Languages of the Caribbean
Encyclopedia
The languages of the Caribbean
reflect the region's diverse history and culture. There are four official languages spoken in the Caribbean. However there are also number of creoles and local patois (hybrid languages). Dozens of the creole languages of the Caribbean are widely used for inter-ethnic communication. The four main languages are:
There are also a few additional smaller indigenous languages. Many of the indigenous languages have become extinct or are dying out.
At odds with the ever growing desire for a single Caribbean community, the linguistic diversity of a few Caribbean islands has made language policy an issue in the post-colonial era. In recent years, Caribbean islands have become aware of a linguistic inheritance of sorts. However, language policies being developed nowadays are mostly aimed at multilingualism, although many mid-sized languages are used, the four main ones are considered national languages.
language families: English, Spanish, French and Dutch. These belong to language families concentrated or originating outside of the Caribbean continent, primarily Europe
. Since the colonial era, Indo-European languages have held official status in many islands, and are widely spoke Caribbean French and Caribbean Portuguese.)
English is the first or second language in most Caribbean islands and is also the unofficial "language of tourism". Having said that, travelers often find themselves richly rewarded when they hear a 'native language' spoken, often a creole is used as the domestic language. In the Caribbean, the official language is usually determined by which ever colonial power (England, Spain, France, or the Netherlands) held sway over the island first or longest.
(1624) and Barbados
(1627) the language is the second most established throughout the Caribbean, however, due to the relatively small populations of the English-speaking territories, only 14% of West Indians are English speakers. English is the official language of about 18 Caribbean territories inhabited by about 6 million people, though most inhabitants of these islands may more properly be described as speaking English creoles than their varieties of standard English.
In Jamaica
, though generally an English speaking island, a patois drawing on a multitude of influences including Spanish, Portuguese, Hindi, Arawak and African languages a well as Irish. is heard on an everyday basis. Some of the most widely spoken English creole languages include [list needed].
, such as Martinique (French vs. creole French), Guadeloupe (French vs. creole French) and Saint Lucia (where most inhabitants speak a French-lexified creole called Kwéyòl that also uses a significantly restructured English-lexified vernacular). Other islands includes Haiti , Martinique, Saint Barthelemy (where a form of 17th century French is spoken), Saint Martin (the French half of this island), Guadeloupe (where most inhabitants speak both French and a French-based creole).
, although on the islands of Aruba
, Curaçao
and Bonaire, a Spanish-Portuguese based creole known as Papiamento
is predominant, while the population of Sint Maarten, Saba and Sint Eustatius is predominantly English-speaking. A Dutch creole, known as Negerhollands
was spoken in the former Danish West Indian islands of Saint Thomas and Saint John, but is now extinct. Its last native speaker died in 1987.
Asian languages such as Chinese and Indian are spoken by South Asian expatriates exclusively. In earlier historical times, other Indo-European languages (such as German) could be found in north-eastern parts of the Caribbean.
Many indigenous languages (actually associated with mainland Caribbean rather than the islands proper) have been added to the list of extinct languages for example Arawak languages (Shebayo, Igneri, Lokono, Garifuna of St. Vincent, and the one now labeled Taino by scholars, once spoken in the Greater Antilles), Cariban (Nepuyo and Yao), Taruma, Atorad, Warrau, Arecuna, Akawaio and Patamona.
). Creoles generally have no initial or final consonant clusters but have a simple syllable structure which consists of alternating consonants and vowels (e.g. "CVCV").
Due partly to its multilingualism
and its colonial past, a substantial proportion of the world's creole languages are to be found in the Caribbean and Africa. Most of the Caribbean creoles and patois
are the lexifiers (or derivations) of Indo-European languages developed from this colonial era (e.g. Carib and Arawak). Creole languages continue to evolve in the direction of European colonial languages in which its related, so that decreolization occurs and a post-creole continuum arises for example the Jamaican sociolinguistic situation has often been described in term of this continuum. Papiamento, spoken on the so-called 'ABC' islands (Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao), shows traces of both indigenous as well as Spanish, Portuguese and Dutch lexicons. Haitian Creole, far from being a standardised language, was recognized as Haiti's official language in 1961).
Contact between French-lexified creoles and English are fairly numerous in the Lesser Antilles (apart from Saint Lucia), they can also be observed on Dominica, Saint Vincent, Carriacou, Petite Martinique and Grenada.
