Guyana Languages

Guyana Wiki Topics

Guyana Beginning Research

Getting Started Online Learning Record Finder Research Strategies Finding Town of Origin

Record Types

Cemeteries Church Records Civil Registration Colonial Records Compiled Genealogies Emigration & Immigration Newspapers Online Genealogy Records Religious Records Slavery & Bondage

Guyana Background

Gazetteers History Languages Maps Social Life & Customs

Cultural Groups

Chinese in Guyana

Local Research Resources

Archives & Libraries Societies Local FamilySearch Center

Guyana

Languages

Description

• English is the official language of Guyana, which is the only South American country with English as the official language.
• Guyanese Creole or Creolese (an English-based creole with African, Indian, and Amerindian syntax) is widely spoken.
• Guyanese Hindustani is retained and spoken by some Indo-Guyanese for cultural and religious reasons. Guyanese Bhojpuri may be used by older generations, folk songs, or in a limited way at home.
• Standard Hindi is used in religious services, writing, and passively through the consumption of Hindi film exports from India.
• A number of Amerindian languages are also spoken by a minority of the population. These include Cariban languages:

Macushi

Akawaio

Wai-Wai

Arawakan languages such as Arawak (or Lokono) and Wapishana.

• Spanish and Portuguese are increasingly being used as a second language. Along with French, they are taught in most secondary schools.

Word List(s)

Guyanese Creole

• Guyanese Creole Sample words and phrases (Wikipedia)

Guyanese Hindustani

Standard Hindi

• Useful Hindi phrases (Omniglot)

Alphabet and Pronunciation

Guyanese Creole

• Guyanese Creole Alphabet and Pronunciation (Wikipedia)
• Devonish, Hubert, and Dahlia Thompson. A concise grammar of Guyanese Creole (Creolese). Muenchen: LINCOM EUROPEA, 2010. Available at: WorldCat.

Guyanese Hindustani

Standard Hindi

• Standard Hindi Alphabet and Pronunciation (Wikipedia)
• Hindi Alphabet and Pronunciation (Omniglot)

Language Aids and Dictionaries

Guyanese Creole

• Guyanese Creole at York College – A Resource Site
• Guyanese Creole English Examples
• Rickford, John R. A Festival of Guyanese words. Georgetown: University of Guyana, 1978. Available at: WorldCat.
• Guyanese Creolese Lessons (YouTube)

Guyanese Hindustani

• Guyanese Hindi Dictionary pdf

Standard Hindi

• English to Hindi Dictionary (Glosbe)
• Hindi Dictionary (Lexilogos)
• Hindi Dictionary (Hindi-English)
• Learn Hindi (My Languages)
• Learn Hindi (Hindipod 101)
• Hindi (MustGo)

Additional Resources

• The Loss of the Ancestral Language of Indo-Guyanese (Stabroek News)
• Hindustani, Caribbean (Caribbean Hindustani)
• Guyana (Britannica)
• Guyana (Wikitravel)