Haitian Creole is rich in proverbs used frequently in everyday speech. There are quite a few Internet sites that provide a list of proverbs translated literally into English, but few that begin to unpack how the proverb is used in real conversation, and the multiple meanings that it can convey. For one set of interpretations of these layers of meaning, readers may want to consult Wally Turnbull's Hidden Meanings: Truth and Secret in Haiti's Creole Proverbs. ISBN: 9780967993768. The book is widely available from online booksellers.
A free internet site in Kreyol/Creole with classification alphabetically and by main verb, with alternate wording and some interpretation of meaning:
http://www.potomitan.info/vedrine/pwoveb.php
This site is from Emmanuel Vedrine, scholar of Haitian Creole.
Free internet sites with lists of proverbs and their translation into English include:
http://www.quotesstar.com/quotes/j/jan-chat-mache-se-pa-95280.html
This one is configured into sub-pages that are tricky to navigate. The source of the original proverbs and the translations is not provided.
http://www.interproverbs.co.uk/proverbs-other-countries/haiti.html
This site claims a "complete" list of Haitian proverbs, a claim which one should take with a grain of salt. Again, the source of the original proverbs and the translations is not provided.
http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Haitian_proverbs
This wiki list of proverbs is quite long, but again, does not provide author information.
A free site with Kreyol/Creole proverbs listed without translation, organized into thematic categories labeled in French:
http://www.haiti-reference.com/arts/culture/proverbes.html
This list is part of a larger French-language site called Haiti Référence
This is one of my favorites for learners of Kreyol/Creole who read French, because each proverb's possible interpretation is explained a bit, in addition to the original translation. The author of the work is Talégrand Noël
http://www.collectif-haiti.fr/proverbes.php
Friday, February 26, 2010
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