Language Information
Haitian Creole, often called simply Creole or Kreyòl, is a French-based creole and is one of Haiti's two official languages, along with French. The word creole is of Latin origin and is a Portuguese term that means, "raised in the home". It was first referred to Europeans born and raised in overseas colonies but later used to refer to the language as well. Haitian Creole is spoken by roughly ten to twelve million people. Haitian Creole is the first language of 90.5% of Haitians. It is a creole based largely on 18th-century French with some influences from Portuguese, Aramaic, Spanish, Taíno, and West African languages.
Indiana University was home to the Creole Insitute, founded by Dr. Albert Valdman, from 1968 to 2019. The Institute closed as of May 2019, but its materials have been entrusted to other units at Indiana University. Learn more about the Institute and its materials at this link.
| Department | Latin American & Caribbean Studies |
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