9271Beyond research on Haiti Creole Dictionaries /Bibliographies (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: E Vedrine <evedrine@hotmail.com>


«Some Enlightment on ‘research on dictionaries related to Haitian Creole»

                           E. W. Vedrine


”Se vre, ekri yon diksyonè ta dwe non sèlman travay yon ekip sivil, men 
gouvènmantal tou” [It’s true, writing a dictionary should have been not only 
the work of a civilian team, but also a governmental one](Jozèf Pwofèt, REKA 
forum http://kreyol.org). But, we can ask Pwofèt to enlighten us on that if 
we would like to start with Webster. Who helped Jules Faine(1) write his 
dictionary (although he did not have the chance to see its publication 
before his death)?

Research on dictionaries and bibliographies is never complete. Actually, I 
finished working on “Dictionary of Haitian Creole 
Bibliography”http://members.aol.com/_ht_a/ewvedrine/EV-DiksBiblioHC.htm
(research covering publications on/in Kreyòl from colonial times to the end 
of the year 2000 with critiques / notes  and comments). I am still not 
satisfied due to some references that I have not been able to trace (this is 
the reason I call it ‘a first edition’, in other words the research will go 
continue) and it will be harder to conduct such a research project in Haiti, 
there are many question marks with the problem of “documentation”.

To complete such research (within a 4-year period of intensive work
and trips back and forth to check documents), even if a team were to do the 
research they could’nt done it in four years (even if this team would have 
access to electronic archives to analyze).

My experiences with research related to “Kreyòl dictionaries” since 1991 I 
wrote my first dictiory, Dictionary Of Haitian Creole Verbs With Phrases And 
Idioms, published in 1992) and at Indiana University (1997, 1999-2001) made 
me think more on the subject I don’t believe the work of a team will produce 
“the best dictionaries” I doubt it), it would rather be knowing all that 
research entails though we can’t say it is not important (if it is possible) 
for that to be done with “a great team” and in order to have “a great team”, 
it requires funds “qualified people in the field” and “sacrifice”.

So, I respect everyone’s effort who have tried to produce a dictionary 
(alone) and it is not an easy task (for those who already had the 
experience). There is always space for later editions of dictionaries. I 
believe “Webster’s” is now in its 20th edition. So, the message I want to 
give is this: it is we, individual who should try to take certain 
initiatives (without waiting for the state, some organizations or some group 
of people) to do the job.

I was surprised to find the amount of references dealing with research on 
the subject. This pushed me to go further in the analysis of a presentation 
by Pradel Pompilus(2) in France(3) on “Kreyòl dictionaries” I read both of 
his dissertations(4). How many creolists have really put some time aside to 
analyze the works of Jules Faine(4) in order to give him all the credit that 
he deserves in this sense (and during a time when there was no computer 
available to collect data quickly to analyze)? We could have even gone 
further back into colonial times) looking at the method of collecting Kreyòl 
lexicon data through some publications that were printed at that time.

Many “key works” have been done already, in reference to Kreyòl 
dictionaries, but it us researchers, volunteers… who have shown interest in 
the field who should go and analyze these works, criticize them, put 
emphasis on them (where it’s necessary). That’s what I’ve been trying to do 
(with the launching of “E. W. Vedrine Creole Project”). I am trying to patch 
some of the holes in Kreyòl research. My latest research (re: “HC 
bibliography”), is on subjects never existed before (in terms of what it 
covers and the research method I used) it focuses on “Haitian Creole”. I 
would consider bibliography research by John Reinecke(5), Albert Valdman(6) 
(and als) did not center on “Haitian Creole” only and that would cover all 
aspects of the language at the same time if we want to enter more into 
details of “a corpus of publications on /in Kreyòl”, but I can’t say that my 
research is a “complete one”; I rather did a more advanced one and within a 
precise domain.

So, I believe that there is enough conclusive evidence here to refute
Pierre Louis Dorval’s argument (or to take a bit of it to be analyzed in 
terms of research related to this particular subject), «yon gramè ak yon 
diksyonè ta dwe travay yon ekip moun» [a grammar and a dictionary should 
have been the work of a team of people] (re: The REKA forum, 
http://kreyol.org) which does not mean for me “a better research” or “a 
complete one”; maybe in the sense he is thinking when taking examples of 
most research, including research I cite below. They were not done by a team 
(apart from VALDMAN, FREEMAN / LAGUERRE, BENTOLILA, MOLINKSKY (and als.) 
whereas the work on later editions continues (in the case of VALDMAN [re. 
Presentation on Kreyòl (HC) at the HAS Annual Conference which took place in 
West Palm Beach Florida. Oct. 2000]); FREEMAN / LAGUERRE, Haitian – English 
Dictionary, 2nd. ed. 2000; PROPHÈTE (Diksyonè Sinonim Lang Kreyòl Ayisyen, 
ed. 2001) and other editions we can target.


