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Wednesday, November 30, 2011

I said "M pa t we pyès moun la" and was told that "pyès" is out-of-date, that only old people will understand it, and that "okenn" is way better. Is this true?

"pyès" is not outdated. How could it be?
What you will find is that people from a specific region of Haiti tend to use "pyès" more than others.

You are correct to say: M pa't wè pyès moun la.

Other synonyms for pyès moun are: okenn moun, pèsòn
So, you could also say:
M pa wè okenn moun la.
M pa wè pèsòn la.

Also Creole speakers will use pyès to mean none as in:
There will be none of that.
P'ap gen sa pyès.

I have no money on me.
M pa gen pyès lajan sou mwen.

She doesn't have any children in Haiti.
Li pa gen pyès timoun Ayiti.

2 comments:

  1. How could it be, you asked? Beats me, but when a Haitian corrects my Creole, I have to take them seriously. Perhaps she was from Delmas and her grandmother was from Jacmel.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Oh I see.
    Perhaps she spoke mostly French at home.
    Some Haitians speak a "French-ised" Creole, but it is Creole nevertheless.
    And if a Haitian was raised in an environment where they were punished for speaking Creole, they would not be familiar with some Creole expressions.

    ReplyDelete