Language feud over Creole and French roils the tiny island of Guadeloupe

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico -- A language feud has erupted on the French Caribbean island of Guadeloupe, fanning deep resentments over colonialism and perceived racism and classism.The island’s prefect, Thierry Devimeux, who is white and took up the post in September 2025, recently accused a Black fisherman of being disrespectful by talking to him in Creole. The exchange that occurred Monday was caught on camera and sparked outrage on social media this week.“What right does he have to tell a native — someone who represents the struggle and their fellow countrymen in their own land — not to speak their native language? It is a language that was long suppressed but is nothing to be ashamed of; telling someone not to speak it is an insult to our country,” one person wrote on Instagram.French is Guadeloupe’s official language, but Creole is widely spoken on the island of more than 370,000 people, the majority of whom are Black.It’s a language created by slaves who melded their original tongues with those of European plantation owners. It later incorporated Hindi words used by indentured workers from India who were brought to the eastern Caribbean.The Atlas of Pidgin and Creole Language Struc...