Nicaragua English Creole

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A language of Nicaragua

ISO 639-3
bzk
Alternate Names
Mískito Coast English Creole
Autonym
Creole
User Population

18,400 (2009 UNSD). 630 Rama Cay Creole speakers (Holm 1989).

Location

Scattered. North Caribbean Coast Autonomous Region and South Caribbean Coast Autonomous Region: Bluefields region, Corn islands, Pearl lagoon, Prinzapolka, Puerto Cabezas, Rama Cay island.

Language Maps
Language Status

4 (Educational). Recognized language (1993, Official Language Use, Atlantic Autonomous Regions, Law No. 162, Article 4).

Classification
Creole, English based, Atlantic, Western
Dialects

Rama Cay English Creole, Bluefields English Creole.

Language Use

Positive attitudes. Also use English [eng]. Also use Spanish [spa]. Used as L2 by Mískito [miq], Rama [rma], Spanish [spa], Ulwa [ulw].

Language Development

Taught in primary schools. Oral use, but no written use. Grammar.

Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Nicaragua English Creole
Writing

Latin script [Latn].

Other Comments

There is a continuum of variation from basilectal Creole to acrolectal English of the educated. There have been efforts to develop a writing system but nothing has been standardized (2002 SIL).