Jacques Julmice

Creole vs French

Can French people understand Haitian Creole?

French in Haiti is called acrolect.

And with fewer characteristics of acrolect the language is basilect.

Therefore Pure French and Pure Creole are different.

The linguistics, grammar, dialects in Creole vs French are different.

Can I learn Haitian Creole from French?

It’s my view that if you speak French, it should take you virtually no time to learn Creole. This is very evident in Québec; Canadians who hang out with Haitians or are married to Haitians speak Creole effortlessly and some with virtually no accent. That can be accomplished by utilizing some substitution rules, some of which can be found in Creole Meets English. Substituting endre with ann is one example that can be applied right away: the verb vender in Creole is vann; pendre is pann, prétendre is pretann. Attendre is tann; in this case we drop the leading a. Those words are pronounced as they are spelled with the second n being pronounced. For our English speakers, we have created the easiest methodo to learn  Creole, our Kreglish Methodology.

Is Creole a part of French? Is Creole a language?

To understand simply the relationship between French and Creole and why are these two often spoken about together let’s dive down into some simplified history.

 In Modern History France was the dominant and had colonial rule. Most parts of Africa, America and the Caribbean were under the Colonial Rule of France.

The Island of Saint Domingue was also part of French colony and became influenced with the French Language.

The African Slaves when interacted with their French masters learned and created their own version of language and it gave birth to Haitian Creole. 

Although Creole was influenced by Spanish, English, and Portuguese, it wasn’t accepted as a national language. Until one day in 1987.

Now the upper class of Haiti mainly speaks and reads in French but Haitian Creole is the only pure language of Haiti which is commonly spoken and understood by native Haitians.

Facts about Creole Language

  • Creole is based on French, Creole is not a French Dialect
  • Creole is influenced by French Colonialism.
  • Creole language of the speaker’s language with colonial influence left in the speak mind .
  • A true Haiti raised and born would speak pure Haitian Creole language made of grammar, words and expressions coming from original land.
  • Haitians who are situated in Santo Domingo eastern border have Spanish influence in their Creole like Portuguese influence in Brazilian Creole.

Main differences between French and Haitian Creole

French and Haitian Creole differ mainly around the grammar of the two languages.

The conjugations of verbs is not the same that is why when you translate creole to French you need a native Haitian Creole Translator. We therefore get translation services only from Native Haitian Creole translators.

Although the vocabulary is similar in both French and Creole, but the meanings especially when considered translations in creole do not match.

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