Kreyòl: the language that unites a nation

Ask any Haitian a question in Kreyòl and you will get an answer. It is the first language of the whole country and of millions more in the diaspora.

Where it comes from

Kreyòl was born in colonial Saint-Domingue, among people brought from many parts of West and Central Africa who needed a common tongue. Most of its words come from French, while its grammar and rhythm carry the mark of African languages. It is a complete language of its own, not a dialect of French.

An official language

For a long time, schools, courts, and government worked only in French, which most people did not speak. An official spelling was adopted around 1980. The Constitution of 1987 made Kreyòl an official language alongside French and called it the language that unites all Haitians. The Akademi Kreyòl Ayisyen, the Haitian Creole Academy, was founded in 2014.

Wisdom in a sentence

Kreyòl is famous for its proverbs. Piti piti, zwazo fè nich li: little by little, the bird builds its nest. Men anpil, chay pa lou: many hands make the load light. Dèyè mòn gen mòn: beyond the mountains, more mountains.