Garifuna (Black Carib)

Garifuna is an Arawakan language of Central America, spoken by more than 100,000 people in Honduras, Guatemala, Nicaragua and Belize. The Garifuna people are largely mixed-race (and frequently referred to as the Black Caribs)--their community is said to have originated because Carib tribes attacking Spanish ships in the 1600's accepted the African slaves they freed from them as comrades-at-arms. This alliance served both peoples very well, as the Africans were never re-enslaved and the Garifuna are one of the few Carib peoples to have survived as a distinct culture and with their native language thriving.

Garifuna Language

Garifuna language samples and resources.

Garifuna Tribe Culture and History

Information and links about the Garifuna Indians past and present.

Garifuna Language Resources

Garifuna Words
Our list of vocabulary words in the Garifuna language, with comparison to words in other Arawakan languages.

Human Rights: Garifuna:
Translation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights into the Garifuna language.

A Caribbean Vocabulary Compiled in 1666
Comparison of 17th-century Carib vocabulary with modern Garifuna words.

The Garifuna Language, Dance and Music
Article about Garifuna language and cultural endangerment in Belize.

Ethnologue: Garifuna:
Demographic information about the Garifuna language.

Garifuna Prayers:
Garifuna translation of the Lord's Prayer.

Language Maps of Belize:
Map showing the location of Garifuna and Belize Creole speakers.

Garífuna Language Tree:
Theories about Garifuna's language relationships compiled by Linguist List.

Garifuna Language Structures:
Garifuna linguistic profile and academic bibliography.

Garifunas Placenames:
Chart of Central American place names in Garifuna.

Links, References, and Additional Information

  Wikipedia: Garifuna:
  Encyclopedia articles on the Garifuna language.
  Lengua Garifuna:
  Information on the Garifuna language in Spanish.

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