Réunion Creole

Réunion Creole(language code rcf) is the French creole language of Réunion.  Réunion Creole is considered a semi-creole by some scholars. It was not totally pidginize. The creole has no official orthography. The language is spoken by African and mixed race population,  whites, and Indians. Réunion creole is different from Morisyen (Mauritian) and Seselwa (Seychelle) creole. The latter two are more similiar. The creole is also spoken in Comoros Islands and Madagascar.

Three flavors of the language has been identified: Créole des Hautes, spoken in the highland mountainous region, mainly by poor whites, Créole des Bas developed during slavery and spoken by the African, mixed, and Indian population in the lowlands and coastal regions, urban creole which is very close to French. The urban flavor has phonemes, which is absent from the highland and lowland variety.

Two morphological forms exist for verbs: the past and present.

Réunion, initially was un-inhabited. The French, Malagasy, and east African slaves were the first to inhabit the island. In 1848, indentured Indian labor was imported. 

Sample Words

Ti mère-Mother in law
Ti père-Father in law
Gramoune-An old person      
Di moune-Many people
Careau-Laundry iron
L'argent braguette-Family allowances
Roder-To search for
Coup de sec-Glass of rum 
Désordre-Noise
Estomac-Chest
Moque-Can
Saisissement-Fainting
Navé-There was
Malbar-Non muslim Indian
Z'arabe-Muslim Indian
Grègue-Cofee machine
Couverte-Blanket
Bonbon la fesse-Suppository
Mi aime a ou-I love you
La di la fé-Gossips
Moucater-to laugh at
Mi ça va-I am going
Mi di a ou-I am saying to you
Guette a li-look at him
Zordi-Today
Batt' un carré- To go for a walk
Zézer- Fiancee
Koméla- Now
Le coco- the head

  

Work Cited

Creole:A Little English Creole Dictionary <http://jmregnier.free.fr/reueng/dicoeng.htm> retrieved 25-July-2012

Holm, John A. Pidgins and Creoles:Reference Survey.  Cambridge University Press pp. 394-395. ISBN 0521359406, 9780521359405

Lewis, M. Paul (ed.), 2009. Ethnologue: Languages of the World, Sixteenth edition. Dallas, Tex.: SIL International. Online version: http://www.ethnologue.com/.