why Haitian Creole has become so popular lately, and why it’s a great professional opportunity.
Many of the Haitian people living in the US have immigrated there throughout the years but they haven’t abandoned their culture or their language. The new Haitian-American generation is also taught the Haitian Creole language, so they become a continuation of Haitian Creole overseas.
- 90% of Haitians Speak Only Haitian Creole
The two official languages of Haiti are French and Haitian Creole. About 5-10% of the Haitian population in Haiti are bilingual in the two languages. About 90% speak only Haitian Creole, and 100% of Haitians speak Haitian Creole. It’s interesting to see that French, although it was the official language of Haiti long before Haitian Creole was also officialized, is still not spoken by the majority of Haitians.
This is because Haitian Creole has a deep and dramatic history behind it, with the anti-slavery revolution that turned Haiti into an independent state. Before the revolution, Haitians lived as slaves to colonists, and Haitian Creole was the connection that bonded them together and eventually led to the revolution.
Even now, in the US, some Haitian-American people are very fluent in Haitian Creole but not so much in the US language. As such, many business owners have taken to addressing this need by offering content in Haitian Creole. This clearly points to a professional niche!
- Haitian Creole Is a Combination of Multiple Languages
Did you know that Haitian Creole combines multiple languages? These include:
- Spanish
- English
- 18th century French
- Portuguese
- Taino
- Countless West African languages
Haitian Creole was originally a mix-up of multiple languages but at present, it is its own language with sociolinguistic and regional variations. It’s no longer a mash-up language but rather a unique and distinct language. It gets most of its influences from French and African languages, which is quite obvious when hearing the language for the first time.
- Haitian Creole Was Formed Between 1659 and 1740
Haitian Creole has a rich history that spans centuries. While it’s not clear when it was formed, historians theorize that Haitian Creole was formed gradually between 1659 and 1740, on the French-owned plantation of Saint Domingue. On these plantations, many slaves of different origins were brought, and eventually, a language was formed – Haitian Creole.
In 1791, the natives used Haitian Creole to organize and stage a nationwide revolt to drive out the slave owners. In 1804, the revolution was a success and the independence of Haiti was declared. Throughout the years of the revolution, Haitian Creole played a vital linguistic part in uniting all the revolutionaries. It became the identity of the newly-formed country.
Conclusion
Haitian Creole has one of the best cultures attached to it. And it’s also not a difficult language to learn. Creole Tutors can help you master the language in the shortest time possible. Our tutors are native Haitian Creole speakers and can guide you all the way from complete beginner to natural fluency.