kikeseswa composed from French qui que ce soit which means whoever in French
dekilakèl composed from French words de qui laquelle. Laquelle (f.) or lequel (m.) is French for which one?
dekiprevyen composed of French words de qui previent. Previent (inf. prevenir). The translation for prevenir, here, is to advise, to inform
using them in a Creole sentence:
kikeseswa → whoever, anyone, no one
1. Moun sa yo pa gen respè pou kikeseswa.
These people have respect for no one.
2. Peyi Etazini gen yon lame vanyan. Yo kapab goumen ak kikeseswa.
The US has a strong army. They can fight with whoever.
dekilakèl (also dekilakyèl) → what (usually communicated with a "what the hell" attitude)
3. Dekilakèl lajan w'ap pale a?
What money are you talking about?
4. Ou te imilye m devan tout moun. Dekilakèl zanmitay ki ta ka janm genyen antre nou?
You humiliated me in front of everyone. What friendship could there ever be between us?
dekiprevyen → the why, the motive, the reason, justification
5. Mwen bezwen konnen dekiprevyen tout kòlè sa.
I need to know the reason for all this anger.
6. Dekiprevyen?
Justify this.
Inform me
Tell me why
Haitian Creole ↔ English Reference, Look up Haitian Creole and English Words
dekilakèl composed from French words de qui laquelle. Laquelle (f.) or lequel (m.) is French for which one?
dekiprevyen composed of French words de qui previent. Previent (inf. prevenir). The translation for prevenir, here, is to advise, to inform
using them in a Creole sentence:
kikeseswa → whoever, anyone, no one
1. Moun sa yo pa gen respè pou kikeseswa.
These people have respect for no one.
2. Peyi Etazini gen yon lame vanyan. Yo kapab goumen ak kikeseswa.
The US has a strong army. They can fight with whoever.
dekilakèl (also dekilakyèl) → what (usually communicated with a "what the hell" attitude)
3. Dekilakèl lajan w'ap pale a?
What money are you talking about?
4. Ou te imilye m devan tout moun. Dekilakèl zanmitay ki ta ka janm genyen antre nou?
You humiliated me in front of everyone. What friendship could there ever be between us?
dekiprevyen → the why, the motive, the reason, justification
5. Mwen bezwen konnen dekiprevyen tout kòlè sa.
I need to know the reason for all this anger.
6. Dekiprevyen?
Justify this.
Inform me
Tell me why
Haitian Creole ↔ English Reference, Look up Haitian Creole and English Words
Thank you! Are these words common enough for most Haitian to know them, and not only Haitians who have studied French? (if you have a sense of that)
ReplyDeleteWi zanmi'm, they are pretty common. They are used pretty much throughout Haiti.
DeleteI am trying to figure out broadly when these can be used. Here are some questions and attempts for "Kikeseswa":
ReplyDelete"M tande nèg la pa renmen kikeseswa."
= "I heard the guy doesn't like/love anyone."
"M tande nèg la renmen kikeseswa"
= "I heard the guy likes (most) anyone." (?)
"Pa kikeseswa ka pwoche l."
= (?) "No one can approach him." or "Not just anyone can approach him." (?)
Can it be used as a subject or only an object?
"Kikeseswa renmen li." = "Someone loves him/her"
"Kikesewa pa renmen li" = "No one loves him/her" ?
Is the following a reasonable sentence:
"Ou mèt pale avèk kikeseswa ou vle"
(sorry, a lot of questions)
Bonjou :)!
ReplyDeleteKeep in mind that kikeseswa mainly translates whoever
And even if the translation in English is NO ONE or ANYONE, Creole speakers might still hear it or understnad it in Creole as WHOEVER.
The first one you have is correct:
"M tande nèg la pa renmen kikeseswa."
"I heard the guy likes no one."
In your second sentence, kikeseswa would translate "whomever", communicating that the guy likes anything and everything. (He has no specific taste)
"M tande nèg la renmen kikeseswa"
"I heard the guy likes anything and everything."
Third sentence, add gen
Pa gen kikeseswa ki ka pwoche l.
"No one can approach him."
I wouldn't use kikeseswa as a subject as in "Kikeseswa renmen li. It would not sound right. But you can use it like that:
Kikeseswa moun li ye a, li dwe renmen l anpil.
