Do you consider Creole as a language?

[angeleye]

by:Woodring Saint Preux


"Do you consider Creole as a language?"

She replied, "Of course Creole is a language. Creole is my language as well as the language of many people in Haiti. When I tell people that I am Haitian and they ask me if I speak French, I tell them that I speak Creole. Although this is looked at upon as being an inferior language, I am proud to speak Creole and only Creole."

"Do you speak any French?

She replied, "No I only speak Creole. I do understand a little bit if French is spoken to me but don’t expect me to reply in French because I can’t.

Note from Woodring Saint Preux:

I don't speak french, but I am not the only one!

I was writing a completely different article and decided to browse the web for some related information. I stumbled onto someone’s term paper (looks like):

“Creole Language in Haiti” by Lanah Lherisson

I really wanted to copy the whole thing and paste it here but I would rather you read it in it's original location:

http://www.saxakali.com/caribbean/LanahL.htm

Here are some excerpts from the paper:

Although Creole is now an official language in Haiti, the French language is still associated with the rich and high class people meanwhile Creole is associated with the poor and lower class people.

Many people tend to relate Creole as the language of the poor.

A stereotype has been put on the Creole language and unfortunately people still do not see Creole as the beautiful language that it is.

The knowledge or lack of a language serves to distinguish a person’s class within the Haitian society.

French language drips easily and flawlessly form the lips of the educated and elite Haitians.

Whereas their uneducated brethren stumble painfully through a conservation in French. Instead they choose to communicate in the more familiar and comfortable Creole which is not bound by the traditional rules of syntax.

Don’t misunderstand, the elite also speak Creole with great ease but the language factor is clearly a distinguishing characteristic.

"Whether we like it or not, one and the other language is a historical part of the Haitian national patrimony.

In spite of its minor standing, Creole is one of the traits that defines the Haitian nation and is experienced by each Haitian as a component of his identity.

Although issuing from the slave period, Creole in Haiti is not soiled with the vice of servitude, because the struggle for independence gave it a national significance as the language of a people who liberated itself with arms in its hands and Creole in its mouth." (5)

Language is the method in which human beings are able to communicate.

The official language in Haiti is French and Creole.

Both languages are used. However, the use of Creole without question is most prevalent.

There is a large quantity of people who speak only Creole and no French at all.

"Creole is a language that developed out of the sociohistorical situation of seventeenth and eighteenth century Haiti, where a pidginized variety of French was used as a contact language between master and slaves and among Africans of diverse ethnic origins in the plantation economy of the time." (3)

Whether Creole was used as a contact language between masters and enslaved people or within enslaved people themselves is debatable.

Some believe that the masters and enslaved people needed a form of communication and Creole was the product of those two groups of people.

Others believe that enslaved people formed the Creole language while trying to communicate within their different languages, all originating from Africa.

"It (Creole) arose out of a need for the slaves, with their knowledge of African languages, to communicate in a language closer to that of their overseers."(2)

Whether this is referring to communication within themselves or with their master is unknown.

With an excess of speakers, one would not think that the language, Creole, would be seen as one that is inferior.

"Popularly, they (Creoles) are thought to be inferior, haphazard, broken, bastardized versions of older, longer established languages.

In academic circles, especially in recent years, attempts have been made to remove the stigma so frequently attached to them by pointing out that there is no such thing as a primitive or inferior language." (14)


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The Forbidden Language
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Unfortunately even its speakers see Creole as an inferior language.

In many households, parents forbid their children to speak Creole, a language that is to be spoken only to the maid of the house or the gardener:

"The greater tragedy, however, is that such prejudices against Creole languages have been ‘mimicked’ by the native speakers of these Creole languages themselves;

in St. Lucia, for example, among those who had a social prestige to protect, children were immediately rebuked or beaten should they dare to speak a tongue which only brought them closer to those who were poor or ‘black’. "(6)

The history of Creole has a severe impact on its speakers by labeling them as low class people.

"Because historically creole was spoken mainly by a group of people who had been denied educational opportunities, it became associated with the poor and laboring class, and often families would forbid their children from learning and speaking it, encouraging them instead to become proficient in the dominant European language alone." (2)

The view of Creole as a negative language is presently occurring.

What you were reading is just a part of a bigger paper.

You can read the paper in it’s entirety by going to this link:

http://www.saxakali.com/caribbean/LanahL.htm

Haitianinternet.com
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GIBOU'Z ANGEL

[Tipoulette]

This is a sad reality, but I think that nowadays, more and more people are advocating for the Creole language and it's use in the United States has increased considerably due to the amount of Haitian workers who don't speak English. I think that the language of the people has always been viewed as inferior everywhere in the world until it is recognized by all and is accepted. The same thing happened centuries ago with the French language.
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Kite m an repo m

[mnicolas]

I really like the article, it is the truth and nothing but the truth. Things may have changed in Haiti, but that is how it used to be when I was a child.
_________________
Pas besoin de requiem pour donner le blues à Beethoven
Pas besoin de concerto pour faire vibrer les pianos.
Je connais un répertoire qui pourrait faire pleurer Mozart

[mnicolas]

I really like the article, it is written with truth and nothing but the truth. Things may have changed in Haiti, but that is how it used to be when I was a child. Pretty or ugly, this is how things used to be in Haiti.

[angeleye]

Man I get so upset @ times with those so-call "Aristrocrat" Haitians. I had this neighbour not to long ago I spoke to her son I said, "bel ti gasson koment yo rele non ou" The child just stood there watching me like am crazy or something, then the mother laughed and said "oh honey you don't understand she's asking you your name."

