Re: The French influence in T&T

[Bakes]

Cool. Thanks, guys. I wasn't aware that there are people from Haiti and Martinique in TnT.

Here are some of the names that caught my attention:
Clement, Rougier (U. Petrotrin); Jerome, Charles (S.S. Strikes); St Louis, Pierre (D. Force); Prosper, Alexis, Peltier, Baptist, Primus, Pierre (Jabloteh).

Also your last coach name is St Clair, a very popular last name in the French-speaking caribbean.

Toussaint...it's a shame that these fellas ain't give yuh a more sound explanation behind the Gallic phenomenon you've noticed.  I'll try and keep it brief, but basically Columbus landed in Trinidad in 1498 and the country remained officially Spanish until the island was ceded to England in 1797.  In that 300-year period Spain had a hard time attracting settlers to this remote outpost, especially when the spanish colonists found easier going in Venezuela 8 miles, and a continent removed to the west.

For the colony of Trinidad to flourish, it not only needed people to populate and develop the land (clearing forest, building roads and infrastructure etc.) out of sheer necessity, but these settlers would also provide a much needed tax base. So in 1783 the King of Spain published a cédula de población, inviting any catholic subject of a monarch friendly to the Spanish crown to come and settle in Trinidad. Many colonists from the other Francophone caribbean islands came pouring in.  Hence the French influence begat places like Morne Diablo, Lavantille, Bagatelle, Morvant, San Souci, Mt. D'Or, Champs Fleurs, Point-a-Pierre, Carenage etc.,and names such as those you mentioned.

The French also brought their masquerade tradition which eventually merged with African influences to evolve into today's Carnival.  Gladly they left their snail and frog eating ways in Dominica 


Hope that helps.

[Dutty]

Very detailed and eleoquent explanation dey bake and shark

The reason nobody could be as articualte as yourself is because none ah we does still walk rong wit  Form 2 history book in we back pocket for quick reference 



ah hope you is not ah pineapple man either

[Bakes]

Very detailed and eleoquent explanation dey bake and shark

The reason nobody could be as articualte as yourself is because none ah we does still walk rong wit  Form 2 history book in we back pocket for quick reference 



ah hope you is not ah pineapple man either

Is Form 6...and buried inside mih head is more like it, lol.


...and yes, extra pineapple chutney too please 

[Sentinel]

(So in 1783 the King of Spain published a cédula de población, inviting any catholic subject of a monarch friendly to the Spanish crown to come and settle in Trinidad. Many colonists from the other Francophone caribbean islands came pouring in.)

Just to further this point.

Although the Spanish ruled at that time, a vast "majority" of the population (settlers) were of French creole descent.  During my time growing up as a boy, almost all of the older people spoke "patios" aka creole.  Matter of fact my grandparents on both sides spoke English, Spanish and Creole.  I can even speak creole that I learned from the "ole" people, even though not as fluent as my mother and now deceased father.  Growing up in the country had its benefits...heh heh.

Although the creole language is dying, there is still a village in the hills of Maraval namely "Paramin" ....where Creole is spoken even by the young ones.  Up there they seem stuck in a time zone.  Matter of fact, it is my understanding that a catholic mass is being said exclusively in Patois on Ash Wednesday, or maybe it is Midnight mass on Christmas Eve.

Just my two cents.

[Toussaint]

(So in 1783 the King of Spain published a cédula de población, inviting any catholic subject of a monarch friendly to the Spanish crown to come and settle in Trinidad. Many colonists from the other Francophone caribbean islands came pouring in.)

Just to further this point.

Although the Spanish ruled at that time, a vast "majority" of the population (settlers) were of French creole descent.  During my time growing up as a boy, almost all of the older people spoke "patios" aka creole.  Matter of fact my grandparents on both sides spoke English, Spanish and Creole.  I can even speak creole that I learned from the "ole" people, even though not as fluent as my mother and now deceased father.  Growing up in the country had its benefits...heh heh.

Although the creole language is dying, there is still a village in the hills of Maraval namely "Paramin" ....where Creole is spoken even by the young ones.  Up there they seem stuck in a time zone.  Matter of fact, it is my understanding that a catholic mass is being said exclusively in Patois on Ash Wednesday, or maybe it is Midnight mass on Christmas Eve.

Just my two cents.

Sentinel, I am trying to locate the village paramin you mentioned using google earth map and I cannot. Is it a place where a tourist can safely go? Any big city nearby?

