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Monday, July 8, 2013

Mandaly, "Way back there." Se an Kreyol Ayisyen "lotbo la" ak aksan grav nan kou. Se korek? In the course I am using, they say "lotbo la". Would it not be "lotbo a" instead? Would you write it for me? Also, "an/ann" are both interchangeable, pa vre? The "an" is more used, pa vre? Mesi anpil, Jan Rachal

-Yes, I usually say lòtbò a (over there); but yes, some people do say lòtbò la a or laba a
I am assuming that by way back there you mean "beyond the bounds of a certain limit', right?
-all the way over there → jis lòtbò a, jouk laba a

Regarding an/ann,  do you mean as in ann/annou (let's)?
That would be the only instance where we use "ann".  You will see it as ANN, AN'N contraction for AN NOU or ANNOU.

Dakò.

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3 comments:

  1. Mandaly,

    "Lotbo la" was a response to the question
    "Ou konnen ki kote twalet la ye?"

    As for "an/ann", I thought "ann" was another
    way to write "an" as in "an Ayiti/ann Ayiti."

    Kreyol Ayisyen can be a mind-bender sometimes with all the many ways to say things and
    differences in spellings! Sometimes it seems
    like I am learning three different languages
    at once. Kreyol is definitely interesting,
    that is for sure!

    Mandaly, I have a question (at your convenience) that is off-subject. I am
    planning on traveling to Ayiti within the next
    6 to 8 months to visit my "other" family.
    My question is: When I go there, do they have hostels or such to stay in? I do not want to stay in 5 star hotels as the "other" Americans do. When I travel in Ayiti, I want to live as the other Creoles live. In other words, I
    want to see and touch base with everyday people and not be just "an American tourist". As I am from Lwizyan, I can definitely rough-it. Any ideas? Also, where (what area of Ayiti) would you recommend going? Also, if one is totally
    involved with Kreyol while in Ayiti, how long
    would it take (time-wise) to get a better
    understanding of the language?

    Mesi anpil,

    Jan Rachal

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Mandaly,

      One other thing I was thinking about; The variety of Kreyol Ayisyen that I am learning is the dialect of Potoprens. Would this cause problems for me in the rural areas of Ayiti? Would I be able to navigate in Kreyol in the back areas of Ayiti? I am assuming that
      any Creole person in Ayiti would be able to fully understand Potoprens Kreyol? Pa vre? Mesi. Jan

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    2. 1.
      Yes, the response "lòtbòt la a" translates "over there" (or something similar) as you already know.

      2.
      This "an" serves as a preposition (from the French "en")and it translates in, at, of....
      Some examples of the usage are:


      -An 1968, te gen yon gwo siklòn nan peyi a.
      -Nou pral abite nan yon palè ki fèt an ajan.
      -Nou te rive an premye nan reyinyon an.
      -Machin nan te kraze an plizyè moso.


      Haitian Creole, though some words have a variety of spellings, and some slight variations in the accents and word choice, is understood throughout the whole country of Haiti. Think of the saying "Kreyòl pale, Kreyòl konprann" - It is true :)

      Foreigners, not only Americans, have travelled pretty much all over Haiti: North, South, East, West, the capital and the outskirts. The country has its own beauty and foreigners rarely remain holed up in their hotels - They get into the crowded streets and mingle, they drive around and .... take care of their business (whatever brought them to Haiti).
      I guess if their business does not require them to mingle, then they might not :)

      But if this is your first trip to Haiti, I wouldn't advise you to go alone, without a guide, a contact, or acquaintance to help you get around. A small little problem in Haiti can escalate into an unfortunate circumstance very quickly.

      You will find nice or cheap hotels; you will be able to walk freely in the streets or the markets and exchange conversations with merchants etc....
      But the best thing is a hotel near the airport and a trustworthy person at your side who knows the country and can get you out of a jam if that's needed.
      And (a must!) someone to get you from the airport to your hotel or the place you're staying safely.

      Delete