krio

Krio refers to both the Krio language and the Krio people, an ethnolinguistic group in Sierra Leone. The language is an English-based creole that emerged in the late 18th and early 19th centuries among freed African slaves and their descendants who settled in Freetown.

It developed as a common means of communication among diverse groups, blending English vocabulary with grammar and influences from West African languages such as Yoruba, Igbo, Mande, and Kru, as well as elements from Portuguese and other languages. Today Krio is the most widely spoken language in Sierra Leone and functions as the de facto lingua franca, used in daily conversation, media, and many aspects of public life.

It is typically written in the Latin alphabet, though there is no single nationwide standard orthography; spelling and usage vary.

The Krio people are descendants of freed slaves from Britain’s empire and the Americas, along with various African groups, who formed a distinct Sierra Leonean community in Freetown. They developed a shared culture and identity, with Krio as a unifying linguistic medium.

Krio also has diaspora communities in the United Kingdom, the United States, and other countries, where it is maintained by Sierra Leonean migrants. In Sierra Leone, English is the official language, while Krio serves as a dominant language in everyday life, education, and local media.