[WestCoast]

Toussaint, yeah upper boissere village
look de addy of de RC Church
73. Paramin R.C. School
Paramin Village, Maraval,
Tel: (868) 629–1014
on de top right hand side by the ST of st andrews is aproximately where that Paramin is I believe

[Jumbie]

A while back we were chatting about the whole patois ting..

http://www.socawarriors.net/forum/index.php?topic=21026.0

[Bakes]

(So in 1783 the King of Spain published a cédula de población, inviting any catholic subject of a monarch friendly to the Spanish crown to come and settle in Trinidad. Many colonists from the other Francophone caribbean islands came pouring in.)

Just to further this point.

Although the Spanish ruled at that time, a vast "majority" of the population (settlers) were of French creole descent.  During my time growing up as a boy, almost all of the older people spoke "patios" aka creole.  Matter of fact my grandparents on both sides spoke English, Spanish and Creole.  I can even speak creole that I learned from the "ole" people, even though not as fluent as my mother and now deceased father.  Growing up in the country had its benefits...heh heh.

Although the creole language is dying, there is still a village in the hills of Maraval namely "Paramin" ....where Creole is spoken even by the young ones.  Up there they seem stuck in a time zone.  Matter of fact, it is my understanding that a catholic mass is being said exclusively in Patois on Ash Wednesday, or maybe it is Midnight mass on Christmas Eve.

Just my two cents.

Good point Sentinel...I meant to mention this as well.  This was the reason I said the island was under "official" Spanish rule for 300 years, in actuality many of the settlers, even before the Cedula were already French creoles...the island didn't just start becoming French in 1783.  Touching on the language...Trinidad French Creole (patois) was the unnofficial language of Trinidad until the early 20th century until it was replaced by Trinidad Broken English.  Even the Brits had to learn our patois in order to communicate with the John and Jane Publics b/c that's what everybody spoke.  Given the demise of our patois, and the fact that 99% of the populace now speak our broken English...hard to believe that TFC was really that popular, eh?

Toussaint, Paramin is relatively small...but I imagine that as with most of the smaller villages one would find the environment safe and the population friendly.  Is de bandits and dem in the bigger cities yuh need to watch for, lol.

[che]

Earl Jean from St lucia or hati?? I trying to remember some hatian players in true...to me we had at a point in time.....

Earl Jean is from St.Lucia.

[Deeks]

Good Morning,
                    We must also remember that Calypso has strong French creole roots. The old Calypsonian was called a Chantuel

[Bakes]

Toussaint, yeah upper boissere village
look de addy of de RC Church
73. Paramin R.C. School
Paramin Village, Maraval,
Tel: (868) 629–1014
on de top right hand side by the ST of st andrews is aproximately where that Paramin is I believe

Waaaaaayyyy man coming wid all kinah resources boy.  See how educated we could sound once we stop chatting football fuh more dan 2 seconds 

[Trini _2026]

(So in 1783 the King of Spain published a cédula de población, inviting any catholic subject of a monarch friendly to the Spanish crown to come and settle in Trinidad. Many colonists from the other Francophone caribbean islands came pouring in.)

Just to further this point.

Although the Spanish ruled at that time, a vast "majority" of the population (settlers) were of French creole descent.  During my time growing up as a boy, almost all of the older people spoke "patios" aka creole.  Matter of fact my grandparents on both sides spoke English, Spanish and Creole.  I can even speak creole that I learned from the "ole" people, even though not as fluent as my mother and now deceased father.  Growing up in the country had its benefits...heh heh.

Although the creole language is dying, there is still a village in the hills of Maraval namely "Paramin" ....where Creole is spoken even by the young ones.  Up there they seem stuck in a time zone.  Matter of fact, it is my understanding that a catholic mass is being said exclusively in Patois on Ash Wednesday, or maybe it is Midnight mass on Christmas Eve.

Just my two cents.

Sentinel, I am trying to locate the village paramin you mentioned using google earth map and I cannot. Is it a place where a tourist can safely go? Any big city nearby?

toussaint paramin is up on a hill a steep hill !!!  yuh should visiit trinidad sometime

[Bakes]

Good Morning,
                    We must also remember that Calypso has strong French creole roots. The old Calypsonian was called a Chantuel

True...and were sung in Trinidad French Creole...aka Patois.  Here's a quote by Holly Betaudier from the link posted by Jumbie:

Betaudier noted that the original calypsoes were sung in the patois, but eventually they became anglicised, though vestiges remain, such as the refrain "santimanitay" in extempo ("sans humanité" translated as "without mercy").

