6453: Re: 6444: Re: 6425: Poincy answers Morse's question # 1 (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: C&C Henrius <carolineislands@hotmail.com>

Mozeb wrote:

>the Ayitian language and he has not provided me with any satisfiable
>answer on basic questions why the standard they are trying to establish
>deviate sharply from what is observed in the Ayitian real life.

This is interesting.  I took 3 semesters of Haitian Creole (now called more 
simply and accurately, "Haitian") before I went to Haiti in '96.  I intended 
to be in Haiti for a couple of months but ended up staying and am stateside 
to raise funds for our project (my husband is Haitian).  I consider myself 
quite fluent in the Haitian language, not only from working and living in 
Haiti but especially because it is our primary language at home.  The only 
time we speak English in our family is if there are non-Haitians around who 
would feel left out if we didn't.

What confuses me, is who makes the rules for the official language and  why 
is there so much variance in the spelling among Haitian language speakers 
and writers?  Take for example, Mozeb's spelling of the the word I was 
taught should be spelled "Ayisyen."  He spells it with the "tian" rather 
than the phonetic "syen" that is taught in the classes at our university.  
Which is right?  Who has the last say?  And as for other inconsistencies, 
like the fact that some university classes teach that the use of the word 
"ke" (other than for "tail") is French syntax and is not used in the Haitian 
language.  But I HEAR that word used in Haiti by Haitians all the time.  
They use it in much the same way they use "ki"... like we might use "that" 
in a sentence.

So, how do the people who decide what is 'Kreyol,' and what isn't, make that 
decision?  And who are they?

C. Henrius

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