Meanings
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1
noun
a natural language that developed in a contact community from elements of two or more languages and became a community's first language
Haitian Creole is spoken by millions of people in Haiti and abroad.
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2
adj
relating to a creole language or expressed in one
The researchers compared several creole varieties spoken around the Caribbean.
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3
noun
historical or regional: a person born in a colony, especially a descendant of European settlers, or a member of a locally developed mixed culture; the exact meaning varies by place
Colonial records distinguished Spanish-born officials from Creoles born in the Americas.
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4
adj
relating to a Creole people or culture, especially the mixed cultural traditions associated with Louisiana and the Caribbean
The restaurant is known for its Creole gumbo and red beans.
Thesaurus
Etymology
Through French creole and Spanish criollo from Portuguese crioulo, probably related to cria, 'a person raised in a household,' and criar, 'to rear,' from Latin creare, 'create.' It first distinguished people born and raised in a colony from those born overseas; its meanings then diversified by region and extended to local cultures and contact languages.