Here is a link to a site that deals with linguistics, that discusses Trinidad French Creole among other dialects such as Cockney http://www.une.edu.au/langnet/trinidad.htm

Pretty good link, feel free to click on the map and examine other dialects such as Papimiento in the Dutch isles, Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao...and the dialects spoken in Newcastle, england...and others in Hawaii etc.

Kinda proud to see TnT featured...and sad in a sense (even though I doh know the language) that patois is dying off.

[Jumbie]

toussaint paramin is up on a hill a steep hill !!!  yuh should visiit trinidad sometime

lawd.. triniman start using google earth 3-d. 

[CarenageBoy]

Other than Andre Toussaint

what are the other common 'haitian' names you are referring too?




Is 'hardest' a common name in port-au-prince?

Dutty,
He might be thinking of Earl Jean. But, I think he is from St. Lucia.

[Toussaint]

(So in 1783 the King of Spain published a cédula de población, inviting any catholic subject of a monarch friendly to the Spanish crown to come and settle in Trinidad. Many colonists from the other Francophone caribbean islands came pouring in.)

Just to further this point.

Although the Spanish ruled at that time, a vast "majority" of the population (settlers) were of French creole descent.  During my time growing up as a boy, almost all of the older people spoke "patios" aka creole.  Matter of fact my grandparents on both sides spoke English, Spanish and Creole.  I can even speak creole that I learned from the "ole" people, even though not as fluent as my mother and now deceased father.  Growing up in the country had its benefits...heh heh.

Although the creole language is dying, there is still a village in the hills of Maraval namely "Paramin" ....where Creole is spoken even by the young ones.  Up there they seem stuck in a time zone.  Matter of fact, it is my understanding that a catholic mass is being said exclusively in Patois on Ash Wednesday, or maybe it is Midnight mass on Christmas Eve.

Just my two cents.

Sentinel, I am trying to locate the village paramin you mentioned using google earth map and I cannot. Is it a place where a tourist can safely go? Any big city nearby?

toussaint paramin is up on a hill a steep hill !!!  yuh should visiit trinidad sometime

I should have booked a fly to TnT instead of Aruba. Shame on me! (I could have even had a chance to go to some matches )

[Bakes]

I should have booked a fly to TnT instead of Aruba. Shame on me! (I could have even had a chance to go to some matches )

Plus Aruba right dey man...ah good breeze take yuh and yuh in Aruba arready, lol

[Toussaint]

Good Morning,
                    We must also remember that Calypso has strong French creole roots. The old Calypsonian was called a Chantuel

True...and were sung in Trinidad French Creole...aka Patois.  Here's a quote by Holly Betaudier from the link posted by Jumbie:

Betaudier noted that the original calypsoes were sung in the patois, but eventually they became anglicised, though vestiges remain, such as the refrain "santimanitay" in extempo ("sans humanité" translated as "without mercy").

Here is a link to a site that deals with linguistics, that discusses Trinidad French Creole among other dialects such as Cockney http://www.une.edu.au/langnet/trinidad.htm

Pretty good link, feel free to click on the map and examine other dialects such as Papimiento in the Dutch isles, Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao...and the dialects spoken in Newcastle, england...and others in Hawaii etc.

Kinda proud to see TnT featured...and sad in a sense (even though I doh know the language) that patois is dying off.

I have been to many Creole speaking Caribbean countries but just reading a few trini-creole words from the site convinces me that the people of Trinidad spoke/speak the same Creole that is currently in use in Haiti. I wish there was some kind of efforts at the gov level in TnT to save the Creole language there.

[Warlord]

Good Morning,
                    We must also remember that Calypso has strong French creole roots. The old Calypsonian was called a Chantuel

True...and were sung in Trinidad French Creole...aka Patois.  Here's a quote by Holly Betaudier from the link posted by Jumbie:

Betaudier noted that the original calypsoes were sung in the patois, but eventually they became anglicised, though vestiges remain, such as the refrain "santimanitay" in extempo ("sans humanité" translated as "without mercy").