, thereby displacing Arawak speaking peoples in much of the Caribbean. Or the Creole expansion, in which Creole-speaking peoples expanded over several of islands. A better example is the English expansion in the 17th century, which led to the extension of English
to much of north and east Caribbean.
Trade languages are another age-old phenomenon in the Caribbean linguistic landscape. Cultural and linguistic innovations spread along trade routes and languages of peoples dominant in trade developed into languages of wider communication (linguae francae
). Of particular importance in this respect are French
(central and east Caribbean) and Dutch
(south and east of the Caribbean).
After gaining independence, many Caribbean countries, in the search for national unity, selected one language (generally the former colonial language) to be used in government and education. In recent years, Caribbean countries have become increasingly aware of the importance of linguistic diversity. Language policies that are being developed nowadays are mostly aimed at multilingualism.
List of major Caribbean languages (by total number of speakers)[needs updating]:
(resulting in borrowing) and specific idioms and phrases may be due to a similar cultural background.
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
reflect the region's diverse history and culture. There are four official languages spoken in the Caribbean. However there are also number of creoles and local patois (hybrid languages). Dozens of the creole languages of the Caribbean are widely used for inter-ethnic communication. The four main languages are:
- Spanish
- Dutch (on the islands that are part of the Kingdom of the NetherlandsKingdom of the NetherlandsThe Kingdom of the Netherlands is a sovereign state and constitutional monarchy with territory in Western Europe and in the Caribbean. The four parts of the Kingdom—Aruba, Curaçao, the Netherlands, and Sint Maarten—are referred to as "countries", and participate on a basis of equality...
in the Southeast Caribbean) - English (North, Central and East)
- French (Central and East)
- Portuguese-based Creole language: Papiamento (mainly in Southern Kingdom of Netherlands)
There are also a few additional smaller indigenous languages. Many of the indigenous languages have become extinct or are dying out.
At odds with the ever growing desire for a single Caribbean community, the linguistic diversity of a few Caribbean islands has made language policy an issue in the post-colonial era. In recent years, Caribbean islands have become aware of a linguistic inheritance of sorts. However, language policies being developed nowadays are mostly aimed at multilingualism, although many mid-sized languages are used, the four main ones are considered national languages.
Language groups
Most languages spoken in the Caribbean belong to one of four major Indo-EuropeanIndo-European
Indo-European may refer to:* Indo-European languages** Aryan race, a 19th century and early 20th century term for those peoples who are the native speakers of Indo-European languages...
language families: English, Spanish, French and Dutch. These belong to language families concentrated or originating outside of the Caribbean continent, primarily Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. Since the colonial era, Indo-European languages have held official status in many islands, and are widely spoke Caribbean French and Caribbean Portuguese.)
English is the first or second language in most Caribbean islands and is also the unofficial "language of tourism". Having said that, travelers often find themselves richly rewarded when they hear a 'native language' spoken, often a creole is used as the domestic language. In the Caribbean, the official language is usually determined by which ever colonial power (England, Spain, France, or the Netherlands) held sway over the island first or longest.
English language
With the founding of the first permanent English colonies at Saint KittsSaint Kitts
Saint Kitts Saint Kitts Saint Kitts (also known more formally as Saint Christopher Island (Saint-Christophe in French) is an island in the West Indies. The west side of the island borders the Caribbean Sea, and the eastern coast faces the Atlantic Ocean...
(1624) and Barbados
Barbados
Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles. It is in length and as much as in width, amounting to . It is situated in the western area of the North Atlantic and 100 kilometres east of the Windward Islands and the Caribbean Sea; therein, it is about east of the islands of Saint...
(1627) the language is the second most established throughout the Caribbean, however, due to the relatively small populations of the English-speaking territories, only 14% of West Indians are English speakers. English is the official language of about 18 Caribbean territories inhabited by about 6 million people, though most inhabitants of these islands may more properly be described as speaking English creoles than their varieties of standard English.
In Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
, though generally an English speaking island, a patois drawing on a multitude of influences including Spanish, Portuguese, Hindi, Arawak and African languages a well as Irish. is heard on an everyday basis. Some of the most widely spoken English creole languages include [list needed].
Spanish language
The Caribbean English speakers are outnumbered by Spanish speakers by a ratio of almost four to one due to the high densities of populations on the larger islands; some 64% of West Indians speak Spanish. The islands that are included in this group are Cuba, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, (and some tiny islands off Central and South America).French language
About one quarter of West Indians speak French. Islands belonging to the Lesser AntillesLesser Antilles
The Lesser Antilles are a long, partly volcanic island arc in the Western Hemisphere. Most of its islands form the eastern boundary of the Caribbean Sea with the Atlantic Ocean, with the remainder located in the southern Caribbean just north of South America...
