Editing Demographics of Haiti (section)

==Languages==
[[Taíno language|Taíno]] was the major pre-Columbian language in the region of what is ''Haiti'' (or ''Ayti''), a name referring to the entire island of [[Hispaniola]].<ref>{{cite book|last1=Guitar|first1=Lynne|last2=Ferbel-Azcárate|first2=Pedro|last3=Estevez|first3=Jorge|title=Indigenous Resurgence in the Contemporary Caribbean|date=2006|publisher=Peter Lang Publishing|location=New York|isbn=0-8204-7488-6|page=41|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qXZeQZMDpgYC&pg=PA41|access-date=10 July 2015|chapter=iii: Ocama-Daca Taíno (Hear me, I am Taíno)|lccn=2005012816}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last1=Senauth|first1=Frank|title=The Making and Destruction of Haiti|date=2011|publisher=[[AuthorHouse]]|location=Bloomington, Indiana, USA|isbn=978-1-4567-5384-9|page=1|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QBdccuwnqY8C&q=ayiti+bohio+kiskeya&pg=PA1|lccn=2011907203}}</ref> The phrase means "land of high mountains."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HOE8AAAAYAAJ&q=Dessalines+haiti+indian&pg=PA321 |title=A Dictionary of Dates Relating to All Ages and Nations: For Universal Reference Comprehending Remarkable Occurrences, Ancient and Modern, The Foundation, Laws, and Governments of Countries-Their Progress In Civilization, Industry, Arts and Science-Their Achievements In Arms-And Their Civil, Military, And Religious Institutions, And Particularly of the British Empire |page=321 |last1=Haydn |first1= Joseph |last2=Vincent |first2= Benjamin |year=1860 |access-date=12 September 2015}}</ref>

Today, the Republic of Haiti has two official languages, [[French language|French]] and [[Haitian Creole]]. Haitian Creole is a French-based [[Creole language|creole]] with 90% of its vocabulary derived from or influenced by [[Portuguese language|Portuguese]], [[Spanish language|Spanish]], [[Taíno language|Taíno]], and various West African languages.<ref>{{cite web|last=Bonenfant|first=Jacques L.|title=History of Haitian-Creole: From Pidgin to Lingua Franca and English Influence on the Language|url=http://www.fmuniv.edu/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/History_of_haitian_review_of_higher_education.pdf|editor=Haggerty, Richard A.|publisher=[[Library of Congress]] [[Federal Research Division]]|date=December 1989|access-date=2017-01-18|archive-date=2015-09-24|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924014030/http://www.fmuniv.edu/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/History_of_haitian_review_of_higher_education.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref> French is the primary written and administrative language (as well as the main language of the press) and is spoken by 42% of Haitians.<ref>{{cite book|title=La langue française dans le monde 2014|date=2014|publisher=Nathan|isbn=978-2-09-882654-0|url=http://www.francophonie.org/Langue-Francaise-2014/projet/Rapport-OIF-2014.pdf|access-date=20 May 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150412002239/http://www.francophonie.org/Langue-Francaise-2014/projet/Rapport-OIF-2014.pdf|archive-date=12 April 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>À ce propos, voir l'essai ''Prétendus Créolismes : le couteau dans l'igname'', Jean-Robert Léonidas, Cidihca, Montréal 1995</ref> The language is generally spoken by educated Haitians, is the medium of instruction in most schools, and is used in the business sector. It is also spoken in ceremonial events such as weddings, graduations, and church masses.

Haiti is one of two independent nations in the Americas (along with [[Canada]]) to designate French as an [[official language]]; other French-speaking areas are all [[French overseas departments and territories|overseas]] ''[[Departments of France|départements]]'', or ''[[Overseas collectivity|collectivités]],'' of France. Haitian Creole,<ref>{{cite journal |url=http://www.indiana.edu/~creole/creolenatllangofhaiti.html |title=Creole: The National Language of Haiti |last=Valdman |first= Albert |journal=Footsteps |volume=2 |issue=4 |pages=36–39 |publisher=Indiana University Creole Institute |access-date=2017-01-18 |archive-date=2015-06-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150626233455/http://www.indiana.edu/~creole/creolenatllangofhaiti.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> which was recently standardized, is spoken by virtually the entire population of Haiti.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.indiana.edu/~creole/creolenatllangofhaiti.html |title=creolenationallanguageofhaiti |publisher=[[Indiana University]] |access-date=11 January 2014 |archive-date=26 June 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150626233455/http://www.indiana.edu/~creole/creolenatllangofhaiti.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> It is related to the other [[French-based creole languages|French creoles]] but most closely to the [[Antillean Creole]] and [[Louisiana Creole French|Louisiana Creole]] variants.

Spanish is spoken by some Haitians along the border with the [[Dominican Republic]], as well as by some who have been deported from Spanish-speaking countries. [[English language|English]] is used increasingly within the business sector, but only by a small proportion of the total population.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/what-languages-are-spoken-in-haiti.html|title=What Languages Are Spoken in Haiti?|website=WorldAtlas|date=29 July 2019 |language=en|access-date=2019-09-23}}</ref>