Kriyòl
French Guianese Creole
French creole
French Guianese Creole (kréyòl gwiyannen) is a French-lexified creole spoken chiefly in the coastal communities of French Guiana, distinct from the English-based Creole of neighboring Guyana. It developed in the plantation society of French Guiana through contact among colonial French varieties and languages spoken by enslaved Africans, and later contact added vocabulary from Portuguese, Indigenous, and other regional languages. Its grammar is analytic, generally uses subject–verb–object order, and marks tense, mood, and aspect mainly with preverbal particles. A phonemic Latin-based orthography promoted by GEREC-F is used in teaching and publications. France recognized it as a regional language in 2012, while French remains the sole official language.
Where it is spoken
31 core words in French Guianese Creole
Water
dlo
/dlo/
Fire
dife
/dife/
Sun
solèy
/sɔlɛj/
Moon
lalin
/lalin/
Star
zetwal
/zetwal/
Mother
manman
/mɑ̃mɑ̃/
Father
papa
/papa/
I
mo
/mo/
You
to
/to/
Name
non
/nɔ̃/
Eye
zye
/zje/
Hand
men
/mɛn/
Heart
kè
/kɛ/
Love
renmen
/rɛ̃mɛn/
Tree
bwa
/bwa/
House
kaz
/kaz/
Dog
chen
/ʃɛ̃/
Cat
chat
/ʃa/
Eat
manjé
/mɑ̃ʒe/
Drink
bwè
/bwɛ/
One
youn
/jun/
Two
de
/de/
Hello
bonjou
/bõʒu/
Thank you
mèsi
/mɛsi/
Good
bon
/bõ/
Words compared
Compared with related French creole languages
| Meaning | French Guianese Creole | Haitian Creole | Guadeloupean Creole | Saint Lucian Creole | Réunion Creole | Mauritian Creole | Seychellois Creole |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | dlo /dlo/ | dlo /dlo/ | dlo /dlo/ | dlo /dlo/ | dlo /dlo/ | dilo /dilo/ | delo /delo/ |
| Fire | dife /dife/ | dife /dife/ | difé /dife/ | difé /dife/ | dofé /dofe/ | dife /dife/ | dife /dife/ |
| Sun | solèy /sɔlɛj/ | solèy /sɔlɛj/ | solèy /solɛj/ | solèy /solɛj/ | soley /solej/ | soley /solej/ | soley /solej/ |
| Moon | lalin /lalin/ | lalin /lalin/ | lalin /lalin/ | lalin /lalin/ | lalinn /lalin/ | lalinn /lalin/ | lalin /lalin/ |
| Star | zetwal /zetwal/ | zetwal /zetwal/ | zétwal /zetwal/ | zetwal /zetwal/ | zétoil /zetwal/ | zetwal /zetwal/ | zetwal /zetwal/ |
| Mother | manman /mɑ̃mɑ̃/ | manman /mɑ̃mɑ̃/ | manman /mãmã/ | manman /mɑ̃mɑ̃/ | manmon /mãmõ/ | mama /mama/ | manman /mãmã/ |
| Father | papa /papa/ | papa /papa/ | papa /papa/ | papa /papa/ | papa /papa/ | papa /papa/ | papa /papa/ |
| I | mo /mo/ | mwen /mwɛ̃/ | an /ã/ | mwen /mwɛ̃/ | mwin /mwɛ̃/ | mo /mo/ | mon /mɔ̃/ |
| You | to /to/ | ou /u/ | ou /u/ | ou /u/ | ou /u/ | to /to/ | ou /u/ |
| Name | non /nɔ̃/ | non /nɔ̃/ | non /nɔ̃/ | non /nõ/ | nom /nɔm/ | nom /nom/ | non /nɔ̃/ |
| Eye | zye /zje/ | je /ʒe/ | zyé /zje/ | zié /zje/ | zié /zje/ | lizie /lizje/ | lizye /lizje/ |
| Hand | men /mɛn/ | men /mɛ̃/ | men /mɛ̃/ | lanmen /lɑ̃mɛn/ | lamin /lamɛ̃/ | lame /lame/ | lanmen /lãmɛ̃/ |
| Heart | kè /kɛ/ | kè /kɛ/ | kè /kɛ/ | tjè /tʃɛ/ | ker /kɛʁ/ | leker /lekeɾ/ | leker /lekeʁ/ |
| Love | renmen /rɛ̃mɛn/ | lanmou /lɑ̃mu/ | lanmou /lãmu/ | anmou /ɑ̃mu/ | lamour /lamuʁ/ | lamour /lamuɾ/ | lanmour /lãmuʁ/ |
| Tree | bwa /bwa/ | pyebwa /pjebwa/ | pyé bwa /pje bwa/ | piébwa /pjebwa/ | pyébwa /pjebwa/ | pye /pje/ | pye dibwa /pje dibwa/ |
| House | kaz /kaz/ | kay /kaj/ | kaz /kaz/ | kay /kaj/ | kaz /kaz/ | lakaz /lakaz/ | lakaz /lakaz/ |
| Dog | chen /ʃɛ̃/ | chen /ʃɛ̃/ | chyen /ʃjɛ̃/ | chyen /tʃjɛn/ | lisien /lisjɛ̃/ | lisien /lisjɛ̃/ | lisyen /lisjɛ̃/ |
| Cat | chat /ʃa/ | chat /ʃat/ | chat /ʃat/ | chat /tʃa/ | shat /ʃat/ | sat /sat/ | sat /sat/ |
| Eat | manjé /mɑ̃ʒe/ | manje /mɑ̃ʒe/ | manjé /mãʒe/ | manjé /mɑ̃ʒe/ | manz /mãz/ | manze /mãze/ | manze /mãze/ |
| Drink | bwè /bwɛ/ | bwè /bwɛ/ | bwè /bwɛ/ | bwè /bwɛ/ | bwar /bwaʁ/ | bwar /bwaɾ/ | bwar /bwaʁ/ |
| One | youn /jun/ | youn /jun/ | yonn /jõn/ | yonn /jɔn/ | inn /in/ | enn /ɛn/ | enn /ɛn/ |
| Two | de /de/ | de /de/ | dé /de/ | dé /de/ | de /de/ | de /de/ | de /de/ |
| Hello | bonjou /bõʒu/ | bonjou /bɔ̃ʒu/ | bonjou /bõʒu/ | bonjou /bɔ̃ʒu/ | bonzour /bõzuʁ/ | bonzour /bõzuɾ/ | bonzour /bõzuʁ/ |
| Thank you | mèsi /mɛsi/ | mèsi /mɛsi/ | mèsi /mɛsi/ | mèsi /mɛsi/ | mersi /mɛʁsi/ | mersi /meɾsi/ | mersi /mɛʁsi/ |
| Good | bon /bõ/ | bon /bɔ̃/ | bon /bõ/ | bon /bɔ̃/ | bon /bõ/ | bon /bõ/ | bon /bõ/ |
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