Then she had the audacity to turned to me and say in a boastful way "He doesn't speak creole" as if her son was too friggin' special to speak it. Folks I just wanted to ring that woman's neck, all kinds of things ran through my mind I just wanted to tell her how stupid she was for doing that. But the little light of Christ that I have in me held me back from doing so.

But truely it is sad to see our own people rejecting the things that we should be cherishing. 'Bout 'Oh my I can't believe that my creole has gotten so bad, Nigga pliiiiiiiiz how the heck could you forget your mother tongue that is bull crap and is of course IMPOSSIBLE TO ME.
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GIBOU'Z ANGEL

[Lexus]

Ahhh Angel sa se bel pawol ou di la wi. Mwen, moun konsa mwen just ba yo vague. d'apres mwen moun sa yo se gro soulye yo ye, yo pat espere so mwen pap pedu energi-m sou yo non.

[Tipoulette]

I was reading a book the other day, and they portrayed a Haitian woman, very successful, living in the States, who has traveled to Europe and the Caribbean as well, and she had to say that she didn't know how to speak Creole and that at her house, they spoke only French and that she learned a few words from the household employees. I was so disgusted when I read that, but it's true, many Haitians are stupid like that.
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Kite m an repo m

[mnicolas]

Tipoulette,


I do not know the situation, so I do cannot comment, unless I knew the lady personally. I cannot imagine that all Mexicans necessarily speak spanish neither all hispanics speak spanish.

There are situations where sons and daughters of Haitians do not speak or write creole mainly if the mother was not born in Haiti.
_________________
Pas besoin de requiem pour donner le blues à Beethoven
Pas besoin de concerto pour faire vibrer les pianos.
Je connais un répertoire qui pourrait faire pleurer Mozart

[Tipoulette]

Nico, the woman was born and raised in Haiti. The woman who actually made that statement was born and raised in Haiti and traveled for higher education.
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Kite m an repo m

[angeleye]

[mnicolas]

I am sorry Tipoulette, if I answered. It just doesnot make sense to me that someone born in Haiti would deny that she/he speaks creole. I thought that telling the world you speak one more language should be a proof of great "culture".

Stupid things such as: I am not Haitian or I do not speak creole is plain immaturity to me, if not madness.

I have met a Haitian women here (mwen ka we manzel te tre, tre, tre malerez an Haiti). She acted like she could only speak english, no creole at all. The problem in all that is that her english was not so good. Frankly, I did not laugh, I did not get upset, because that would be a waste of my time.
_________________
Pas besoin de requiem pour donner le blues à Beethoven
Pas besoin de concerto pour faire vibrer les pianos.
Je connais un répertoire qui pourrait faire pleurer Mozart

[Tipoulette]

Agreed! It's just so sad that there are so many unproud Haitians.
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Kite m an repo m

[Bois]

Less than 10% of Haitians speak french properly...i really do not see why french would be the official language....quelle heresie!

We have already post about that subject....search it

[mnicolas]

I am at a point were I do not know what works/will work for Haiti. Bois, you certainly have a great point. Wouldn't it be nice we all speaking creole, dancing compas. I can imagine myself in the forefront telling the world about my country in creole and about Haitian culture(music etc). After paying attention to many things that have happened in Haiti, I wonder, however whether this is our real problem. Check this post out.
http://haitisurf.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=911&highlight=groping

Now most kids graduating from our High School are really pititful compared to the way things used to be. They do not know anything of anything. Lot of you will be upset with me for what I am about say, but I want you to think, think, before you stone me.
As long as Haiti is as poor as it is we will have major difficulties to impose Creole or anything else. Haitians are not writing so many books in creole, no Math books, or Psychology, Physics, Medicine books in creole. The rich countries do not have to fight to impose their languages. Have you ever thought about that? Whenever you have to buy everything from other people they can sell you what they want.

There are no places for students to research in Creole. I am still looking for a creole library. How would we write a thesis? I am not sure that changing everything to creole would change jack. If that did work, it could as well create other limitations for Haitian Professionals. I think Haitians need to work on fixing political problems, and prove to the world that they have sense. That they can coexist and not kill each other like .... In fact, we need financial and human resources, if we really want to impose anything. Let us develop entrepreneurial spirit and common sense, and you will see will not fight over languages.
_________________
Pas besoin de requiem pour donner le blues à Beethoven
Pas besoin de concerto pour faire vibrer les pianos.
Je connais un répertoire qui pourrait faire pleurer Mozart

[mnicolas]

I know many will get upset with me, but that it how I see it. We need to get off our duffs and go back to school. Go to business School, Law School, Med school, and mainly to Street School Of Hustling(entrepreneurship). Get some cash, some wisdom, and some common sense. If we don't do that, we are doomed to be the big dreamers that we have always been. The world doesn't want to learn somali-- for what? They are too danm broke, they would rather watch 50 cent !!!

Let us slowly learn how to build businesses. Let us study Law, Engineering Business, Accounting, Medicine (not so nursing lol). Things that shape and can change the world . Let us get real cash and real power and the world will chase us. They will want to learn how to speak creole, not because there are married to a Haitian, etc. Let us stop acting like fools in Haiti and stop killing one another. Let us stop opposing or looking at Aristide and Latortue, and develop tourism. Smoothly Creole will carry weight, Compas, Grillot and diri ak pwa will carry weight.... The Haitian websites will then be all in Creole.
_________________
Pas besoin de requiem pour donner le blues à Beethoven
Pas besoin de concerto pour faire vibrer les pianos.
Je connais un répertoire qui pourrait faire pleurer Mozart