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Linguistic and cultural comparison of Haitian Creole (HC) and Louisiana Creole (LC) by Kirstin Squint.
Historical context: Haitian Revolution (1804) led to outreach of Haitian Creole, impacting Louisiana Creole's development.
Debate over whether Louisiana Creole developed independently before or as a result of Haitian migration.
Early Existence:
Established as a stable, autonomous language by the late 18th century.
Debate exists regarding its origins: whether indigenous or evolved from pre-existing pidgin or creole.
Social Factors:
Louisiana's creoles shaped by diverse social landscapes and plantation slavery.
Limited geographical area of use for LC compared to HC, which expanded internationally.
Evidential Claims:
Over 6,310 speakers as of 1990 census, with questions about categorization between "Creole French" and "French."
Haitian Creole:
Over 8.5 million speakers predominantly in Haiti and diaspora communities.
Official language alongside French (spoken by <10% fluently).
Colonial Background:
French colonization on Hispaniola started in 1629, with a peak slave population around 0.5 million before the Haitian Revolution.
HC originated from forced communication between enslaved Africans and French masters, influenced by Niger-Congo languages.
Louisiana Context:
French occupation began in the early 18th century, bringing slaves speaking various African languages.
Unique demographic patterns created conditions for eventual Creole development.
Linguistic Influences:
Both HC and LC developed from French, but with distinct influences and usages influenced by their environments.
Shared morphemes/markers like future and possession markers, but with notable differences in their deployment.
Possessive Usage:
HC: Noun + ‘ + Pronoun (e.g., cafè ‘ li).
LC: Various pronominal forms (e.g., mo, to, so).
Negative Particle Placement:
HC places "pa" before the verb phase; LC positions it after specific markers.
Verb constructions:
HC: Uses serial verbs extensively; LC has limited constructions resembling serial use.
Similarities:
Habits and states communicated without markers, and some shared temporal expression features.
Haitian Creole's Vibrancy:
Increased acceptance and use in education and literature, with significant texts published.
Stability shown through expanding literature, educational use (e.g., NYC public schools).
Louisiana Creole's Decline:
Faced factors like colonial transitions, language alternation, and sociopolitical marginalization.
Pressures led to its linguistic extinction predicted within decades.
CODOFIL's Role:
Established to promote all forms of French broadly, including Cajun and Creole; however, Creole speakers face additional challenges due to historical marginalization.
Identity and Marginalization:
Evolution of "Creole" identity complicates its sociolinguistic status. Black Creole communities often faced deeper sociopolitical issues, impacting language transmission to younger generations.
Bilingual education in NYC:
Growing population of Haitian children using HC in public schools, promoting linguistic cultural as well as educational integration.
Challenges for Louisiana Creole:
Fragmentation and lack of transmission; presently not politically or socially prioritized in contrast to Cajun French initiatives.
Conclusion on Future of Languages:
Haitian Creole likely to continue thriving due to defined cultural integration, whereas Louisiana Creole faces imminent extinction unless revitalization efforts succeed.
Klingler, Thomas A., and others providing significant studies on HC and LC development and current status.