Mauritius is a multilingual nation, reflecting the country’s cultural diversity. Fluency in either English or French would suffice for foreigners and effectively conduct business or work on the island. English and French are both used in official government and business communication.

Nevertheless, it would be advantageous to learn the country’s lingua franca, Mauritian Creole (aka Morisyen). Today, 86.5 per cemt of Mauritians spoke Creole at home. Just 4.1 per cent of Mauritians speak French at home, while 0.5 per cent speak English. By learning Creole, immersion in its local communities would thus be a lot easier. It would also allow better appreciation of the Mauritian culture.

African lexicon in the mix

Some knowledge of the French language would be useful in learning Morisyen. This is because it is a French-based vernacular language. Its development traces back to the 18^th century when the French colonized the Mauritian island. This colonization got the French vocabulary melded into the primary languages of the island’s natives. Mostly of African origin, these languages included the Bantu, Malagasy, and Wolof languages.

The East Indian contract labourers brought into Mauritius during the second half of the 19th century made little contribution to the structure of the Morisyen vernacular. By the time of their arrival, Mauritian Creole appeared already well-established.

It is also important to remember that the term Creole is also used to denote ethnic origin in the country. When used as such, Creole refers only to those of African or multi-ethnic descent. Other ethnicity, like those of Asian or European descent, are excluded though they are conversant in Morisyen or Mauritian Creole.

Growing national influence

Since Mauritius gained independence from Britain in 1968, Morisyen started to gain recognition as the country’s national language.  In January 2012, it was introduced in the country’s primary schools as an optional subject.

This after Mauritian scholars developed a Morisyen dictionary and a standard way of writing in Creole. Punctuations very similar to standard French and words purely francophone characterise this Morisyen form of writing called “grafi larmoni.”

Morisyen has also established a significant presence in the country’s literature and music. There are rich collections of poems and rhymes in Mauritian Creole, as well as plays written in Morisyen.

The Mauritian national anthem, which is in English, has also been translated and sang in Creole. The popular Mauritian sega music genre is likewise typically in Morisyen and worthy of appreciation whether just visiting or relocating to Mauritius for the long-term.

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