Creole as a Language

Creole is the combination from a European language and a African dialect and has been recently established as language.

Creole has recently been recognized as a language by many nations since the late 1990’s. At first, it was considered to be quite crude and it was only spoken by mere peasants. Now, it is embraced by all as it plays a significant role in culture and heritage of the native countries which they have emerged and developed in. Creole is a language that emerged from contact with another language which is the exact nature of all language. It can also be said that all languages of the world have a Creole version.

With the introduction of the Spanish to the isle of Jamaica, the Amerindians were exposed to their language and culture and many historians believe that the Amerindians fused their language with that of the Spanish during initial contact. However, the reign of the Spanish was short lived and during the occupation of Jamaica most of the Amerindians had died thus there is no concrete fact to prove this suggestion. The English came to the island of Jamaica and with them the Africans.

The English imposed their language and culture on the Africans. Most Africans fused their own native dialect with that of the English. The words were generally mispronounced and being unable to read and write the language passed from one generation to the next changing as it passed down.

In many traditional schools during the early years after slavery up until the late 1980’s Creole was being repressed in schools. English Language was always taught to be the ‘proper’ language of the colonial islands in the Caribbean. Creole and English Language highlighted and imposed status (social) barriers in the Caribbean islands. Only the well educated and wealthy persons spoke Standard English, individuals of menial income spoke Creole.

With the introduction of the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission after independence, Creole was slowly being accepted as a language as Jamaicans embraced culture and heritage. Mrs. Louise Bennett Coverley was an iconic figure in helping Jamaicans to accept this dialect. She told stories in Creole and wrote poetry and sung songs in the language. She knew the language of the English quite well but she also sought to show that the Creole language was to be loved as it belonged to us and our fore bearers.

There are many Caribbean nations that acknowledge Creole as a language and have established it as a part of their nation. In Haiti they have fused the French and African languages and have embraced this fusion as it is their national language. Cuba fused Spanish and African dialect but they mainly speak Spanish, their Creole is used in informal settings but they still have embraced the language none the less.

Creole is a language just as English and Spanish is one. They have there own formations of plural, possessions and gender. The pronunciation is unique just as their use of repetition and their usage of positive and negative.