Kréyòl Gwadloupéyen
Guadeloupean Creole
French-based creole
Guadeloupean Creole (Kréyòl Gwadloupéyen) is the French-based creole of Guadeloupe and closely related to Martinican Creole — together often called Antillean Creole. Substantial substrate influence from West African languages brought during the Atlantic slave trade. Standardized in the GEREC-2 orthography. About 430,000 L1 speakers in Guadeloupe and the diaspora.
Where it is spoken
20 core words in Guadeloupean Creole
Water
dlo
/dlo/
Fire
difé
/dife/
Sun
solèy
/solɛj/
Moon
lalin
/lalin/
Mother
manman
/mãmã/
Father
papa
/papa/
Eat
manjé
/mãʒe/
Drink
bwè
/bwɛ/
Love
lanmou
/lãmu/
Heart
kè
/kɛ/
Tree
pyé bwa
/pje bwa/
House
kaz
/kaz/
Dog
chyen
/ʃjɛ̃/
Cat
chat
/ʃat/
Hand
men
/mɛ̃/
Eye
zyé
/zje/
Hello
bonjou
/bõʒu/
Thank you
mèsi
/mɛsi/
One
yonn
/jõn/
Good
bon
/bõ/
Sources
- Ludwig et al. (2002) — Dictionnaire créole français
- Ethnologue 27: Guadeloupean Creole
Words compared
Compared with related French-based creole languages
| Meaning | Guadeloupean Creole | Haitian Creole | Réunion Creole | Seychellois Creole | Mauritian Creole | French | French (African) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | dlo /dlo/ | dlo /dlo/ | dlo /dlo/ | delo /delo/ | dilo /dilo/ | eau /o/ | eau /o/ |
| Fire | difé /dife/ | dife /dife/ | dofé /dofe/ | dife /dife/ | dife /dife/ | feu /fø/ | feu /fø/ |
| Sun | solèy /solɛj/ | solèy /sɔlɛj/ | soley /solej/ | soley /solej/ | soley /solej/ | soleil /sɔlɛj/ | soleil /sɔlɛj/ |
| Moon | lalin /lalin/ | lalin /lalin/ | lalinn /lalin/ | lalin /lalin/ | lalinn /lalin/ | lune /lyn/ | lune /lyn/ |
| Mother | manman /mãmã/ | manman /mɑ̃mɑ̃/ | manmon /mãmõ/ | manman /mãmã/ | mama /mama/ | mère /mɛʁ/ | mère /mɛʁ/ |
| Father | papa /papa/ | papa /papa/ | papa /papa/ | papa /papa/ | papa /papa/ | père /pɛʁ/ | père /pɛʁ/ |
| Eat | manjé /mãʒe/ | manje /mɑ̃ʒe/ | manz /mãz/ | manze /mãze/ | manze /mãze/ | manger /mɑ̃ʒe/ | manger /mɑ̃ʒe/ |
| Drink | bwè /bwɛ/ | bwè /bwɛ/ | bwar /bwaʁ/ | bwar /bwaʁ/ | bwar /bwaɾ/ | boire /bwaʁ/ | boire /bwaʁ/ |
| Love | lanmou /lãmu/ | lanmou /lɑ̃mu/ | lamour /lamuʁ/ | lanmour /lãmuʁ/ | lamour /lamuɾ/ | amour /amuʁ/ | amour /amuʁ/ |
| Heart | kè /kɛ/ | kè /kɛ/ | ker /kɛʁ/ | leker /lekeʁ/ | leker /lekeɾ/ | cœur /kœʁ/ | cœur /kœʁ/ |
| Tree | pyé bwa /pje bwa/ | pyebwa /pjebwa/ | pyébwa /pjebwa/ | pye dibwa /pje dibwa/ | pye /pje/ | arbre /aʁbʁ/ | arbre /aʁbʁ/ |
| House | kaz /kaz/ | kay /kaj/ | kaz /kaz/ | lakaz /lakaz/ | lakaz /lakaz/ | maison /mɛzɔ̃/ | maison /mɛzɔ̃/ |
| Dog | chyen /ʃjɛ̃/ | chen /ʃɛ̃/ | lisien /lisjɛ̃/ | lisyen /lisjɛ̃/ | lisien /lisjɛ̃/ | chien /ʃjɛ̃/ | chien /ʃjɛ̃/ |
| Cat | chat /ʃat/ | chat /ʃat/ | shat /ʃat/ | sat /sat/ | sat /sat/ | chat /ʃa/ | chat /ʃa/ |
| Hand | men /mɛ̃/ | men /mɛ̃/ | lamin /lamɛ̃/ | lanmen /lãmɛ̃/ | lame /lame/ | main /mɛ̃/ | main /mɛ̃/ |
| Eye | zyé /zje/ | je /ʒe/ | zié /zje/ | lizye /lizje/ | lizie /lizje/ | œil /œj/ | œil /œj/ |
| Hello | bonjou /bõʒu/ | bonjou /bɔ̃ʒu/ | bonzour /bõzuʁ/ | bonzour /bõzuʁ/ | bonzour /bõzuɾ/ | bonjour /bɔ̃ʒuʁ/ | bonjour /bɔ̃ʒuʁ/ |
| Thank you | mèsi /mɛsi/ | mèsi /mɛsi/ | mersi /mɛʁsi/ | mersi /mɛʁsi/ | mersi /meɾsi/ | merci /mɛʁsi/ | merci /mɛʁsi/ |
| One | yonn /jõn/ | youn /jun/ | inn /in/ | enn /ɛn/ | enn /ɛn/ | un /œ̃/ | un /œ̃/ |
| Good | bon /bõ/ | bon /bɔ̃/ | bon /bõ/ | bon /bõ/ | bon /bõ/ | bon /bɔ̃/ | bon /bɔ̃/ |
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