Creole is a language? Say what?

Yes, Creole is a language, too.

The other day, I made a statement about speaking Creole. One person asked, stated that she didn’t know Creole was a language. After that, many more chimed in that they didn’t know, either.

Well…

That leads me to my blog today. Yes, Creole just don’t refer to people and culture, it also refers to a language. But what is it? Who speaks it? What does it sound like and where does it come from? As a matter-of-fact, what is Creole? I was asked all those questions. So, here are five quick facts about Creole.

Creole is a romance language and is French-based. It is spoken in some parts of Louisiana. It is different from the French spoken in Europe, but not so much that other francophones have difficulty understanding. What makes Creole French different is that it is comprised of elements of European French, Native American, Spanish, and an array of African languages.
Creole French developed largely as a result of slavery in Louisiana colonies. The French speaking residents and slave owners needed to communicate with African slaves who spoke a variety of African languages depending on their native region of Africa. These languages blended to form a hybrid or pidgin language.
Not all Creoles speak French or Creole French.
There is a difference between Cajun and Creole. Cajuns are largely descendants from Nova Scotia. As the saying in the bayous goes: Cajun isn’t Creole, and Creole isn’t Cajun. Don’t get it twisted.
The word Creole derives from the Portuguese word crioulo. Crioulo means a slave born in the master’s household.

And there you have it. Five quick facts about Creoles.