#487: Spelling of Haitian Creole: several replies

[Robert Corbett <bcorbett@netcom.com>]

From: "Roger E. Savain" <resavain@konpitek.com>

The short form pronouns  m,  w,  l,  n,  y,  are used only before verbs
beginning with a vowel. By exception  m  and  n  may be used before a
consonant. The apostrophy after the short form pronoun is not necessary.
When preceding a verb or a verb marker begining with a vowel, a short form
pronoun and the verb may become one word: machte, wachte, lachte, nachte,
yachte; map, wap, lap, nap yap. (Haitian Kreyol in Ten Steps, 5th edition,
p.44).

Roger E. Savain

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From: albert valdman <valdman@indiana.edu>

Following the officialization of the IPN French-inspired spelling by the
J.-C Duvalier government in 1979, we followed the lead of all the Haitian
groups engaged in literacy and education related activities in switching
to
it.  So our 1981 dictionary, the textbook Ann pale kreyo'l and the 1996
Learner's Dictionary of HC (English--> HC) use that orthography. But
because  many important HC texts, including Bib la are written in the
FAublas-Pressoir ortography, we teach our students both systems.  There
are in fact few differences between these two orthographies.  I, for one,
regret that the Faublas-Pressoir orthography, the only system conceived
wholy by Haitians, was not retained with minor modifications.  

Albert Valdman

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