| Grenadian Creole | |
|---|---|
| Spoken in | Grenada |
| Native speakers | 89,227[1] (date missing) |
| Language family |
English Creole
|
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | gcl |
| Linguasphere | 52-ABB-as |
Grenadian Creole, is a term that may refer to either Grenadian Creole English or Grenadian Creole French.
Grenadian Creole English, is a Creole language spoken in Grenada. It is a member of the Southern branch of English-based Eastern Atlantic Creoles, along with Antiguan Creole (Antigua and Barbuda), Bajan Creole (Barbados), Guyanese Creole (Guyana), Tobagonian Creole, Trinidadian Creole (Trinidad and Tobago), Vincentian Creole (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines), and Virgin Islands Creole (Virgin Islands).[2] It is the native language of nearly all inhabitants of Grenada, or approximately 89,000 native speakers.[1]
The older Grenadian Creole French. is considered to be the same language as Saint Lucian French Creole.[3] In Grenada, and among Grenadians, it is referred to as "Patois" without any qualification of the term, or, alternatively, as French Patois. This French Patois, was once the lingua franka in Grenada, and could still be commonly heard as recently as 80 years ago. Then, even children in some rural areas could speak it. By the mid-Twentieth Century, mainly seniors, in some rural areas, could speak French Patois. In the Twenty-first Century, it can only be heard in a few small pockets of the society.
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The first successful settlement by a western colonial power was in 1650, when the French established friendly contact with the native Caribs. The British took control of the island in the 18th century, and ruled until its independence in 1974.[4] Despite the long history of British rule, Grenada's French heritage is still evidenced by the number of French loanwords in Grenadian Creole.[5]
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