The linguistic makeup of Liberia is quite fascinating. The sole official language of the West African nation is English, which is used as the lingua franca tying together the speakers of 27 languages indigenous to the nation. The largest of these languages is Kpelle, but with only 20% of Liberia’s population being ethnically Kpelle, even the country’s largest mother tongue remains a minority language within its borders. Another major Liberian language is Bassa, an influential language in the country. But there’s another language in Liberia that often slips through the cracks, despite being widely spoken in the country, and that’s Liberian Kreyol.
Though Liberian Kreyol is an English-based creole, it’s not to be confused with Standard Liberian English, used in education and media in the country, nor should it be conflated with Kru Pidgin English, once used as a lingua franca by Kru migrant workers. Rather, Liberian Kreyol, commonly known as Liberian Kolokwa English or just Kolokwa, is used by more than 5 million Liberians to communicate with other ethnic groups, with around 100,000 people even speaking Kolokwa as their first language. Unfortunately, with little recognition, Liberian Kreyol tends to be overlooked, with few translation companies covering it—but we at TranslationServices.com are proud to provide Liberian Kreyol translation services.
Looking for translation services for Liberian Kreyol (Kolokwa)? Just send us a message to see a free quote!
What is Liberian Kreyol, and how did it originate?
Liberian Kreyol is a relic of Liberia’s unique past, having originated as a settlement of freed slaves from the Americas. Roughly 20,000 freed slaves joined forces and sailed to Africa in the early 19th century, where they believed they stood a better chance of prosperity, settling in the western tip of the continent. Tracing their roots back to a myriad of disparate tribes across West and Central Africa, the freed slaves used their own version of English to communicate, bringing their creole to the shores of Africa.
The Libero-Americans who settled in Liberia did not relate well to the indigenous tribes already inhabiting the land, preferring to preserve the culture, customs, language, food, and religion they knew in the Americas. Over time, they began intermingling with the locals, which resulted in the spread of Kolokwa as a lingua franca, as the Libero-American settlement was generally more prosperous than the indigenous societies in the country. Today, Liberian Kreyol is still spoken by large swaths of the Liberian population as a lingua franca, though it’s adopted some words from French and indigenous West African languages.
Our team is proud to provide access to Liberian Kreyol translation services.
Not many translation agencies can say they provide translation services for Liberian Kolokwa English—but we can. We found a collection of passionate native speakers and highly proficient second-language speakers of Liberian Kreyol, and we’re proud to present this team of eager and motivated Kolokwa translators to handle all your translation needs. Whether you’re looking to translate into Liberian Kreyol or from Liberian Kreyol, we’re here to help.
If you run a business and you want to connect to your Liberian customers on a deeper level, our translators can convert your marketing collateral into Kolokwa, showcasing your loyalty and dedication to Liberia. Likewise, we’re equipped to help native Liberian businesspeople branch outward with their companies thanks to tailored translation from Kolokwa. Researchers in Liberia who need to communicate with locals from different ethnolinguistic groups may also find our Kolokwa translation services handy for their research surveys, as many Liberians may understand Liberian Kreyol better than Standard English. And, of course, we haven’t forgotten about creative works. If you have literary work written in Liberian Kreyol, we can translate it into English so you can share it with the world—or we can translate your English-language content into Kolokwa to make a deeper impression on your Liberian audience.
We take pride in our high-quality Liberian Kreyol translation services. Shoot us a message if you’d like to get started today!