Here is a link to a site that deals with linguistics, that discusses Trinidad French Creole among other dialects such as Cockney http://www.une.edu.au/langnet/trinidad.htm

Pretty good link, feel free to click on the map and examine other dialects such as Papimiento in the Dutch isles, Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao...and the dialects spoken in Newcastle, england...and others in Hawaii etc.

Kinda proud to see TnT featured...and sad in a sense (even though I doh know the language) that patois is dying off.

I have been to many Creole speaking Caribbean countries but just reading a few trini-creole words from the site convinces me that the people of Trinidad spoke/speak the same Creole that is currently in use in Haiti. I wish there was some kind of efforts at the gov level in TnT to save the Creole language there.

If you want to hear real patois, visit Jamaica.

[Bakes]

I have been to many Creole speaking Caribbean countries but just reading a few trini-creole words from the site convinces me that the people of Trinidad spoke/speak the same Creole that is currently in use in Haiti. I wish there was some kind of efforts at the gov level in TnT to save the Creole language there.

I think the one thing that would frustrate any such efforts is that there is no real practical application for the language.  There's already a functional language in place, so it's not likely to be replaced.  Another thing is that culturally, Trinidad has lost much of the French part of our culture...vestiges remain, but that's about it.  So there's no real sense of urgency there.

One thing they can do perhaps is to expand the educational focus of the language, beyond UWI and into the secondary schools.  Even so though, it cannot be mandatory for students, and given it's limited practicality (relative to Spanish and French) how many will opt to take it?  Even if they did, would their be a CXC (Caribbean Examinations Council) exam for it?  Unlikely.


Warlord...ah know yuh was joking, but the broken english spoken in Jamaica is also a legitimate 'patois'...the word really just refers to any 'corruption' of the language of a colonizing people, with that of the colonized.  So in short, any bastardization of the European lingos with that of the lands they colonized (England and JA in your case) would be considered a Patois.

[Deeks]

Good People,
                  If you all interested in preserving some creole, ask TUCO and the Calypsonians to put more Zouk in the Soca. If all you want to hear real good CalypZouk, listen to www.afromontreal.com. Especially CaboZouk from Cape Verde.

[saga pinto]

Good Morning,
                    We must also remember that Calypso has strong French creole roots. The old Calypsonian was called a Chantuel

True...and were sung in Trinidad French Creole...aka Patois.  Here's a quote by Holly Betaudier from the link posted by Jumbie:

Betaudier noted that the original calypsoes were sung in the patois, but eventually they became anglicised, though vestiges remain, such as the refrain "santimanitay" in extempo ("sans humanité" translated as "without mercy").

Here is a link to a site that deals with linguistics, that discusses Trinidad French Creole among other dialects such as Cockney http://www.une.edu.au/langnet/trinidad.htm

Pretty good link, feel free to click on the map and examine other dialects such as Papimiento in the Dutch isles, Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao...and the dialects spoken in Newcastle, england...and others in Hawaii etc.

Kinda proud to see TnT featured...and sad in a sense (even though I doh know the language) that patois is dying off.

I have been to many Creole speaking Caribbean countries but just reading a few trini-creole words from the site convinces me that the people of Trinidad spoke/speak the same Creole that is currently in use in Haiti. I wish there was some kind of efforts at the gov level in TnT to save the Creole language there.

If you want to hear real patois, visit Jamaica.

sak passe! toute moule baghi...............

[vb]

The French influence in TT is extrememly well known.

It was they who popularised Carnival dancing in the streets in TT.
However, when the freed black slaves joined in the late 1800s the French aristocracy fled to their homes :-)

The French influence in our language is obvious:

Dimanche Gras
Jouvert
flambeau
Papa Bois
I could be wrong but I think "jumbie" is also of Fr. origin.
fete

Other areas with French names: Boissiere Village, Petite Valley,...is Blanchicieuse (sp) French? There are more, I just don't remember them all.

Other Fr. names, Boissier, Camps, Dechie (sp), Durieux(sp),St. Hillaire, Camps Campins.

I believe ther could be a lot more names of Fr. origin but mispelling by the locals, probably has us unaware of this.

The Fr. left quite an impact on our culture. I am ashamed to say I only know a bit of it.

But that is what you get for teaching man about Cuba and Haiti for a year and more and harldy one ass about TT. Hopefully that has changed.