, such as Martinique (French vs. creole French), Guadeloupe (French vs. creole French) and Saint Lucia (where most inhabitants speak a French-lexified creole called Kwéyòl that also uses a significantly restructured English-lexified vernacular). Other islands includes Haiti , Martinique, Saint Barthelemy (where a form of 17th century French is spoken), Saint Martin (the French half of this island), Guadeloupe (where most inhabitants speak both French and a French-based creole).
Dutch language
Dutch is an official language of and universally spoken in the Dutch CaribbeanDutch Caribbean
The term Dutch Caribbean refers to the islands of the Kingdom of the Netherlands that are located in the Caribbean and their inhabitants, and in the past also to Dutch territory on the northern coast of South America....
, although on the islands of Aruba
Aruba
Aruba is a 33 km-long island of the Lesser Antilles in the southern Caribbean Sea, located 27 km north of the coast of Venezuela and 130 km east of Guajira Peninsula...
, Curaçao
Curaçao
Curaçao is an island in the southern Caribbean Sea, off the Venezuelan coast. The Country of Curaçao , which includes the main island plus the small, uninhabited island of Klein Curaçao , is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands...
and Bonaire, a Spanish-Portuguese based creole known as Papiamento
Papiamento
Papiamento is the most widely spoken language on the Caribbean ABC islands, having the official status on the islands of Aruba and Curaçao. The language is also recognized on Bonaire by the Dutch government....
is predominant, while the population of Sint Maarten, Saba and Sint Eustatius is predominantly English-speaking. A Dutch creole, known as Negerhollands
Negerhollands
Negerhollands is a Dutch-based creole language that was once spoken in the Danish West Indies, now known as the U.S. Virgin Islands. Dutch is its superstrate language with Danish, English, French, Spanish, and African elements incorporated...
was spoken in the former Danish West Indian islands of Saint Thomas and Saint John, but is now extinct. Its last native speaker died in 1987.
Indigenous
Several languages spoken in the Caribbean belong to language families concentrated or originating inside of the Caribbean mainland continent: Suriname, Guyana, French Guiana, Brazil, Venezuela, Colombia and Peru.Asian languages such as Chinese and Indian are spoken by South Asian expatriates exclusively. In earlier historical times, other Indo-European languages (such as German) could be found in north-eastern parts of the Caribbean.
- see early religious education by german
Many indigenous languages (actually associated with mainland Caribbean rather than the islands proper) have been added to the list of extinct languages for example Arawak languages (Shebayo, Igneri, Lokono, Garifuna of St. Vincent, and the one now labeled Taino by scholars, once spoken in the Greater Antilles), Cariban (Nepuyo and Yao), Taruma, Atorad, Warrau, Arecuna, Akawaio and Patamona.
Creole languages
Creoles are contact languages usually spoken in rather isolated colonies, the vocabulary of which is mainly taken from a European language (the lexifierLexifier
A lexifier is the dominant language of a particular pidgin or creole language that provides the basis for the majority of vocabulary....
). Creoles generally have no initial or final consonant clusters but have a simple syllable structure which consists of alternating consonants and vowels (e.g. "CVCV").
Due partly to its multilingualism
Multilingualism
Multilingualism is the act of using, or promoting the use of, multiple languages, either by an individual speaker or by a community of speakers. Multilingual speakers outnumber monolingual speakers in the world's population. Multilingualism is becoming a social phenomenon governed by the needs of...
and its colonial past, a substantial proportion of the world's creole languages are to be found in the Caribbean and Africa. Most of the Caribbean creoles and patois
Patois
Patois is any language that is considered nonstandard, although the term is not formally defined in linguistics. It can refer to pidgins, creoles, dialects, and other forms of native or local speech, but not commonly to jargon or slang, which are vocabulary-based forms of cant...
are the lexifiers (or derivations) of Indo-European languages developed from this colonial era (e.g. Carib and Arawak). Creole languages continue to evolve in the direction of European colonial languages in which its related, so that decreolization occurs and a post-creole continuum arises for example the Jamaican sociolinguistic situation has often been described in term of this continuum. Papiamento, spoken on the so-called 'ABC' islands (Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao), shows traces of both indigenous as well as Spanish, Portuguese and Dutch lexicons. Haitian Creole, far from being a standardised language, was recognized as Haiti's official language in 1961).
