Miskito Coast Creole: Difference between revisions

|name=Miskito Coast Creole

'''Mískito Coast Creole''', or '''NicaraguaMiskito Patwah''', also called '''Nicaraguan Creole English''', is an [[English-based creole language]] spoken in coastal [[Nicaragua]]n region of [[Mosquito Coast]] on the [[Caribbean Sea]]; its approximately 3040,000 speakers are spread over athe numberRACCN ofand smallRACCS villages.<ref>[http://www.ethnologue.com/show_language.asp?code=bzkregions of Nicaragua. CreoleThe English]region, [[Ethnologue]]known report</ref><refbefore name=":0"1986 />as Thethe regionZelaya department, is today administratively separated into two autonomous regions: [[North Caribbean Coast Autonomous Region|North Caribbean Coast]] (RACCN) and [[South Caribbean Coast Autonomous Region|South Caribbean Coast]] (RACCS). ''Mosquito'' is the nickname that is given to the region and earlier residents by early Europeans who visited and settled in the area.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|url=http://www.everyculture.com/Middle-America-Caribbean/Creoles-of-Nicaragua-Orientation.html|title=Orientation - Creoles of Nicaragua|website=www.everyculture.com|language=en|access-date=2017-03-09}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Mosquito - Knowledge Encyclopedia |url=http://www.everyculture.com/knowledge/Mosquito.html |website=www.everyculture.com |accessdate=11 December 2018}}</ref> The term "''Miskito''" is now more commonly used to refer to both the people and the language.<ref name=":2" />

Miskito creole is nearly identical to, and hence [[mutually intelligible]] with, [[Jamaican Patois language|Jamaican Patois]] and [[Belizean Creole language|Belizean Creole]], and retains a high degree of intelligibility with all other [[Central AmericaCaribbean]]n English creoles.<ref>{{cite Itweb is also|title=Frases sometimesen classified as a dialect of [[Jamaican Patois]]inglés creole but|publisher=Nicaraguan thisTourism classificationInstitute has|work=Visit beenNicaragua disputed|date=2021 |url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xu_ZIjQBEos|access-date=2024-08-18}}</ref>

It does not yet have the status of an official language in Nicaragua, but it is a recognized language in the autonomous regions[[Zelaya Department]] where it is spoken.

Speakers of Miskito Coast Creole are primarily persons of [[Africa]]n, [[Amerindian]], and [[Europe]]an descent in the towns and on the offshore islands of the Miskito Coast. The main concentration of speakers is around [[Bluefields]],<ref name=":0">{{Citeand web|url=http://www.endangeredlanguages.com/lang/4025|title=Dida yousmaller knowportion Nicaraguain Creole[[Puerto EnglishCabezas]], is[[Prinzapolka]], vulnerable?[[Bilwi, North Caribbean Coast Autonomous Region|website=EndangeredBilwi]], Languages[[Pearl Lagoon, South Caribbean Coast Autonomous Region|language=en|access-date=2017-03-09}}</ref>Pearl Lagoon]], the offshore [[Corn Islands]], as well as other smaller communities in both regions. Bluefields is the capital of the [[South Caribbean Coast Autonomous Region]], althoughwhere a majoritylarge amount of inhabitants of the city are now [[Spanish language|Spanish]]-speaking immigrantsNicaraguans from the Pacific Coast.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.endangeredlanguages.com/lang/4025 | title=Did you know Nicaragua Creole English is vulnerable? }}</ref>

Most of the creole speakers are located along the banks of the large rivers and lagoons that surround the area.<ref name=":3"Inland, />the Communitieslanguage areis foundspoken in [[Waspán]] on the [[Coco"mining River]]triangle" nearwhich [[Cape Gracias a Dios]], incompromises [[Laguna de PerlasSiuna]], [[Puerto CabezasBonanza]], the offshore [[Corn Islands]], [[Prinzapolka]] (Puerto Isabel), and [[San Juan del Norte]] (Greytown). Inland, the language is spoken in [[Siuna]], [[Rosita, North Caribbean Coast Autonomous RegionNicaragua|Rosita]], and [[Bonanza, North Caribbean Coast Autonomous Region|Bonanza]] on the [[Prinzapolka River]]. On the Pacific coast, there are small numbers of speakers in [[Corinto, Nicaragua|Corinto]], [[Puerto Sandino]], and the Nicaraguan capital of [[Managua]]. A smaller portion of the population stays in large towns along the northern Caribbean coast of [[Nicaragua]] and some also reside in [[Managua]], as well as other neighboring Central American countries.<ref name=":3" />

|[[Puerto Cabezas|Bilwi]]

African slaves were shipwrecked on the Mosquito Coast as early as 1640, andwhich started the interaction between them and the local [[Miskito people|Miskito]] population commenced.

