ABSTRACT

French creoles are spoken in different parts of the world, particularly on small islands in the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacifi c Ocean. Those which are spoken on some of the Atlantic islands include Haitian, St. Lucian, Martinican, Guadeloupean, and Dominican Creole (collectively known as the Caribbean French Creoles). Those which are spoken on some of the islands in the Indian Ocean are Seychelles Creole, Mauritian Creole, Rodrigues Creole (collectively referred to here as the IOC), and Réunion Creole. In the Pacifi c, Tayo is spoken on the island of New Caledonia. French creoles are not however restricted to small islands but can also be found on coastal mainlands, e.g. Guyanese Creole and Karipuna Creole are spoken in the northeast part of South America, while Louisiana Creole is spoken in the state of Louisiana in the United States.