Lesser Antillean French Creole

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A language of Saint Lucia

Alternate Names
Créole, French Creole, French-lexicon Creole, French-lexified Creole, Patois, Patwa
Autonym
Kwéyòl
User Population

131,000 in Saint Lucia (2016). Total users in all countries: 702,353.

Location

Widespread.

Language Status

5* (Developing). De facto language of national identity.

Dialects

Grenadian French Creole, Saint Lucian French Creole. Not intelligible with standard French [fra]. All French creoles of the Caribbean are somewhat mutually inherently intelligible (Goodman 1964). Dominica dialect is virtually the same as Saint Lucia (97%–99% intelligibility).

Language Use

In French-influenced islands nearly all speak Creole as L1, although also a local variety of standard French [fra]. In English influence areas, Creole has less standing, and speakers have a low literacy rate. All domains. Also use English [eng]. Also use French [fra].

Language Development

Literacy rate in L2: 36%. Literature. Newspapers. Radio. Dictionary. Grammar. NT: 1999.

Writing

Latin script [Latn].

Other Comments

Christian.

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