What are the best Haitian Creole Dictionary and Books?
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Why buy a Haitian Creole Dictionary?
Language learners tend to use Google Translate when they are in a pinch. Google Translate is ok when translating from Haitian Creole to English. However it is not reliable when translating English to Haitian Creole because it does not always give you the right word for the correct context.
What type of dictionary should I purchase?
We have tried and used many Haitian Creole dictionaries. Our favorite one is Haitian Creole – English Bilingual Dictionary. You will benefit the most by having at least one bilingual and one monolingual dictionary. What are the pros and cons of each type?
Bilingual Dictionaries
Pro: Provides “hints” in English that are faster and easier to understand. Saves time
Con: A certain percentage of the translation is incorrect or not used in the correct context
Monolingual Dictionaries
Pros: Shows how a native Haitian would explain a word or phrase. Helps you understand the true essence of the word. This is important because some ideas / phrases / words do not have English counterparts
Con: Takes up more time to understand
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What are the best Haitian Creole dictionaries?
We absolutely love this dictionary! You will find almost every Haitian word you’re looking for in this dictionary, as long as you know the Haitian alphabet. Also, this extensive dictionary includes about 30,000 entries, a grammatical sketch about the language and the sound system as well as the history of Haitian Creole. There is usually at least one example sentence for each entry. In addition, there are hundreds of idiomatic expressions, collocations (words that go together) and terms Haitians use in everyday conversations. Below is their mission statement:
The dictionary will help anglophone learners of Creole to extend their mastery of the language by contributing to the enrichment of their vocabulary. Speakers of Creole may also use this dictionary to improve their oral and written skills in English.
This dictionary is a great starting point for beginners. One, it’s a textbook and a dictionary combined into one book. Two, it provides the orthography and sound system, grammar rules, and Haitian Creole translation for English words. Three, it also provides examples of how to use the correct Creole word in the correct context. More than 1000 pages of goodness. Below is their mission statement:
The primary function …is to help English speakers speak and write Haitian Creole, the target language, by providing Haitian Creole equivalents of English words and phrases.
This dictionary is 100% in Haitian Creole. First, tt will help you think in Creole instead of translating. Second, it provides multiple ways that Haitians pronounce a word. And third, it also shares information about the Haitian history, culture, and country. Below is their mission statement:
Liv sa a ap pèmèt jenn Ayisyen yo devlope vokabilè yo, jwenn definisyon pou mo y ap sèvi, epitou jwenn enfòmasyon nan diferan domèn, etid. Gen vokabilè pou lekti, ekriti, syans, matematik, syans sosyal, konpreyansyon tèks epitou vokabilè sou teritwa, kilti ak devlopman.
Other essential books we recommend
If you want to sound like a true Haitian, this is the book to get. Haitians do not speak without proverbs and this book has over 1,200 of them. We love the format. Proverbs are divided by subject. Each proverb has the literal English translation, the correct interpretation, and explanations. Below is their mission statement:
We hope that both Haitians and foreigners alike will enjoy and learn from Hidden Meanings as it opens a new window to a rich and colorful culture, learning that understanding comes … from a patient perspective on life and those who surround us.
This is the most comprehensive textbook that we have found and we love using it during our classes. For example, they mention variations of words that you will hear in the language because of regional dialects and level of education. It is really good for references and short exercises. The spelling used is correct.
A word of caution: the book is not well-organized and it takes some time to find information. Also, it is written more for teachers and not students so you might need a dictionary to understand the grammar terminology.