Contact between French-lexified creoles and English are fairly numerous in the Lesser Antilles (apart from Saint Lucia), they can also be observed on Dominica, Saint Vincent, Carriacou, Petite Martinique and Grenada.
Language in the Caribbean
Throughout the long multilingual history of the Caribbean continent, Caribbean languages have been subject to phenomena like language contact, language expansion, language shift, and language death. A case in point is the Spanish expansion, in which Spanish-speaking peoples expanded over most of central CaribbeanCaribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
, thereby displacing Arawak speaking peoples in much of the Caribbean. Or the Creole expansion, in which Creole-speaking peoples expanded over several of islands. A better example is the English expansion in the 17th century, which led to the extension of English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
to much of north and east Caribbean.
Trade languages are another age-old phenomenon in the Caribbean linguistic landscape. Cultural and linguistic innovations spread along trade routes and languages of peoples dominant in trade developed into languages of wider communication (linguae francae
Lingua franca
A lingua franca is a language systematically used to make communication possible between people not sharing a mother tongue, in particular when it is a third language, distinct from both mother tongues.-Characteristics:"Lingua franca" is a functionally defined term, independent of the linguistic...
). Of particular importance in this respect are French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
(central and east Caribbean) and Dutch
Dutch language
Dutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...
(south and east of the Caribbean).
After gaining independence, many Caribbean countries, in the search for national unity, selected one language (generally the former colonial language) to be used in government and education. In recent years, Caribbean countries have become increasingly aware of the importance of linguistic diversity. Language policies that are being developed nowadays are mostly aimed at multilingualism.
Demographics
Of the 38 million West Indians (as of 2001), about 62% speak an Spanish a west Caribbean lingua franca. About 25% speak French, about 15% speak English the lingua franca of the eastern Caribbean, and only 0.7% speak Dutch. Spanish, English, and French are important languages: 24, 9 and 5 million speak them as secondary in general.List of major Caribbean languages (by total number of speakers)[needs updating]:
| Country | Population (2001) | Official language | Spoken languages |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anguilla Anguilla Anguilla is a British overseas territory and overseas territory of the European Union in the Caribbean. It is one of the most northerly of the Leeward Islands in the Lesser Antilles, lying east of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands and directly north of Saint Martin... |
11,430 | English | English, Some Spanish |
| Antigua and Barbuda Antigua and Barbuda Antigua and Barbuda is a twin-island nation lying between the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. It consists of two major inhabited islands, Antigua and Barbuda, and a number of smaller islands... |
66,970 | English | English, local dialects |
| Aruba Aruba Aruba is a 33 km-long island of the Lesser Antilles in the southern Caribbean Sea, located 27 km north of the coast of Venezuela and 130 km east of Guajira Peninsula... |
70,007 | Dutch | Papiamento, Dutch, English, Spanish |
| Bahamas | 303,611 | English | English, Creole |
| Barbados Barbados Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles. It is in length and as much as in width, amounting to . It is situated in the western area of the North Atlantic and 100 kilometres east of the Windward Islands and the Caribbean Sea; therein, it is about east of the islands of Saint... |
275,330 | English | English, Some Portuguese creole |
| Bay Islands, Honduras Honduras Honduras is a republic in Central America. It was previously known as Spanish Honduras to differentiate it from British Honduras, which became the modern-day state of Belize... |
49,151 | Spanish | Spanish, English, Amerindian dialects |
| Belize Belize Belize is a constitutional monarchy and the northernmost country in Central America. Belize has a diverse society, comprising many cultures and languages. Even though Kriol and Spanish are spoken among the population, Belize is the only country in Central America where English is the official... |
256,062 | English | English, Spanish, Mayan, Garifuna, Creole |
| Bermuda Bermuda Bermuda is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. Located off the east coast of the United States, its nearest landmass is Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. It is about south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and northeast of Miami, Florida... |
63,503 | English | English, Portuguese |
| Bonaire | 14,230 | Dutch | Papiamento, Dutch, English, Spanish |
| British Virgin Islands British Virgin Islands The Virgin Islands, often called the British Virgin Islands , is a British overseas territory and overseas territory of the European Union, located in the Caribbean to the east of Puerto Rico. The islands make up part of the Virgin Islands archipelago, the remaining islands constituting the U.S... |
