Krio
English-based creole
Krio (Sierra Leone Krio) is the English-lexified creole of Sierra Leone, the L1 of the Krio people (descendants of freed slaves resettled in Freetown 1787-1855: London Black Poor, Nova Scotian Settlers, Maroons, and Liberated Africans recaptured from slave ships) and the lingua franca of ~7.5M Sierra Leoneans. Genetically related to Jamaican Patois, Gullah and Saramaccan via the Atlantic English-creole network, but with significant Yoruba and Akan substrate from Liberated Africans. Krio's prestige made it influential across West Africa, contributing to Cameroonian Pidgin and Nigerian Pidgin development. Standardized orthography by Lorenzo Turner (1949) and Jones (1971).
Where it is spoken
31 core words in Krio
Water
wata
/ˈwata/
Fire
faya
/ˈfaja/
Sun
san
/san/
Moon
mun
/mun/
Star
star
/staː/
Mother
mama
/ˈmama/
Father
papa
/ˈpapa/
I
mi
/mi/
You
yu
/ju/
Name
nem
/nɛm/
Eye
ay
/aj/
Hand
an
/an/
Heart
at
/at/
Love
lɛk
/lɛk/
Tree
tik
/tik/
House
os
/ɔs/
Dog
dɔg
/dɔɡ/
Cat
pus
/pus/
Eat
it
/it/
Drink
drink
/drɪŋk/
One
wan
/wan/
Two
tu
/tu/
Hello
kushɛ
/kuˈʃɛ/
Thank you
tɛnki
/ˈtɛŋki/
Good
gud
/ɡud/
Sources
- Ethnologue: kri
- Jones (1971) An English-Krio Dictionary
- Hancock (1986) The Domestic Hypothesis on the Origin of Atlantic Creoles
Words compared
Compared with related English-based creole languages
| Meaning | Krio | Torres Strait Creole | Bislama | Nigerian Pidgin | Sranan Tongo | Tok Pisin | Pijin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | wata /ˈwata/ | woda /woda/ | wota /wota/ | wọtá /wɔta/ | watra /watra/ | wara /waɾa/ | wata /wata/ |
| Fire | faya /ˈfaja/ | paya /paja/ | faea /faea/ | faya /faja/ | faya /faja/ | paia /paja/ | faea /faja/ |
| Sun | san /san/ | san /san/ | san /san/ | sọn /sɔn/ | son /son/ | san /san/ | san /san/ |
| Moon | mun /mun/ | mun /mun/ | mun /mun/ | mun /mun/ | mun /mun/ | mun /mun/ | mun /mun/ |
| Star | star /staː/ | sta /sta/ | sta /sta/ | star /staː/ | stari /ˈstari/ | sta /sta/ | sta /sta/ |
| Mother | mama /ˈmama/ | mama /mama/ | mama /mama/ | mama /mama/ | mama /mama/ | mama /mama/ | mami /mami/ |
| Father | papa /ˈpapa/ | papa /papa/ | papa /papa/ | papa /papa/ | papa /papa/ | papa /papa/ | dadi /dadi/ |
| I | mi /mi/ | ai /ai/ | mi /mi/ | A /a/ | mi /mi/ | mi /mi/ | mi /mi/ |
| You | yu /ju/ | yu /ju/ | yu /ju/ | you /ju/ | yu /ju/ | yu /ju/ | iu /iu/ |
| Name | nem /nɛm/ | nem /nem/ | nem /nem/ | nem /nɛm/ | nen /nɛn/ | nem /nem/ | nem /nem/ |
| Eye | ay /aj/ | ai /aj/ | ae /ae/ | ai /aɪ/ | ai /ai/ | ai /aj/ | ae /ae/ |
| Hand | an /an/ | han /han/ | han /han/ | hand /hand/ | anu /anu/ | han /han/ | han /han/ |
| Heart | at /at/ | hart /hart/ | bel /bel/ | hat /hat/ | ati /ati/ | bel /bel/ | hat /hat/ |
| Love | lɛk /lɛk/ | lavem /lavɛm/ | laekem /laekem/ | lọv /lɔv/ | lobi /lobi/ | laikim /lajkim/ | lavem /lavem/ |
| Tree | tik /tik/ | tri /tri/ | tri /tri/ | tri /tɾi/ | bon /boŋ/ | diwai /diwaj/ | tri /tri/ |
| House | os /ɔs/ | haus /haʊs/ | haos /haos/ | haus /haʊs/ | oso /oso/ | haus /haʊs/ | haos /haos/ |
| Dog | dɔg /dɔɡ/ | dog /dɔɡ/ | dog /doɡ/ | dọg /dɔɡ/ | dagu /daɡu/ | dok /dok/ | dogi /doɡi/ |
| Cat | pus /pus/ | pusiket /pusiket/ | pusi /pusi/ | pus /pus/ | poesi /pusi/ | pusi /pusi/ | puskat /puskat/ |
| Eat | it /it/ | kaikai /kajkaj/ | kakae /kakae/ | chọp /tʃɔp/ | nyan /ɲan/ | kaikai /kajkaj/ | kaikai /kajkaj/ |
| Drink | drink /drɪŋk/ | dringk /driŋk/ | dring /driŋ/ | drink /dɾiŋk/ | dringi /driŋi/ | dring /dɾiŋ/ | dring /driŋ/ |
| One | wan /wan/ | wan /wan/ | wan /wan/ | wan /wan/ | wan /wan/ | wanpela /wanpɛla/ | wanfala /wanfala/ |
| Two | tu /tu/ | tu /tu/ | tu /tu/ | tu /tu/ | tu /tu/ | tu /tu/ | tu /tu/ |
| Hello | kushɛ /kuˈʃɛ/ | wis wei /wis wej/ | halo /halo/ | how far /haʊ faː/ | odi /odi/ | halo /halo/ | halo /halo/ |
| Thank you | tɛnki /ˈtɛŋki/ | eso /ɛso/ | tangkyu /taŋkju/ | tenki /tɛnki/ | grantangi /ɡrantaŋi/ | tenkyu /tɛŋkju/ | tagio /taɡio/ |
| Good | gud /ɡud/ | gud /ɡud/ | gud /ɡud/ | fain /faɪn/ | bun /bun/ | gutpela /ɡutpɛla/ | gud /ɡud/ |
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