Haitian

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A language of Haiti

ISO 639-3
hat
Alternate Names
Creole, Haitian Creole
Population

6,960,000 in Haiti (2001). Population total all countries: 7,731,240.

Location

Widespread. Also in Bahamas, Canada, Cayman Islands, Dominican Republic, French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Puerto Rico, Saint Martin, Turks and Caicos Islands, United States.

Language Maps
Language Status

1 (National). Statutory national language (1987, Constitution, Article 5 (1,2)).

Classification
Creole, French based
Dialects

Fablas, Plateau Haitian Creole. Linguistic influences from Wolof [wol] (Benjamin 1956), Fon [fon], and Éwé [ewe] (C. Lefebvre) of West Africa.

Typology

SVO; prepositions; articles after noun heads

Language Use

Vigorous. Also use French [fra].

Language Development
Newspapers. New media. Radio programs. TV. Dictionary. Grammar. Bible: 1985.
Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Haitian
Writing
Latin script.
Other Comments

In 1961 granted legal and educational status in Haiti. A growing literature, including poetry. Lower social status than standard French.

Also spoken in:

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