Here is a list of data related to the subject:

*1961. POMPILUS, Pradel. «La langue française en Haïti».
1961(?). POMPILUS, Pradel. «Lexique du patois créole d’Haïti».
*1964. DEJEAN, Yves. «Recueil de mots entendu et noté dans la région de 
Port-Salut de septembre 1953 à juillet 1962». (Unpub. manuscript)
*DYESIFÒ, Mango. Haïti Progrès [weekly Haitian newspaper with a section in 
Kreyòl. - ‘Lang manman nou’, special series with Mango Dyesifò -.  Vol.1 
#10; vol. 3#41; vol. 4 #10, 12, 13, 14, 16, 20, 21, 22, 23, 26, 27, 28, 29, 
30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 40, 42, 43, 45, 47, 49, 50, 51, 52; vol. 5 #1, 2, 4, 5, 
7, 8, 15, 22, 24, 25, 30, 31, 33, 34, 36, 37, 40, 41, 45, 51; vol. 6 #14]
1969. RAYMOND, Roc J. Du créole au français: petit guide pratique.
1969. GUYOMAR, M. Petit dictionnaire créole.
(year?). HEARN, Lafcadio. Combo Zhèbes: Little dictionary of Creole proverbs 
selected from six Creole dialects.
1971. CHURCH OF GOD IN CHRIST. Creole - English Dictionary: A basic 
vocabulary. Port-au-Prince.
*1992. PIERRE-NOËL, Arsène V. «Nomenclature polyglotte des plantes 
haïtiennes et tropicales».
1974. PALEMAN, L. C. Diksyonè kreyòl – fransè.
1974. FAINE, Jules. Dictionaire français – créole.
1976. BENTOLIKA, Alain (et co.). Ti diksyonè kreyòl – fransè.
1978. PELEMAN, Lodewikj Frederik. Dictionnaire créole-français.
*1979. NELSON, Roger. Zouazo Ayiti-yo. Boukan. Port-au-Prince.
1981. VALDMAN, Albert.  Haitian Creole - English - French Dictionary (Vol. I 
and II).
1986. FREEMAN, Bryant and Pierre Vernet. Gesprochen Taal van Haïti Met 
Verbeteringen En Aanvullingen (Ti diksyonè kreyòl nelandè ak yon ti degi). 
2zèm ed. L. F. Peleman. (Herziene uigave, bewerkt door / Bryant C. Freeman). 
Ed. BNou: Port-au-Prince.
1989. FREEMAN, Bryant. Dictionnaire inverse de la langue créole haïtienne / 
Diksyonè lanvè lang kreyòl ayisyen. C.L.A.P.
1989. JEANTY, Edner. Diksyonè kreyòl - anglè / Creole English Dictionary 
(sec. ed. published in 1992).
1989. FREEMAN, Bryant & Pierre Vernet. Diksyonè Òtografik Ayisyen (Diksyonè 
òtograf kreyòl?).
1989. FREEMAN, Bryant. Dictionnaire préliminaire des fréquences de langue 
créole haïtienne. C.L.A.P.
1989. HYPPOLITE,  Michel-Ange. Atlas kò moun (an 4 lang).
1989. FREEMAN, Bryant. Dictionnaire inverse de la langue créole haïtienne.
1989. FREEMAN, Bryant. Dictionnaire préliminaire des fréquences de langue 
créole haïtienne.
(year?). FREEMAN, Bryant Diksyonè medikal kreyòl .
(year?). GILABERT, Jorge. C. Diccionario Creol - Espayòl / Diksyonè Espayòl 
- Kreyòl. (3rd. ed.).
1990. VILSAINT, Féquière. Pictorial Dictionary of Haitian Creole.
1991. DORET, Michel. Lexique français-créole. Le Verger, Edi. Amon Ra.
1991. VILSAINT, Féquière. Creole - English Dictionary.
1991. VILSAINT, Féquière. English - Creole Dictionary.
1992. FREEMAN, Bryant. Haitian Creole - English Haitian Creole Dictionary.
1992. VILSAINT, Féquière. Diksyonè anglè kreyòl.
1992. VEDRINE, Emmanuel W. Dictionary of Haitian Creole Verbs With Phrases 
And Idioms.
1992. VILSAINT, Féquière. Idiomatic English - Creole Dictionary.
1993. CORTINES, Ramon C. English - Haitian Creole - English glossary of 
Mathematics terms.
1993. RINCHER, Deslande. Diksyonè Kreyòl - Anglè - Fransè Manman Penmba.
1993. TARGETE, Jean & Raphael Urciolo. Haitian Creole - English dictionary.
1994. PHANORD, Patrick. Diksyonè fransè-kreyòl, kreyòl-fransè : petite 
grammaire de la langue creole.
1994. VILSAINT, Féquière & Maude Heurtelou. Diksyonè Kreyòl Vilsen.
*1994. SCHUTTS-AINE, Patricia (konpile e edite pa). A Basic Reference Book.
1995. THEODORE, Charmat. Haitian Creole - English / English Haitian Creole 
Dictionary.
1996. CHRISTIAN, Marie-Jose, Sanglard-Pradel. Dictionnaire bilingue: Kreyòl 
ayisyen - Franse, Français - Créole haitien.
1996. MOLINSKY, Steven P., Bill Bliss, Roger Savain, Edwidge 
Crèvecœur-Brant, Maud Paultre Fontus. Diksyonè mo ak pòtre : English / 
Haitian Kreyòl picture dictionary.
1996. VALDMAN, Albert. (in collaboration with Charles Pooser and Rozevel 
Jean-Baptiste). A Learner’s Dictionary of Haitian Creole.
(year?).VALDMAN, Albert. Dictionary of Haitian Creole. “English - Creole / 
Creole - English” (compiled from You can speak Creole, by H. Ormonde 
McConnell and Eugene Swan Jr.)
1996. VEDRINE, Emmanuel W. Petit lexique du créole haïtien.
1997. KESLÈBREZO. Sansmo.
1998. ANGLADE, Pierre. Inventaire étymologique des termes créoles des 
Caraïbes d’origine africaine.
1999. JOSEPH, Prophète (Jozèf, Pwofèt). Diksyonè Sinonim Lang Kreyòl 
Ayisyen. (2nd. dd. Published in 2001).
2000. CHERY, André Vilaire. Dictionnaire de l’évolution du vocabulaire 
français en Haïti (dans le discours politique, économique et social du 7 
février 1986 à nos jours). 
http://members.aol.com/_ht_a/ewvedrine?EV-Chery.htm
(year?) (author?). Petit guide pratique où certains mots, expressions et 
proverbes créoles
2001. HILLAIRE, Jeannot. Lexicréole.

