Language quiz

Here’s a recording in a mystery language.

Can you identify the language and where it’s spoken?

Comments (10)

MutApril 24th, 2011 at 9:31 am

I’m French and I understand many words, so I guess it’s a French-based creole.

Christopher MillerApril 24th, 2011 at 9:31 am

A West Indian French Creole and it sounds almost certainly to be Haitian.

bennieApril 24th, 2011 at 11:36 am

Sounds like a mix between French and Portuguese. It could be Occitan.

But I’m also going with a French-based Creole. My best guess would be French Guiana Creole spoken in French Guiana.

praseApril 24th, 2011 at 12:20 pm

Sounds like a mangled French news report on the political situation in Syria.

dreaminjoshApril 24th, 2011 at 2:16 pm

Martinique creole?

Christopher MillerApril 24th, 2011 at 5:58 pm

Some words and phrases I definitely recognise as Haitian Creole (Kreyòl Ayisyèn):

moun – people
té ouvè – opened (<— French été + ouvert) in après fòrs-a sékurité té ouvè koudzarm ‘after the security forces opened fire’ (I’m pretty sure I’m misspelling some of these words but overall the spelling approximates what you would see in written Haitian Creole.
tout pays-a – the whole country (-a is a suffixed definite article in HC.)
jodi-a – today (<— French aujourd’hui)
nan Damas – nan = in (<— French dans)

However, these could just as well be from another Antillean Creole, for example the ones spoken in Martinique or Guadeloupe. I know next to nothing about them, so I can’t be absolutely certain it’s not one of those rather than Haitian.

dreaminjoshApril 25th, 2011 at 2:20 am

On second listen, I think it’s Haitian Creole as well. Martinique creole sounds “clearer” to me I think.

SimonApril 25th, 2011 at 6:52 pm

The answer is Haitian Creole (Kreyòl ayisyen), which is spoken mainly in Haiti

The recording comes from the Voice of America.

TJApril 26th, 2011 at 7:38 am

oh we have VOA here too – ME branch… but mostly in English, nothing in other languages!

Sara GabrakirstosApril 28th, 2011 at 4:43 am

I thought perhaps it was french from the south of france perhaps near italy, like languedoc or occitan. Then I thought it sounded more like French from a french speaking region in Africa, so my guess was Ivory Coast.