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more language issues
I'm trying to stay focused on Queen of Swords as things are at a critical moment and I don't want to lose momentum ... but I will be back to talk about the dialect in dialogue issues some more.
In a related matter, I'm still feeling my way in the current language situation. In 1814 in New Orleans the dominant languages were French and French Creole, Spanish, English, and Mobilian Pidgin (a trade language of various Native American languages with a French base). It's a delicate business, providing a sense of the linguistic time and place without overwhelming the reader, and also I have to be realistic about how much energy I can invest in the research. It would take a long time to get a real sense of early 19th century French and French Creole. The Native American languages would take years.
I do have a Dictionary of French Creole which is big and heavy and has lots of example sentences, as well as a French-Creole and English-Creole section, but the danger is that I fall into it and can't get out again. For example:
Ki lemiro soulye to met mo ti zanfan? What size shoe are you putting on my children?
Piti a piti zozo fe so ni. Little by little the bird makes its nest.
I tell you, it's hypnotic.
August 7, 2005 05:44 PM
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Comments
Hi,
i'm from martinique and the french creole of martnique is a bit different. For instence we say
piti a piti zozyo ka fe ni ay. But of course there are different french creoles (as many as islands).
... Good for you anyway !!!
Posted by: emmanuelle at August 8, 2005 01:48 AM
Emmanuelle --
oh, lovely. Could you please tell me how you would say these three things in your Martinique French Creole?
1) you there! no more of your trouble making!
2) You know his grandmother, the nasty old witch.
3) You know me better. I would never run away, not me.
Posted by: sara at August 8, 2005 10:01 AM
Hey is this web site available to tell stories? I m looking for one and this is one I found. If not let me know at my e-mail. [email protected]
Posted by: Rose at August 8, 2005 11:52 AM
- ou la ! ou ja fini embete moun an
- ou ja connet' gran manmanye. vie so'cie tala
- ou connet' mwen. an pe ke jen fui. pa mwen.
ok, the problem is I don't have those silly accents on my qwerty keyboard or at least I don't know how to mark them above the ''e''.
I'll try to send you the proper sentences with the accents sometime today or tomorrow.
As for me, I'm not really from Mrtinique. I'm french, living in France, with french and italian discent... BUT I've lived in Martinique for a while, I'm married to a Martiniqu..? and I've learned the language.
Have a nice day !
Posted by: emmanuelle at August 8, 2005 10:50 PM
Emmanuelle -- thank you so much, that's a great help. If you do have a chance to send along the accented version, that would also be wonderful.
Rose -- no, I'm sorry. This isn't that kind of storytelling website.
Posted by: sara at August 8, 2005 10:56 PM