| Sierra Leone Krio Language |
Website Links For Krio |
Information AboutSierra Leone Krio Language |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT KRIO LANGUAGE | |
| languages of sierra leone | |
| english-based pidgins and creoles | |
| pidgins and creoles | |
| krio people | |
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Krio is a Creole Language native to the Krios , a community of about 250,000 descendants of freed Slaves living in Sierra Leone 's capital city of Freetown. It is also spoken as a lingua franca, or second language, by about 4 million Sierra Leoneans of other ethnic groups, and by thousands of Krio descendants living in other parts of West Africa. The Vocabulary of Krio is derived primarily from English , while its sound system, grammar and sentence structure are heavily influenced by Africa n languages, particularly the Yoruba language of Nigeria . HISTORY Language origins The early roots of Krio go back to the Atlantic slave trade era in the 17th and 18th centuries, when an English-based Pidgin language ( West African Pidgin English , also called Guinea Coast Creole English ) arose to facilitate the coastal trade between Europeans and Africans. This early pidgin later became the lingua franca of regional trade among West Africans themselves, and spread up the river systems to the African interior. After the founding of Freetown, this preexisting pidgin was influenced by the speech of the various groups of freed slaves landed in Sierra Leone between 1787 and about 1855. The pidgin gradually evolved to become the native language of the Krios, descendants of the freed slaves, and thus became a creole language. Krio has been called "a mixture of mixtures." Krio usage in Sierra Leone Most Krios live in Freetown , capital of Sierra Leone, and their community accounts for only about 2% of Sierra Leone's total population. However, because of their cultural influence in Sierra Leone — especially during the period of colonial rule — their language is used as the lingua franca among all the tribes in Sierra Leone. Many Mende s, Temne s, and Limba s grow up in the interior of the country speaking both their native language and Krio. Krio speakers abroad The Krio people acted as traders and missionaries in other parts of West Africa during the 19th century, and as a result there are also Krio-speaking communities in The Gambia , Nigeria , Cameroon , and Equatorial Guinea . Language revival During the period of colonial rule, Sierra Leoneans were discouraged from speaking Krio; but after Independence from Great Britain in 1961 , writers and educators began promoting its use. In the 1960s, Thomas Decker translated some of Shakespeare 's plays into Krio, and composed original poetry in the language. In the 1980s the New Testament was translated into Krio. While English is Sierra Leone's official language, the Ministry of Education began using Krio as the medium of instruction in some primary schools in Freetown in the 1990s. Radio stations now broadcast a wide variety of programs in Krio. Sierra Leonean politicians also routinely give public speeches in the language. LANGUAGE FEATURES Krio is similar in many respects to Nigerian Pidgin English and Cameroonian Pidgin English , but it has its own distinctive character. It is also similar to English-based creole languages spoken in the Americas, especially the Gullah Language and Jamaican Creole . EXAMPLES Here are some examples of Sierra Leone Krio: Kushe. Kushe-o. Weytin na yu neym? A neym Jeymz. Usai yu kohmoht? A kohmoht Eystinz. Us wok yu dey du? Mi na ticha. Na us skul yu dey tich? A dey tich na Prins ohv Weylz. A gladi foh mit yu. Misef gladi foh mit yu. OK, wi go si bak. SEE ALSO EXTERNAL LINKS |
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