Peace,
VB

[legal alien]

i'm writing this before reading all the previous posts. the fact is, many of the blacks   in trirnidad before the mid 1800s   were slaves of white , french planters. many of these planters  were loyal to the french crown. when the french and haitian revolutions came around  in the 1790s, alot of them came to trinidad. i'm not sure whether slaves were brought with them.
   although a lot of black trinis today  are are descended the small island imigrants (i'm half vincey), i'm sure there are a lot  with french  names descended from that time.as for the white trinis with french names , well, i'm sure  enough has been explained in this thread.
 by the way, i believe the  trini accent has a slight french to it.

[Midknight]

Is a wonder how this thread gone off topic, but I like it...

The two main factors of French settling in Trinidad were the Cedula of Population and the Haitian Revolution and its repercussions. Many planters in the French speaking islands and a few in Haiti fled to the South for fear of having the revolutionary spirit contaminate their slaves. This however is not to say that there weren't any French in the colony before this period, just that the explosion started around this time.

Contrary to popular belief, these planters were not all white and.or aristocrats. There were quite a good number of free coloureds who had slaves and who brought them along with them.  Common sense would also suggest that many french planters in the neighbouring islands of Grenada and St. Lucia would have fled south when the British captured these islands. (Grenada was ceded to Britain in 1763)

By the time the British captured Trinidad, it was a Spanish colony in name only. French culture pervaded the island, from many place names down to the masked balls that became one of the pillars for the fancy costumes of Carnival before the slave element introduced the canboulay and 'jammette' culture that is our modern day Jouvert.

Jamette comes from diamètre, which basically means, the "other (dark) side, J'ouvert is a contraction of Jour Ouvert (day break), Canboulay comes from Cannes Brulées (Burnt Cane). Jab Molassie (Diable mélassé = molasses devil),  Dimanche Gras (Big Sunday) sanumanitay (sans humanité) are other examples of the french terminology in carnival

The place names are pretty self evident:
Blanchisseuse (Washer woman), Lopinot, Laventille, Petit Valley (should be petite vallée), Grande Rivière (Big River), Sans Souci (no worries), D'Abadie ?, Mon Repos (My resting place), Point à Pierre, Basse Terre(Flat land), Bonasse, Point Fortin

in Tobago we have Bacolet among others

Our trini patois has maintained some rare vestiges of the french creole from which it emerged:
bazodee = abasourdi (literally confused by loud sounds)
"it making hot" is a direct reference to the french syntax "il fait chaud"
commesse (confusion) comes from commérages (rumours) or commères (rumourmongers)
macafouchette (leftovers) virtually means what is not touched by the fork (fourchette). Planasse (beat someone with the flat side of a cutlass) is acually a french word derived from the verb to flatten (as in plane)

I'm also persuaded that tootoolbay (lovestruck) and obzokee (akward) have french roots

Our folklore is particularly rich in this domaine as well
Papa Bois (Father of the Woods)
La Diablesse (The She Devil)
Lagahoo (Loup Garou = werewolf)
Mama Glo/Dlo (Maman de l'eau = Mother of the Water)
Soucouyants (Suce cou? = Neck suckers) or Soucoup Volants (UFO's?)

[Toussaint]

Is a wonder how this thread gone off topic, but I like it...

The two main factors of French settling in Trinidad were the Cedula of Population and the Haitian Revolution and its repercussions. Many planters in the French speaking islands and a few in Haiti fled to the South for fear of having the revolutionary spirit contaminate their slaves. This however is not to say that there weren't any French in the colony before this period, just that the explosion started around this time.

Contrary to popular belief, these planters were not all white and.or aristocrats. There were quite a good number of free coloureds who had slaves and who brought them along with them.  Common sense would also suggest that many french planters in the neighbouring islands of Grenada and St. Lucia would have fled south when the British captured these islands. (Grenada was ceded to Britain in 1763)

By the time the British captured Trinidad, it was a Spanish colony in name only. French culture pervaded the island, from many place names down to the masked balls that became one of the pillars for the fancy costumes of Carnival before the slave element introduced the canboulay and 'jammette' culture that is our modern day Jouvert.