20,812 | English | English |
| Cancun Cancún Cancún is a city of international tourism development certified by the UNWTO . Located on the northeast coast of Quintana Roo in southern Mexico, more than 1,700 km from Mexico City, the Project began operations in 1974 as Integrally Planned Center, a pioneer of FONATUR Cancún is a city of... |
400,000 | Spanish | Spanish, English |
| Cayman Islands Cayman Islands The Cayman Islands is a British Overseas Territory and overseas territory of the European Union located in the western Caribbean Sea. The territory comprises the three islands of Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac, and Little Cayman, located south of Cuba and northwest of Jamaica... |
40,900 | English | English |
| Cuba Cuba The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city... |
11,217,100 | Spanish | Spanish |
| Curacao Curaçao Curaçao is an island in the southern Caribbean Sea, off the Venezuelan coast. The Country of Curaçao , which includes the main island plus the small, uninhabited island of Klein Curaçao , is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands... |
130,000 | Dutch | Papiamento, Dutch, Spanish |
| Dominica Dominica Dominica , officially the Commonwealth of Dominica, is an island nation in the Lesser Antilles region of the Caribbean Sea, south-southeast of Guadeloupe and northwest of Martinique. Its size is and the highest point in the country is Morne Diablotins, which has an elevation of . The Commonwealth... |
70,786 | English | English, French patois |
| Dominican Republic Dominican Republic The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries... |
8,581,477 | Spanish | Spanish, Some English |
| Grenada Grenada Grenada is an island country and Commonwealth Realm consisting of the island of Grenada and six smaller islands at the southern end of the Grenadines in the southeastern Caribbean Sea... |
89,227 | English | English, French patois |
| Guadeloupe Guadeloupe Guadeloupe is an archipelago located in the Leeward Islands, in the Lesser Antilles, with a land area of 1,628 square kilometres and a population of 400,000. It is the first overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department. As with the other overseas departments, Guadeloupe... |
431,170 | French | French, Creole patois |
| Haiti Haiti Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island... |
6,964,549 | French | French, Creole, Some Spanish |
| Isla Cozumel | 50,000 | Spanish | Spanish, Some English |
| Isla de Margarita | 350,000 | Spanish | Spanish, Some English |
| Jamaica Jamaica Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic... |
2,665,636 | English | English, Creole, Hindi, Chinese, Some Spanish |
| Martinique Martinique Martinique is an island in the eastern Caribbean Sea, with a land area of . Like Guadeloupe, it is an overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department. To the northwest lies Dominica, to the south St Lucia, and to the southeast Barbados... |
418,454 | French | French, Creole patois |
| Montserrat Montserrat Montserrat is a British overseas territory located in the Leeward Islands, part of the chain of islands called the Lesser Antilles in the West Indies. This island measures approximately long and wide, giving of coastline... |
7,574 | English | English |
| Puerto Rico Puerto Rico Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an... |
3,808,610 | Spanish, English | Spanish, English |
| Saba | 1,704 | Dutch | English, Dutch |
| Saint Barthelemy Saint Barthélemy Saint Barthélemy , officially the Territorial collectivity of Saint Barthélemy , is an overseas collectivity of France. Often abbreviated to Saint-Barth in French, or St. Barts in English, the indigenous people called the island Ouanalao... |
6,500 | French | French, English |
| Saint Croix | 53,234 | English | English |
| Saint John Saint John, U.S. Virgin Islands Saint John is an island in the Caribbean Sea and a constituent district of the United States Virgin Islands , an unincorporated territory of the United States. St... |
4,197 | English | English |
| Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Kitts and Nevis The Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis , located in the Leeward Islands, is a federal two-island nation in the West Indies. It is the smallest sovereign state in the Americas, in both area and population.... |
38,756 | English | English |
| Saint Lucia Saint Lucia Saint Lucia is an island country in the eastern Caribbean Sea on the boundary with the Atlantic Ocean. Part of the Lesser Antilles, it is located north/northeast of the island of Saint Vincent, northwest of Barbados and south of Martinique. It covers a land area of 620 km2 and has an... |
158,178 | English | English, French patois |
| Saint Martin Saint Martin Saint Martin is an island in the northeast Caribbean, approximately east of Puerto Rico. The 87 km2 island is divided roughly 60/40 between France and the Kingdom of the Netherlands ; however, the Dutch side has the larger population. It is one of the smallest sea islands divided between... - FWI |
27,000 | French | French, English, Creole patois, Spanish |
