French Guianese Creole (Guyanais, Patwa)

French Guianese Creole is a French-based creole spoken by about 150,000 people. It is spoken mainly in French Guiana, and also in Suriname and Guyana. It is more or less mutually intelligible with Antillean Creole, though there are differences in vocabulary and grammar. As well as words of French origin, French Guianese Creole also contains words from Amerindian and African languages.

French Guianese Creole uses the same alphabet as French, with a few differences: Q and X are written K and Z respectively. C is only used as part of the digraph CH when it represents the sound [ʃ]. Otherwise it is written K. Where there is a silent H in French, it is not written in French Guianese Creole, for example homme (man) = wonm.

French Guianese Creole is also known as Guianese Creole French, Guyanais, Guyane, Guyane Creole, Patois and Patwa.

French Guianese Creole pronunciation

French Guianese Creole alphabet and pronunciation

Download an alphabet chart for French Guianese Creole (Excel)

Information about the French Guianese Creole alphabet and pronunciation compiled by Wolfram Siegel

Sample text

Tout moun fèt libr é égal annan dignité é en droi. Yé dwé di rézon é di konsyians, é divet aji roun pou rôt annan oun lespri di fraternité.

Translation

All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.
(Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights)

Links

Information about French Guianese Creole
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_Guianese_Creole
http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cr%C3%A9ole_guyanais http://www.ethnologue.com/show_language.asp?code=gcr

Creole languages

Betawi, Bislama, Cape Verdean Creole, Chavacano, Chinook Jargon, Dominican Creole French, Fanagalo, French Guianese Creole, Guadeloupean Creole, Guinea-Bissau Creole, Haitian Creole, Jamaican, Kituba, Manado Malay, Mauritian Creole, Nagamese, Ndyuka, Norfuk, Nubi, Palenquero, Papiamento, Pijin, Réunion Creole, Sango, Saramaccan, Seychelles Creole, Sierra Leonean Creole, Singlish, Sranan, Saint Lucian Creole, Tok Pisin, Torres-Strait Creole

Languages written with the Latin alphabet

Page last modified: 23.04.21

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