Any French or Haitian Creole Speakers??
Wyclef Jean does a song called "Jaspora" off his Wyclef Jean presents... album and its entirely in either French or Haitian Creole. I'm dying to know what "Jaspora" (Jahs-po-Rah) means and what the song's about. Cany anyone help???
How similar is French to Haitian creole? What about the creoles of the Deep South?
Haitian Creole comes from French. It's a creole. this means that it originally started as French, but the African slaves, made it into their own language to communicate with each other. it got mixed up, some of creole's grammar is even backwards from french. A french person listening to a creole person speak might understand some words or a sentence here or there, but they won't understand it like they understand french. but if they chose to learn it, they'll probably learn it fast Go to wikipedia and type Haitian Creole, and then Louisiana Creole, i use to read those articles myself and they made a lot of sense?
Bad words in Haitian Kreyol?
I am half Haitian, half american. English is my first language. I learned mostly from my father but because I have never been to the country, I have never learned any slang. I just moved out to Florida where there are plenty other Haitians which just has my curiosity stirring. What are the main curse words/ phrases. like the f word ?..and what the ( )...(No disrespect or inappropriateness intended) - Thank you.
What is the difference between Haitian Kreyol and Haitian Creole? Which is more correct?
Kreyòl is the name of the language in the language itself and using its own spelling. Créole is the French name of the language using the correct French spelling, which is also used in English. Note that the relation between a Créole language and a Créole identity is not automatic and one does not assume the other. Also note that there are Créole languages all over the world and so it matters to specify which one you mean.Both are correct spellings but not in the same language. Trying to figure out which is more correct would be playing a came of the egg and the hen, since fundamentally Haitian Créole is drawn from French, but also languages like Fon, Bambara, Wolof, Kikongo, Yoruba, Igbo, etc. Therefore the French spelling of things is not irrelevant to the context of this Créole language but this language has also its own autonomy and since relatively recently a spelling, so I guess the choice would be a political one.
What does Haitian Creole sound like to native French speakers from Canada and Europe?
I think it is fair to add a third video example, one with more formality in a newsroom interview. You’ve already got the film (“bon” kreyól) and a rap video (“vulgar”).The Dutch to Afrikaans example is not too far off based, in terms of sounding childish as it may appear this way for Creole as well. A lot of Creole words are just shortened French words. For example, regarder (to look) = “gade”, voulez (want) = “vle”.Also, in Creole there is no substitute for the French word for “I” (Je). Instead, “mwen” is used which literally means “me,” which is “moi” in French. Mwen is basically the Creole accented moi. (Moi/mu-ah - Mwen/mu-eh). Some people still use the archaic version of the spelling as “moin” or “mouin.” So for example, “Mwen ap manje (or “m’ap manje”) kounya a” means “I am (I’m) eating now” but may sound more on the lines of “Me eating now”. (ap = “ing” eating) Also, there are a lot of similarities between words in Quebecois and French in Lousiana with Haitian Creole, and Haitian French (variety of French), moreso historically than anywhere else (a “North American” thing). The use of “aprés” used in Louisiana is the lengthier version of ap’ in the example above (literally “after”), still used in Cajun French and in Louisiana Creole as “ap”; the same in Haitian Creole. Après is hardly used in Haiti’s variety of French (Haitian French) anymore, as it is more standard and modern but with some notable accent changes. If it is used, it is seen as mixing French and Creole but it is actually the archaic French variety, some people still use the ”patois” label for this speech.See my “third” video nomination: My creole interview with Nguyen Xuan Quynh from Vietnam Dir. of Corporate sales at Natcom
What are the main phonetical differences between Louisiana Creole and Haitian Creole?
A creole is just a mix of two or more languages, that becomes the native language of a people. Louisiana creole and Haitian creole are both French creoles but "creole" isn't itself a language.The Louisiana creole combines French with words from African languages, while the Haitian creole includes more Spanish an Portuguese words (because, island, ships from many nations).Because of the differences in root words, the differences between these languages are more than phonetic. Here, though, are some links to videos discussing phonetics.
What are some examples of French speaking countries in the Caribbean? What characteristics do they share?
Strictly speaking, there are no Francophone countries in the Caribbean with the exception of Haiti, a republic that claims French as one of its official languages. However, most Haitians speak Haitian Creole, not French that is taught to those who receive formal education (60% literacy). Haitian Creole, a formerly oral language, now has a script form that is distinct from standard French and contains elements of West African linguistic influence such as Wolof that places the article after the noun. So, a Frenchman probably finds Haitian almost unintelligible and would have to find a Haitian who not only studied French at least to the end of primary school but also has had enough practice to speak fluently.The archipelago that includes Guadeloupe and Martinique are not independent countries but politically part of France (and, thus, of the EU). Locals speak their island’s French Creoles but formal education is in standard French and they probably can code switch. The French side of island of St. Martin and the island of St. Bartholomew had been politically attached to Guadeloupe but I think that their status has changed.There are other islands where, not French, but a French-based creole continues in oral tradition only, but the locals are educated only in English. Such people are illiterate in French even if they can speak a related language to some extent. While it is claimed that Grenada and St. Lucia still have French Creole or Patois speakers, I have no up to date information. Already in Trinidad, the last remaining enclave, Paramin Village, probably will see Trinidadian French Patois become extinct. It’s a bit of a pity since French patois was the lingua franca of Trinidad until well into the 19th century before the British established education in English and encouraged migration from the rest of the Commonwealth to the island (especially from India). The French patois intonation and some terms have been transposed into Trinidadian English Creole that is characteristic.