Haiti Warning: You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you log in or create an account, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.Anti-spam check. Do not fill this in! ===Languages=== The two official languages of Haiti are [[French language|French]] and [[Haitian Creole]]. French is the principal written and administratively authorized language (as well as the main language of the press) and is spoken by 42% of [[Haitians]].<ref>{{cite book|title=La langue française dans le monde 2014|date=2014|publisher=Nathan|isbn=978-2-09-882654-0|url=http://www.francophonie.org/Langue-Francaise-2014/projet/Rapport-OIF-2014.pdf|access-date=20 May 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150412002239/http://www.francophonie.org/Langue-Francaise-2014/projet/Rapport-OIF-2014.pdf|archive-date=12 April 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>À ce propos, voir l'essai ''Prétendus Créolismes : le couteau dans l'igname'', Jean-Robert Léonidas, Cidihca, Montréal 1995</ref> It is spoken by all educated Haitians, is the medium of instruction in most schools, and is used in the business sector. It is also used in ceremonial events such as weddings, graduations and church Masses. Haiti is one of two independent nations in the Americas (along with Canada) to designate French as an [[official language]]; the other French-speaking areas are all [[French overseas departments and territories|overseas]] ''[[Departments of France|départements]]'', or ''[[Overseas collectivity|collectivités]]'', of France, such as [[French Guiana]]. Haitian Creole is spoken by nearly all of the Haitian population. French, the base language for Haitian Creole, is popular among the Haitian elite and upper classes. French is also popular in the business sector, and to a far lesser degree, English due to [[Haiti–United States relations|American influence]]. Spanish is spoken by some Haitians who live along the [[Dominican Republic–Haiti border|Haitian-Dominican border]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/what-languages-are-spoken-in-haiti.html|title = What Languages Are Spoken in Haiti?|date = 29 July 2019}}</ref> English and Spanish may also be spoken by Haitian deportees from the United States and various Latin American countries. Overall, about 90–95% of Haitians only speak Haitian Creole/French fluently, with over half only knowing Creole.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://globalpressjournal.com/americas/haiti/schools-teaching-creole-instead-french-rise-haiti/|title = Schools Teaching in Creole Instead of French on the Rise in Haiti|date = 13 November 2019}}</ref> Haitian Creole,<ref>{{cite journal |url=http://www.indiana.edu/~creole/creolenatllangofhaiti.html |title=Creole: The National Language of Haiti |last=Valdman |first= Albert |journal=Footsteps |volume=2 |issue=4 |pages=36–39 |publisher=Indiana University Creole Institute |access-date=6 August 2008 |archive-date=26 June 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150626233455/http://www.indiana.edu/~creole/creolenatllangofhaiti.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> locally called ''Kreyòl'',<ref>{{Cite web |title=Haitian Creole |url=https://celtop.sitehost.iu.edu/portal/Haitian%20Creole/index.html |access-date=4 October 2022 |website=[[Indiana University]] – Center for Language Technology |language=en-US}}</ref> has recently undergone standardization and is spoken by virtually the entire population.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.indiana.edu/~creole/creolenatllangofhaiti.html |title=creolenationallanguageofhaiti |publisher=[[Indiana University]] |access-date=11 January 2014 |archive-date=26 June 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150626233455/http://www.indiana.edu/~creole/creolenatllangofhaiti.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> One of the [[French-based creole languages]], Haitian Creole has a vocabulary overwhelmingly derived from French, but its grammar resembles that of some West African languages. It also has influences from [[Taíno|Taino]], [[Spanish language|Spanish]], and [[Portuguese language|Portuguese]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Bonenfant|first=Jacques L.|title=History of Haitian-Creole: From Pidgin to Lingua Franca and English Influence on the Language|url=http://www.fmuniv.edu/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/History_of_haitian_review_of_higher_education.pdf|editor=Haggerty, Richard A.|publisher=Library of Congress Federal Research Division|date=December 1989|access-date=1 January 2014|archive-date=24 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924014030/http://www.fmuniv.edu/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/History_of_haitian_review_of_higher_education.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref> Haitian Creole is related to the other French creoles, and in particular to the [[Antillean Creole|Antillean]] and [[Louisiana Creole French|Louisiana Creole]] variants. <!---Spanish is often inserted here but never with a reference. There are indications that Haitians speak little Spanish.---> Summary: Please note that all contributions to Christianpedia may be edited, altered, or removed by other contributors. If you do not want your writing to be edited mercilessly, then do not submit it here. You are also promising us that you wrote this yourself, or copied it from a public domain or similar free resource (see Christianpedia:Copyrights for details). Do not submit copyrighted work without permission! Cancel Editing help (opens in new window) Discuss this page