English-based creole languages

An English-based creole language (often shortened to English creole) is a special kind of language that grew from English. These languages use many words from English as their main vocabulary. This happened mostly in places where Britain had colonies, during the time when its navy and trade grew a lot between the 1600s and 1800s.

There are two big groups of English-based creoles: Atlantic creoles, found in places like the Americas and Africa, and Pacific creoles, found in Asia and Oceania. Today, many people around the world speak these creole languages. Some countries with many speakers include Sierra Leone, Malaysia, Nigeria, Ghana, Jamaica, and Singapore. These languages show the rich mixing of cultures and histories in many parts of the world.

Origin

People often ask if all English-based creole languages started in the same place. Some think that one early language, called proto–Pidgin English, spoken along the West African coast in the 1500s, was the basis for many Atlantic creoles. These creoles are found in West Africa and the Americas.

The idea that all these creoles share this single origin is called the monogenesis hypothesis.

monogenesis hypothesis

Table of creole languages

Name	Country	Number of speakers
Atlantic
Western Caribbean
Bahamian Creole	Bahamas	328,000 (2018)
Turks and Caicos Creole English	Turks and Caicos	34,400 (2019)
Bay Islands English	Honduras	22,500 (2001)
Jamaican Patois	Jamaica	3,043,280 (2001)
Belizean Creole	Belize	170,000 (2014)
Miskito Coast Creole	Nicaragua	18,400 (2009)
Limonese Creole	Costa Rica	55,100 (2013)
Bocas del Toro Creole	Panama	268,000 (2000)
San Andrés–Providencia Creole	Colombia	12,000 (1981)
Eastern Caribbean
Virgin Islands Creole	US Virgin Islands British Virgin Islands Sint Maarten Puerto Rico Saint-Martin Sint Eustatius Saba	89,700 (2019)
Anguillan Creole	Anguilla	11,500 (2001)
Barbudan Creole	Antigua and Barbuda	1,400 (2011)
North Antiguan Creole	Antigua and Barbuda	48,000 (2011)
South Antiguan Creole	Antigua and Barbuda	6,800 (2011)
Saint Kitts Creole	Saint Kitts and Nevis	51,000 (2015)
Montserrat Creole	Montserrat	5,130 (2020)
Kokoy	Dominica	unknown, growing
Vincentian Creole	Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	108,000 (2016)
Grenadian Creole	Grenada	107,000 (2020)
Tobagonian Creole	Trinidad and Tobago	300,000 (2011)
Trinidadian Creole	Trinidad and Tobago	1,000,000 (2011)
Bajan Dialect	Barbados	257,000 (2018)
Guyanese Creole	Guyana	715,200 (2021)
Sranan Tongo	Suriname	669,600 (2016–2018)
Saramaccan	Suriname	34,500 (2018)
Ndyuka	Suriname	67,800 (2018)
Kwinti	Suriname	250 (2018)
Southern-Caribbean
Venezuelan English Creole	Venezuela	unknown, likely endangered (2018)
San Nicolaas English	Aruba	15,000 (estimation) (2020)
North America
Gullah	United States	300 (2023)
Afro-Seminole Creole	United States Mexico	200 (1990)
West Africa
Krio	Sierra Leone	8,237,900 (2019)
Kreyol	Liberia	5,113,000 (2015)
Ghanaian Pidgin	Ghana	5,002,000 (2011)
Nigerian Pidgin	Nigeria	120,650,000
Cameroonian Pidgin	Cameroon	12,000,000 (2017)
Equatorial Guinean Pidgin	Equatorial Guinea	200,000 (2020)
Pacific
Hawaiian Pidgin	Hawaii United States	600,000 (2015)
Ngatikese Creole	Micronesia	700 (1983)
Tok Pisin	Papua New Guinea	4,125,740
Pijin	Solomon Islands	564,000 (2012–2019)
Bislama	Vanuatu	12,570 (2011)
Pitcairn-Norfolk	Pitcairn Norfolk Island	1,786
Australian Kriol	Australia	17,160
Torres Strait Creole	Australia	6,170 (2016)
Bonin English	Japan	Possibly 1,000–2000 (2004)
Singlish	Singapore	2,140,000
Manglish	Malaysia	10,300,000

Marginal

Some English-based creole languages are used in special ways or by very small groups. These include Bonin English, which some people think is a mix of languages, Iyaric ("Rastafarian"), and Jamaican Maroon Spirit Possession Language.

Other

Some languages are called creoles, but they are not true creoles. These include Bay Islands English and Cayman Islands English.