Before European colonization disrupted life in the Americas, the Caribbean abounded with speakers of Arawak and Carib languages. Unfortunately, today, no indigenous languages remain across the Caribbean, having been replaced by European languages or creoles. In many Caribbean nations, while the official language may be the standard form of a European language, the popular vernacular may actually be a creole. That’s certainly the case in the Virgin Islands, where Virgin Islands Creole is widely spoken as a native language.
With around 70,000 native speakers, Virgin Islands Creole certainly doesn’t account for the native language of all Virgin Islanders, but the language maintains a significant presence on the islands. However, speakers don’t often think of it as a separate language—they just call it dialect. As outside influences on the islands increase, the vitality of Virgin Islands Creole is decreasing, with many younger islanders switching to more standardized forms of English—although at the same time, many younger Virgin Islanders use Virgin Islands Creole in their online communications. We at TranslationServices.com are here to proudly present our Virgin Islands Creole translation services.
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Virgin Islands Creole: the true language of the Virgin Islands
Virgin Islands Creole is spoken widely among Virgin Islanders, although immigration to the islands has also resulted in many residents not speaking the vernacular. Speakers can be found across the British, American, and Puerto Rican Virgin Islands, as well as in the SSS Islands of Saint Martin, Saba, and Sint Eustatius, which are governed by France or the Netherlands. The language formed through the interactions of enslaved Africans who spoke various West African languages and needed a common language to communicate—thus, a form of English heavily influenced by West African vocabulary and grammar was born.
Virgin Islands Creole tends to use less inflection than standard English, as is common among Caribbean creoles. For example, pronouns in Virgin Islands Creole tend to have just one form, eliminating the case distinction found in English—in other words, in cases where you would say “her” in standard English, a Virgin Islands Creole speaker would say “she.” Similarly, Virgin Islands Creole forms plural nouns not by adding an -s like in standard English but by following the singular noun with dem. The third-person present tense also loses the -s conjugation that it has in standard English. Since we hire native speakers for our translation team, you don’t have to worry about these complications, however.
Translating Virgin Islands Creole how you want
Translation services for Virgin Islands Creole are rare, but we’re proud to offer the best translation services we can for the creole language. Our team consists of native speakers from across the Virgin Islands and the SSS Islands, ready to translate both to and from Virgin Islands Creole for any number of projects. If you want a translator from a specific island, just ask—we’ll do our best to match you with the most suitable team member.
Our Virgin Islands Creole translation services are available for all sorts of projects and media, no matter your field. Perhaps you’re a researcher working with native Islanders and you need to translate an interview transcript from Virgin Islands Creole to standard English. Or maybe you run a business in the Caribbean and want to establish a stronger connection with your customers by releasing marketing materials in the local vernacular. Or perhaps you’re looking to share entertainment content—books or poems or apps or games—in Virgin Islands Creole, providing a more meaningful experience to people across the islands. Whatever you need Virgin Islands Creole translation services for, we’re here.
Let us help you with your Virgin Islands Creole translation project. Simply reach out to us to place an order today!