=== 1717th century -to 19th centurycenturies ===

The modern -day Creoles' ancestors came as escapees from [[Shipwreckingshipwrecking|shipwrecked]] [[slave ship]]s to the Nicaraguan Caribbean coast from [[Africa]] between the 17th century and the late 18th centurycenturies. TheyThe escapedescapees intowent to the jungles and soon formed relations with the local [[Indigenous peoples of the Americas|Indigenous tribes]] and [[Miscgenationmiscegenation|intermarried]].<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=http://www.encyclopedia.com/humanities/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/creoles-nicaragua|title=Creoles of Nicaragua - Dictionary definition of Creoles of Nicaragua {{!}} Encyclopedia.com: FREE online dictionary|website=www.encyclopedia.com|language=en|access-date=2017-03-09}}</ref><ref name=":1" /> The Coast was officially under British [[protectorate|protection]] from 1740 to 1787 according to the [[Treaty of Friendship and Alliance]] with the [[Miskito people#British -Miskito Alliancealliance|Miskito Kingdom]] and remained under British influence until the late 19th century.{{cncitation needed|date=November 2020}}

Over the period of time whileWhile they were here, the African population renewed and transformed theirita culture and traits by taking elements of theirits African culture and mixing it with [[Culture of Europe|European culture]] along with the local Indian tribes which created a new culture.<ref name=":3" /> In the year of 1787, the British abandoned their claims inon the [[Mosquito Coast|Mosquito coast]] due toin a treaty that was put forth.<ref name=":1" /> Slaves who ran away or who were abandoned had made their own African communities at Bluefields.<ref name=":1" /> Many escaped slaves from other islands had also come over to thisthe area to settle down.<ref name=":1" /> [[Kingdom of Great Britain|Great Britain]] signed the Treaty of Managua which gave a portion of an area to the natives there and allowed it to be self-governed.<ref name=":1" /> ThisThat allowed for the African communities to grow and flourish.<ref name=":1" /> Their culture became solid after gainingit had gained economic, political and social control over the Mosquito Coast.<ref name=":3" /> The people in the communities then began to start calling themselves [[Creole peoples|Creoles.]]<ref name=":1" />

In the mid-19th century, more English- or Creole-speaking laborers, primarily from Jamaica, were brought to the Coast as laborers. However, following the 1894 formal annexation of the Miskito Kingdom by Nicaragua, an increasing number of Spanish -speakers migrated to the area.

=== 20th centuryand -21st Present daycenturies ===

The 1987 [[Constitution of Nicaragua]] granted autonomy to the [[Zelaya Department]] as two [[autonomous regionregions]]s of the [[North Caribbean Coast Autonomous Region|North]] and the [[South Caribbean Coast Autonomous Region|South Caribbean Coast]]. AutonomousThe autonomous status has allowed for the promotion and the development of the languages of the Caribbean Coast and, {{as of|1992|lc=on}}, there was an education in English and Spanish, as well as education in indigenous languages.{{Citation needed|date=November 2007}}

By the end of thelate 20th century, the coast was becoming more integrated economically and socially.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web|url=http://aboutworldlanguages.com/creole-languages|title=Creole Languages {{!}} About World Languages|website=aboutworldlanguages.com|language=en-US|access-date=2017-03-10}}</ref> The Creole people have now become a minority in the areas in which they had previously been predominant inpredominated.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web|url=http://www.nicaragua.com|title=Nicaragua Travel: Your Nicaraguan Guide for Things to Do, Hotels, Dining, Shopping, Events & more {{!}} By Nicaragua Channel|website=www.nicaragua.com|language=en|access-date=2017-03-09}}</ref> Many Creoles now speak mostly speak [[Spanish language|Spanish]] as well as [[Creole language|creole]] and consider themselves to be only Nicaraguan. There are many Creoles who have now intermarried with [[Mestizomestizos]]s even though many of themCreoles still protest on how they lost their political and economic power to themthe mestizos.

The [[Afro Nicaraguans|Creoles of Nicaragua]] are said to be an Afro-Caribbean population that are mixed with Europeans, Africans and [[Indigenous peoples of the Americas|Amerindians]].<ref name=":1" /> Their culture is influenced by West African and British roots along with [[mestizo]]s and [[Miskito people|miskito.]]<ref name=":4" /> Some food that is used in their cooking consists of [[coconut oil]] (in its many forms), [[taro root]], [[cassava|yuca]], manioc and other elements such as wheat flour and other processed foods.<ref name=":4" /> They have their own musical style which can be compared to West Indian [[Calypso music|calypso.]]<ref name=":1" />

The Nicaraguan Creole English language is spoken as a primary first language by only 35,000 to 50,000 Creoles, Nicaraguan Garifuna, and some Miskitos.<ref name="endangeredlanguages>{{Cite web|url=http:0"//www.endangeredlanguages.com/lang/4025|title=Did you know Nicaragua Creole English is vulnerable?|website=Endangered Languages|language=en|access-date=2017-03-09}}</ref> The language is being quickly replaced with Spanish with fewer and fewer people speaking it.<ref name=":0" endangeredlanguages/> "Creole English is used to an increasing degree in the churches (Decker & Keener 1998) and in bilingual education programs...virtually all reading is done in Spanish" (Bartens 2013:116).