Indigenous languages shaped Caribbean Creole – linguist
October 30, 2026
Share this article
Click to view full size
Indigenous languages played a role in the development of Caribbean Creole languages, with evidence of their influence dating back to the period before European plantation societies were established, Professor Silvia Kouwenberg said on Wednesday.
Kouwenberg made the observation during a University of Guyana (UG) lecture held to mark International Creole Day. She participated in the lecture via Zoom and examined the links between the pre-plantation period and the emergence of Creole languages on plantations.
She traced the history to the final decades of the 16th century, when Dutch traders established trading posts along what was then known as the Wild Coast, stretching from the Orinoco to the Amazon.
Need the bigger picture?
Share this article
Comments (0)
Download our mobile app
The portable companion to gazettE. Get notifications, track read articles, and more. The latest news from Trinidad and Tobago, in one place.
