28369: TheTempley: (reply) FW: 28338: Paquiot (ask): Origin of Haiti Thomas (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: THETEMPLEY@aol.com

Dear Jacques Constant,

Ayiti Toma is a name of "Fon" origin, the language spoken by the people of
Dawonmen now known as The Republic of Benin.

> From that Fon language, Ayi means the earth, the land like in Ayida wèdo
that means the snake of the earth or Ayizan that means the sacred earth or
the
sacred land.

Other words of the same origin are blayi, delayi, layite, djayi,  laye...etc.
that are found in the creole language.

Ti asserts the possession.

So Ayiti or Ayi miton ti means: "From now on, this earth or this land is
ours!"

To: means country as defined by its borders.

Mè or ma: means everything inside of these borders.

So, our country was born with a name "Ayiti" and a family name "Toma"
meaning: "from now on this country is ours, everything which is contained
inside  of
these borders."

As if to guarantee these facts to be held true, the ancestors, greatly of
Dawonmen origin, built up a whole series of forts on top of all the hills  and
mountains of the country.

Thank you for your inquiry and sincerely yours.

Max Beauvoir