One of the poorest countries on the planet, Haiti is not the most desirable travel destination. But its endlessly rich tourism potential, gorgeous beaches, the Caribbean Sea and lush nature give hope that someday this will change. In the meantime, only the state languages of Haiti - Haitian Creole and French - are heard on these shores.
Some statistics and facts
- The French language appeared on the island in 1677, when its western part came under the control of this European country. Until then, Haiti was colonized by the Spaniards, being discovered in 1492 during one of the expeditions of Columbus.
- Haitian Creole is spoken not only in Haiti. It is spoken in Canada, the Bahamas, the United States and some other countries where people from the island live.
- The number of speakers of Haitian Creole is about 8.5 million in the country and 3.5 million abroad.
- The vocabulary of Haitian Creole is almost entirely borrowed from French in the 18th century and changed under the influence of the languages of Negro slaves brought to the island from West and Central Africa. In the state language of Haiti, you can also distinguish Portuguese with English blotches.
- Haitian Creole received the status of the official language of Haiti in 1961. Until then, only the French had been vested with such powers.
Island in the caribbean
There are several theories about how the state language of Haiti, in the Caribbean, was formed. One of them claims that he appeared in West Africa, from where slaves were supplied to the island. Another version suggests that the language originated already in Haiti, where immigrants from the "black" continent, speaking the language of the von people, began to adopt words and expressions from French. The von language serves as a means of communication in the African region of Togo, Nigeria and Benin. One way or another, Haitian Creole has become the main means of communication in the western part of the island in the Caribbean.
A number of Haitian Creole speakers also live in France. They are Haitian immigrants or their descendants.
Part of Francophonie
More than 247 million inhabitants of the planet can speak French. Such data are provided by the organization Francophonie, which includes 57 francophone countries and parts of the world. The list also includes Haiti, whose official language is also French in the Constitution.
