French is the official language of the islands, which make up the French West Indies or “les Antilles.” These are the formal French possessions in the Caribbean. The French you learned in school will be understood, but these islands also have their own dialects and accents. You will hear what is called French Creole.
You will feel much more at home on a visit if you understand some of the vocabulary peculiar to these islands. The French/French Creole speaking islands are Martinique and Guadeloupe, which are overseas departments of France (departments d’outre mer), Haiti, French Guiana, French St. Martin and St. Barthelemy and certain areas in Dominica and St. Lucia.
The French and Caribbean culture have greatly influenced the cuisine, geography, style, architecture, clothes, and much more in the Islands. This is reflected in the difference between the European French vocabulary and that of the dialects of the region. Look at this example. In the Caribbean, there are two seasons, the dry season and the rainy season. The word “lacarême” is used to indicate the dry season, while ‘l’hivernage (m) is used for the rainy season. Le cyclone is used to describe a cyclone, but also a hurricane, which are very prevalent in the West Indies.