It is also important that those who are not specialized in the area try to 
be in touch with some specialists to take a look at their manuscripts, 
because it is a disaster with some publications related to “HC 
dictionaries…” (although we don’t have choice, we have to cite them in some 
research). It would be better for these authors to take their time to read 
some major works (e.g, works by VALDMAN, FREEMAN / LAGUERRE, FATTIER (Thèse 
d’Etat: «Contribution A L’Étude De La Genèse D’un Créole: L’Atlas 
Linguistique D’Haïti, Cartes Et Commentaires». Institut D’Étude Créoles, 
Université de Provence. 1999) and samples of some other authors’ 
publications in the field. On that note, we are encouraging the works of 
Féquière VILSAINT and Maude HEURTELOU through EDUCA VISION(7).

Note

* This asterisk(*), means it is not precisely a “dictionary” but a research 
related to “Kreyòl dictionary” that I revised for the study.
1. Jules Faine (died in 1958); author of: Philologie créole (1937), Le 
créole dans l’univers (1937), Dictionaire français – créole (published in 
1974 by Éditions Lemeac: Ottawa)
2.VEDRINE, Emmanuel W. «Tantativ pou ekri diksyonè kreyòl». E. W. Vedrine 
Creole Project: Boston. Ivè 1999
3. POMPILUS, Pradel. «État présent des travaux de lexique sur le créole 
haïtien». Colloque International Des Créolistes, Nice 14-18 nov. 1976.
4. POMPILUS, Pradel. «La langue française en Haiti» (thèse de doctorat, 
Université de Paris, Sorbonne). «Lexique du patois créole d’Haïti» (thèse 
complémantaire, Université de Paris, Sorbonne)]
5. REINECKE, John. A Bibliography of Pidgin and Creole languages. Honolulu: 
University Press of Hawai. 1975 [a special section on Haitian Creole].
6. VALDMAN, Albert, Robert Chaudenson et Marie-Christine Hazael-Massieux. 
Bibliographie des études créoles, langues et littératures. Indiana 
University. Bloomington, Indiana. 1983
7. http://www.educavision.com

E.W.Vedrine,
Editor-in-chief of “E.W.Vedrine Creole Project”
http://hometown.aol.com/ewvedrine/Dizan.htm




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