Jamette comes from diamètre, which basically means, the "other (dark) side, J'ouvert is a contraction of Jour Ouvert (day break), Canboulay comes from Cannes Brulées (Burnt Cane). Jab Molassie (Diable mélassé = molasses devil),  Dimanche Gras (Big Sunday) sanumanitay (sans humanité) are other examples of the french terminology in carnival

The place names are pretty self evident:
Blanchisseuse (Washer woman), Lopinot, Laventille, Petit Valley (should be petite vallée), Grande Rivière (Big River), Sans Souci (no worries), D'Abadie ?, Mon Repos (My resting place), Point à Pierre, Basse Terre(Flat land), Bonasse, Point Fortin

in Tobago we have Bacolet among others

Our trini patois has maintained some rare vestiges of the french creole from which it emerged:
bazodee = abasourdi (literally confused by loud sounds)
"it making hot" is a direct reference to the french syntax "il fait chaud"
commesse (confusion) comes from commérages (rumours) or commères (rumourmongers)
macafouchette (leftovers) virtually means what is not touched by the fork (fourchette). Planasse (beat someone with the flat side of a cutlass) is acually a french word derived from the verb to flatten (as in plane)

I'm also persuaded that tootoolbay (lovestruck) and obzokee (akward) have french roots

Our folklore is particularly rich in this domaine as well
Papa Bois (Father of the Woods)
La Diablesse (The She Devil)
Lagahoo (Loup Garou = werewolf)
Mama Glo/Dlo (Maman de l'eau = Mother of the Water)
Soucouyants (Suce cou? = Neck suckers) or Soucoup Volants (UFO's?)

Based on  those last words, I believe many of those who came from Haiti brought with them a good dose of their afrocaribbean culture.

Lagahoo (Haitian: lougarou; FR: Loup Garou) is French. This concept of people transforming into animals was originally unknown among Africans.
Mama Dlo (Haitian: manman dlo, met dlo) is the vodoo lwa named Simbie. She is usually associated with rainbow, water sneaks, and a fictive half-woman half-fish creature (mermaid?)
La Diablesse (always written in French) is not a vodoo lwa, but a fairy tale figure. She is in Afrocaribbean folklore what the wolf is in European fairy tales.
Papa Bois (Haitian: met bwa, gran bwa) is the French 'Grand Bouc', evil worshiped by European witches. He is not a vodoo lwa. A big tree that looks like a baobab tree named 'mapou' in Haiti is also called 'papa bwa' because it's the biggest tree in the Caribbean.
Soucouyants (Haitian: soukouyan) Probably from the Arawak indians. People in some parts of Haiti believe that there is a small humanlike creature called soukouyan that live in the forests. Some Puerto Ricans call a similar creature chupacabra, although it has been proven that a doglike creature still live in the wild in the antilles and that creature is responsible for the disappearance of some domestic animals.

[Sentinel]

Soucouyant (female vampire)

Hold up....hold up....now a Socouyant eh not dog like creature...in Trinidad folk-lore...is ah woman who does shed she skin....turn into a ball ah fire....and come and suck yuh.  So when you get up in the morining and yuh have a "hickie" on yuh neck or any part of your body....feeling weak...is ah Socouyant suck yuh. 

Now...yuh can do for she. To combat she...yuh have to throw salt at the entrance of yuh house...so that when she about to go....she have to count every grain of salt you leave there.  Of course...she have to be back where she leave she skin...(in a mortar) before daylight...Yuh can catch her if you put plenty salt...since she must count every grain of salt you left there.

Another ting you can do is place pepper in the mortar that she left her skin.   Trust meh...all she bawling is "kin...kin...is me"  but she burning no arse.

Douen


A Douen is a child that died before having the opportunity to be baptised.  Typically...the Douen appears to little children...playing with them....and leading them to the deep forest.  This sprit appears as a little child...with a large hat....but if you look closely...you will see that their feet is turned backward.

Lagahoo...Lou Garou....

is ah man that does turn into a dog....or a matter of fact...any beast.  It had this fellah living next door to me...he name Toco....because he was from the seaside village of Toco...but come to live in Santa CruZ.  Whole night Toco trying to turn dog.   Well we put a good cut-arse on he....he neva try again.

La Diablese

Is a real beautiful woman who does come out late at night...looking really beautiful....with the sole purpose of luring unsuspecting males into the forest.   Be careful, cause she could lead you over a cliff or precipice.  To know if you dealing with a LaDiablesse...look at she foot.  One is human...the other is a cow hoof.

A  point to note.

Be careful of the silk cotton tree.  Nuff ting does be going on under this tree at midnight.  Toussaint...if you plan on visiting Trinidad...there is one between Maraval and Santa Cruz.  Take no chance being there at midnight...if you do...oh well!

