Language in the Bahamas By Troy O'Dell   The language in the Bahamas is a rather complex combination of English, broken English, and Creole. Approximately half of the population speaks a type of English that can not be classified as either proper English or broken English, but rather a mixture of each. The other half speaks Creole, which itself is a mixture of traditional French and pidgin French. This particular language, being Creole, originated in times when slaves were brought over from Africa. With them came their native language which mixed with the master's language to form the roots of Creole. The variety of pidgin languages used by the master's incorporated much of the vocabulary of the master's language in addition to slang used by the slaves in order to communicate with them. A large portion of the Creole-speaking population are illiterate. As a result, they usually wind up working as servants to the rich, or as laborers, tending to various crops grown there. According to the government, English is the official language of the Bahamas. This is the language that is taught in schools, both private and public. There is a condescending attitude toward those who speak Creole by those who speak English. Parents who have the opportunity to expose their children to English rather than Creole take advantage of this opportunity, so that their children might have more available options down the road when it comes to employment. My friend Rosie's native language is Creole. Some examples of her language are as follows: hello--keyshonyea goodbye--malie' water--gloe house--kai car--mashine family--fami' mother--mama father--papa boy--tigasone man--gasone   Although the languages in the Bahamas are not nearly as diverse as those found in different parts of the United States, the social status of a person in the Bahamas is somewhat determined by which language they speak. This is also true in the United States, but to a lesser degree.