| Saint Thomas Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands Saint Thomas is an island in the Caribbean Sea and with the islands of Saint John, Saint Croix, and Water Island a county and constituent district of the United States Virgin Islands , an unincorporated territory of the United States. Located on the island is the territorial capital and port of... |
51,181 | English | English |
| Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is an island country in the Lesser Antilles chain, namely in the southern portion of the Windward Islands, which lie at the southern end of the eastern border of the Caribbean Sea where the latter meets the Atlantic Ocean.... |
115,942 | English | English, French patois |
| Sint Eustatius | 2,249 | Dutch | English, Dutch, Some Spanish |
| Sint Maarten | 41,718 | Dutch | English, Spanish, Dutch, Creole, Papiamento |
| Trinidad and Tobago Trinidad and Tobago Trinidad and Tobago officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago is an archipelagic state in the southern Caribbean, lying just off the coast of northeastern Venezuela and south of Grenada in the Lesser Antilles... |
1,169,682 | English, Spanish | English, Hindi, French, Spanish, Chinese |
| Turks and Caicos Islands Turks and Caicos Islands The Turks and Caicos Islands are a British Overseas Territory and overseas territory of the European Union consisting of two groups of tropical islands in the Caribbean, the larger Caicos Islands and the smaller Turks Islands, known for tourism and as an offshore financial centre.The Turks and... |
18,122 | English | English |
Linguistic features
Some linguistic features are particularly common among languages spoken in the Caribbean, whereas others seem less common. Such shared traits probably are not due to a common origin of all Caribbean languages. Instead, some may be due to language contactLanguage contact
Language contact occurs when two or more languages or varieties interact. The study of language contact is called contact linguistics.Multilingualism has likely been common throughout much of human history, and today most people in the world are multilingual...
(resulting in borrowing) and specific idioms and phrases may be due to a similar cultural background.
Syntactic
Widespread syntactical structures include the common use of adjectival verbs and the expression of comparison by means of a verb 'to surpass'.Semantic
Quite often, only one term is used for both animal and meat; the word nama or nyama for animal/meat is particularly widespread in otherwise widely divergent Caribbean languages.See also
- Anglophone CaribbeanAnglophone CaribbeanThe term Commonwealth Caribbean is used to refer to the independent English-speaking countries of the Caribbean region. Upon a country's full independence from the United Kingdom, Anglophone Caribbean or Commonwealth Caribbean traditionally becomes the preferred sub-regional term as a replacement...
- Languages of ArubaLanguages of ArubaOn the Caribbean island of Aruba, there are many languages spoken. The official language is Dutch, and schools require students to learn both English and Spanish. French and, to a lesser extent, Portuguese are also present on the island...
- Bahamian CreoleBahamian CreoleBahamian is an English-based creole language spoken by approximately 400,000 people in the Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands.Bahamian is spoken by both white and black Bahamians, although in slightly different forms. Bahamian also tends to be more prevalent in certain areas of the Bahamas...
- Barbadian English
- Caribbean EnglishCaribbean EnglishCaribbean English is a broad term for the dialects of the English language spoken in the Caribbean, most countries on the Caribbean coast of Central America, and Guyana. Caribbean English is influenced by the English-based Creole varieties spoken in the region, but they are not the same. In the...
- Caribbean SpanishCaribbean SpanishCaribbean Spanish is the general name of the Spanish dialects spoken in the Caribbean region. It closely resembles the Spanish spoken in the Canary Islands and Andalusia....
- Cayman CreoleCayman CreoleCayman Creole is an English-based creole language spoken on Cayman Islands in the Caribbean. The number of speakers of Cayman Creole is below 100,000. Cayman Creole does not have the status of an official language.-See also:*Bajan Creole*Bermudian English...
- Creole languageCreole languageA creole language, or simply a creole, is a stable natural language developed from the mixing of parent languages; creoles differ from pidgins in that they have been nativized by children as their primary language, making them have features of natural languages that are normally missing from...
- Cuban SpanishCuban SpanishCuban Spanish is the dialect of the Spanish language as it is spoken in Cuba. As a Caribbean dialect, Cuban Spanish shares a number of features with nearby varieties, including coda deletion, seseo, and debuccalization.-Overview:...
- Dutch Caribbean language
- English phonologyEnglish phonologyEnglish phonology is the study of the sound system of the English language. Like many languages, English has wide variation in pronunciation, both historically and from dialect to dialect...
- English in the Commonwealth of Nations
- Haiti Languages
- Languages of Antigua and Barbuda
- List of sovereign states and dependent territories in the Caribbean