[Toussaint]

Soucouyant (female vampire)

Hold up....hold up....now a Socouyant eh not dog like creature...in Trinidad folk-lore...is ah woman who does shed she skin....turn into a ball ah fire....and come and suck yuh.  So when you get up in the morining and yuh have a "hickie" on yuh neck or any part of your body....feeling weak...is ah Socouyant suck yuh. 

Now...yuh can do for she. To combat she...yuh have to throw salt at the entrance of yuh house...so that when she about to go....she have to count every grain of salt you leave there.  Of course...she have to be back where she leave she skin...(in a mortar) before daylight...Yuh can catch her if you put plenty salt...since she must count every grain of salt you left there.

Another ting you can do is place pepper in the mortar that she left her skin.   Trust meh...all she bawling is "kin...kin...is me"  but she burning no arse.

Douen


A Douen is a child that died before having the opportunity to be baptised.  Typically...the Douen appears to little children...playing with them....and leading them to the deep forest.  This sprit appears as a little child...with a large hat....but if you look closely...you will see that their feet is turned backward.

Lagahoo...Lou Garou....

is ah man that does turn into a dog....or a matter of fact...any beast.  It had this fellah living next door to me...he name Toco....because he was from the seaside village of Toco...but come to live in Santa CruZ.  Whole night Toco trying to turn dog.   Well we put a good cut-arse on he....he neva try again.

La Diablese

Is a real beautiful woman who does come out late at night...looking really beautiful....with the sole purpose of luring unsuspecting males into the forest.   Be careful, cause she could lead you over a cliff or precipice.  To know if you dealing with a LaDiablesse...look at she foot.  One is human...the other is a cow hoof.

A  point to note.

Be careful of the silk cotton tree.  Nuff ting does be going on under this tree at midnight.  Toussaint...if you plan on visiting Trinidad...there is one between Maraval and Santa Cruz.  Take no chance being there at midnight...if you do...oh well!

 

Your Soucouyants are not different than ours. They are mysterious creatures that come out at night. However, I am not sure I would hate yours  
Trini women slap, trini soukouyants suck! hm, sounds fair to me Our soukouyans just steal our food and scare you at night just for fun.

Your Douens are quite mean. Ours just can't go to heaven something they seem to be ok with (This concept is catholic, thus european). But, the trouble is the fact that they also refuse to go to hell arguying that Haiti is already one.

Your Diablesse is definitely not a bad girl. Ours would cook our stubborn kids in a stew and eat them...at least in the fairy tales

Something must be wrong with your lagahoos for them to turn into dogs Ours just turn into cats, it's easier . However, your lagahoos and our lougarous seem to go to the same school. They are all wicked.

[Pointman]

Good Morning,
                    We must also remember that Calypso has strong French creole roots. The old Calypsonian was called a Chantuel

True...and were sung in Trinidad French Creole...aka Patois.  Here's a quote by Holly Betaudier from the link posted by Jumbie:

Betaudier noted that the original calypsoes were sung in the patois, but eventually they became anglicised, though vestiges remain, such as the refrain "santimanitay" in extempo ("sans humanité" translated as "without mercy").

Here is a link to a site that deals with linguistics, that discusses Trinidad French Creole among other dialects such as Cockney http://www.une.edu.au/langnet/trinidad.htm

Pretty good link, feel free to click on the map and examine other dialects such as Papimiento in the Dutch isles, Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao...and the dialects spoken in Newcastle, england...and others in Hawaii etc.

Kinda proud to see TnT featured...and sad in a sense (even though I doh know the language) that patois is dying off.

I have been to many Creole speaking Caribbean countries but just reading a few trini-creole words from the site convinces me that the people of Trinidad spoke/speak the same Creole that is currently in use in Haiti. I wish there was some kind of efforts at the gov level in TnT to save the Creole language there.

ah now seeing this topic and wanted to add my two cents worth. I have a lil interesting story. A few years ago my mother in law who grew up in San Juan T&T was visiting in Washington DC, a city she didnt know very well, and needed to take a cab to her destination. The cab driver was from Haiti and his English wasn't very good at all, so my mother in law was talking to him in patois and he responding in Kreole and between the Trini patois and the Haitian Kreolethe two of them were able to figure out where she needed to go.
 My wife uncle speaks fluent patois and has many Haitian friends in NYC who he communicates with each one in thier own language(patois and Kreole).

[Pointman]

La batimamselle in Trini is a dragon fly

in Haiti it's a young girl(I believe)