15383: Pdesrosi: Re: 15376: Garoute: Question about Toma....

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Pdesrosi@aol.com

Although many have been tempted to associate the world Toma in "Haiti
toma" to a small ethnic group in the forest region of Guinea, I am rather
very skeptical about this assertion and would tend to accept the
revolutionary idea about the whole theory of the naming of Hayti. My own
personal and others take on the matter have lead me to the fongbe word D'
yi t Tom meaning country be alert, vigilant or watch over, look after,
take care of the country. More appropriate than the well accepted Tiano
indian word Haiti meaning Highland which is in the same line with the
Yucatan story. The word Tom can be used for a locality, region, province
or state and we used it en Haiti when we say lan peyi'm (aux Cayes, au
Cap, Jeremie, in the southern region or Northen province etc..).
The Haitian Creole has a lot of fongbe words that have been adapted to a
new Haitian reality such as Fatras Baton for Toussaint Louverture which is
by the way never used in Haiti to mean little stick or Little Lath. My
research has lead me to believe that the word was corrupted from the
fongbe word Fa t Gbt (prononcaition Fato bateau) meaning he who has the
ears of the Fa to conquer a country ( a Fa Seer). Stay tune!





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Paultre P. Desrosiers, MD, MPH, Ph.D.
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