Whoever he is, he must really love her.
here's another example:
Kikeseswa moun ou ye a, ou va kriye lè w wè fim sa.
Whoever you are, you'll cry when you see this movie.
Your last sentence is anfòm.
FYI: other Creole words used like kikeseswa are: kikseswa (whoever), kèlkeswa (whoever, whatever) or kèlkelanswa (whatever)
Depi ou ban m yon bèl repons pou "kikeseswa," ban m eseye kèk ti fraz pou "dekilakèl." :)
ReplyDeleteIn the two example sentences you gave, "dekilakèl" was used to start a question. Can it be used differently? (see my second and third sentences below)
"Dekilakèl moun ou ye?"
= "What (the hell) type of person are you?"
"M pa fouti di dekilakèl marengwen li te ye. Li te menm gwosè ak yon chovsourit."
= "I can't say what type of mosquito it was. ..."
"Ban m eksplike dekilakèl manje li konn manje."
= "Let me explain what (crazy) type of food he usually eats"
"Dekilakèl dekabès sa ye?! Gade zo yo monchè!"
Mèsi anpil!
"Dèske ou ban m..." is probably how I meant to start that. Is "Depi ou ban..." reasonable or silly?
DeleteWOW... This is anfòm!
DeleteAll your sentences are well said, and correctly structured.
I like the touch of the word fouti in that second sentence. It gives it the correct tone.
And boy! with your last sentence, I can visualize some men sitting at a table for a game of hazard, ready to be at each other's throat :)
Truly awesome.
Chapo ba!
And... dèske ou ban m would be the correct one to use.
DeleteAlò, mèsi! Kounyeya, "dekiprevyen":
ReplyDelete"Cheri, dekiprevyen ou pa pran apèl mwen? Ou byen konnen mwen s'on gason san parèy."
(I am not sure on placement of "byen." Maybe it is "ou konnen byen"?)
"M p ap di w dekiprevyen kwizin vwazinay yo manke sèl. Men pa flannen deyò aprè soley la fin kouche. Se sa sèlman m ap di w."
"Dekiprevyen senk mwens de fè twa?"
Is there really any difference between when I can use "dekiprevyen" and "poukisa"?
DeleteMezanmi o! Ou fin tounen yon Ayisyen nèt! Pawòl ou se pawòl Aysiyen natifnatal.
DeleteYour first sentence is very saucy :) I love it. Typical Haitian intonation. "byen" is just fine the way you have it. It's ok too if you put it afterwards. But it works well just the way you have it, for that type of tone.
Your second sentence is priceless:) You've captured a typical situation in Haiti. ...talebearing, mystical, and entrancing.
Your third sentence works very well too.
I guess you can say that the difference between "dekiprevyen" and "poukisa" is the same as the difference between "how come?" and "why?".
YOn lòt kout chapo.
Mèsi! In 2011 I lived in the countryside near Hinche for six months. Night time is no joke to those people. Malfektè and lougawou abound.
ReplyDeleteToutbonvre, m vle metrize lang la(n) nèt nèt nèt. M kwè lè kreyòl leve, nivo edikasyon an va leve, tout peyi a va leve. Pase sa, m renmen ni li ni Ayiti anpil. :)
Kounyeya m fè yon etid "Masters" Amsterdam. M pa ka jwenn kekeseswa ki ayisyen (?) nan vil sa a. Setadi, mèsi anpil pou Blog sa a! Se akozde sa m pa pou kont mwen!
Aprè mwen va fin etid mwen, m va retounen Ayiti oubyen m a pase yon ti tan Lafrans pou amilyore konpreyansyon franse mwen, si m ka jwenn travay la. Mèsi ankò!
This reminds me of my childhood.
DeleteLiving in the countryside near Hinche will give you a clear picture of what life in rural Haiti is about. I guess if tourists go to Haiti and visit Port-Au-Prince only, they will have missed all the charm.
Ou sou wout pou fin metrize lang Kreyòl la nèt (si sa pa fèt deja :).
Mèsi pou kòmantè ou. Mwen swete w anpil siksè nan tout sa w'ap fè.
Kout chapo!