Kweyol

Kweyol, also spelled Kwéyòl or Kreyòl, is an umbrella term for several related French-based creole languages spoken in the Caribbean and the Indian Ocean. The best known is Haitian Creole (Kreyòl Ayisyen), spoken by the vast majority of Haiti’s population, with official status alongside French in the Haitian constitution of 1987. Other Kwéyòl varieties include Dominica’s Kwéyòl, Saint Lucia’s Kwéyòl, and Mauritian Creole (Kreol Morisien) in Mauritius.

Origins trace to the 17th–18th centuries during European colonization, when French-speaking planters and African enslaved populations interacted, yielding kreyòl languages. The lexicon is largely French-based, while grammar and phonology reflect West and Central African languages, Carib or Taíno influence, and contact with other languages in the region. Consequently, these languages are distinct from French and are generally categorized as creoles.

Orthography and literacy efforts vary by region. Haitian Creole has standardized spelling and vocabulary norms used in education and media; other Kwéyòl varieties have regional writing systems and less formal standardization. In Haiti, Kreyòl is increasingly used in schools and official communications, while in Dominica, Saint Lucia, and Mauritius it functions as a major spoken language with varying degrees of official recognition and use in public life.

Culturally, Kwéyòl supports distinct traditions in literature, music, and daily life, contributing to regional identity and linguistic diversity. The number of speakers ranges from millions in Haiti to tens or hundreds of thousands in other places, reflecting the broad geographic spread and vitality of Kweyol.