Trinidadian Creole is a creole language commonly spoken throughout the island of Trinidad in Trinidad and Tobago.English is the country’s official language (the national standard variety is Trinidadian and Tobagonian English), but the main spoken languages are Trinidadian English Creole and Tobagonian English Creole.
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What is the Trinidadian language called?
Although English is the official language, most people speak Trinidad English, a creole language. A few people, mostly in rural areas, speak a French-derived creole, Spanish, or Hindi. Trinidad and Tobago: Ethnic composition Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
Is Caribbean creole a language?
Creole languages of the Caribbean are the product of contact between, in the first instance, speakers of West African languages and European languages.Thus, there are French-Creole, English -Creole, Spanish/Portuguese Creole and Dutch-Creole Languages.
What language is creole spoken in?
Creole languages include varieties that are based on French, such as Haitian Creole, Louisiana Creole, and Mauritian Creole; English, such as Gullah (on the Sea Islands of the southeastern United States), Jamaican Creole, Guyanese Creole, and Hawaiian Creole; and Portuguese, such as Papiamentu (in Aruba, Bonaire, and
Is creole a bad word?
The word “creole” can be derogatory, but only in certain contexts. For a full explanation, may I again refer you to the “Dictionary of Caribbean English Usage” by Richard Allsopp (Oxford University Press).
What is a creole in linguistics?
A creole language, or simply creole, is a stable natural language that develops from the simplifying and mixing of different languages into a new one within a fairly brief period of time: often, a pidgin evolved into a full-fledged language.
Is creole a language or a dialect?
A creole is not the same as a dialect. It can be considered a language on its own. A creole is born when two different languages combine to form another language. It mostly has the vocabulary from the master tongue but its grammar is completely different.
In what countries is creole spoken?
Creole Languages
Caribbean | ||
---|---|---|
Haitian Creole | 7,389,066 | Haiti, U.S. |
Guadeloupean Creole | 848,000 | Guadeloupe, Martinique |
Louisiana Creole | 60,000-80,000 | U.S. |
Guianese Creole | 50,000 | French Guiana |
Is creole an ethnic group?
Creole people are ethnic groups which originated during the colonial era from racial mixing mainly involving West Africans as well as some other people born in colonies, such as French, Spanish, and Indigenous American peoples; this process is known as creolization.
What does Horn mean in Trinidad?
That said, Lise Winer’s dictionary of the English/Creole of Trinidad and Tobago provides a definition. To horn is to cuckold; commit adultery; have a relationship outside of an official one. Such a definition suggests that horning is not equivalent to flirting.
Is French spoken in Trinidad?
English is the main language used in Trinidad and Tobago but is some parts of the country other languages such as French, Spanish, Chinese, and Hindi dialects are used.
What does Maco mean in Trinidad?
“Maco”, is also a Trini slang verb, meaning “to spy on”.As a Caribbean slang verb, “mamaguy” means, “to falsely compliment someone with the hope of indirectly persuading them in your favour”, or “to deceive or tease, either in jest or by deceitful flattery”.
Is Creole language French?
It’s not a direct dialect of French, like Cajun. Louisiana Creole is French-based language with many African influences and elements. It’s a language that looks very interesting.
Why is Creole considered a language?
Jamaican Creole is considered a language based on two reasons. One reason is that Jamaican Creole has the characteristic features of a language, and the second reason is that this creole performs the functions of a language. Languages have linguistic features that include phonology, lexicon, grammar and syntax.
Is Indian English a Creole?
Indian English is a Prakrit, not a creole, says linguist Peggy Mohan – The Hindu.
Does Creole mean black?
In present Louisiana, Creole generally means a person or people of mixed colonial French, African American and Native American ancestry. The term Black Creole refers to freed slaves from Haiti and their descendants.
What does Zo mean in Creole?
“Zoe'” is the anglicized variant of the word zo, Haitian Creole for “bone”, as members were known to be “hard to the bone.” When conflicts against Haitians arose, the pound would be sought out to retaliate; thus, the street gang name, “Zoe Pound”, was born.
How do I know if Im Creole?
In rural Southwestern Louisiana, a blending of French, African, and Caribbean cultures was considered Creole.So, if you can trace your ancestry to any of these areas in Louisiana, perhaps you may have Creole ancestry.
Is English a creole?
Senior Member. English is not a creole. A creole is a pidgin language which has become a mother tongue. A pidgin is a grammatically simplified form of a language with elements taken from local languages, used for communication between people not sharing a common language.
How many creole languages are there?
The creole language definition is broadly accepted as: a stable natural language that has been created through the mixing of two other languages. There are around 100 examples of creole language in existence today, with many of them (but far from all) based on English, French and Portuguese.
What a creole is to a standard language?
Creoles are typically not treated as equal to the standard language used at school, and nor are non-standard dialects such as AAVE.