#4020: Funny Names in Haiti (fwd)

[Robert Corbett <bcorbett@netcom.com>]

From: archim <archim@globelsud.net>


     May I add to the discussion on Haitian names? In no way am I being 
     disrespectful, but since names have always been a "thing" with me, I 
     offer the following:
     
         A wonderful woman who used to work for us was called "Clothilde", 
     not at all an uncommon name. However, she announced to me one day that 
     her sister, "TIOTE" was coming from Cape Haitian for a visit and to 
     stay with her for a month when she delivered her baby. That was fine 
     with me. I did, however, ask her what the name "TIOTE" meant, or where 
     it came from. She told me that when her mother discovered that she had 
     just delivered another little baby girl, she said: "O Bondie, m-te 
     gegne une ti ot"! (Oh my God, I have another little one!")
     
        Another good one was a waitress in the restaurant of a friend of 
     mine in Petion-Ville, whose name was "Chlorine". We always used to 
     chuckle a bit when we spoke of her, but she was a sweety. One day she 
     announced that her brother was arriving next week, and we mused that 
     maybe his name was "AJAX". (Forgive us for making fun!) The next week, 
     her brother arrived, and she introduced us to him: his name was 
     "COMET".
     
        And then there was Bob and Janet Cope who had a baby boy and named 
     him "HORACE"! (But they were not Haitians!)