PREPARE PAR DEV VIRAHSAWMY (Desam 2008)
LESON N₀ 1
1. Ki ete enn lang Kreol?
2. Ki bann fonksion Kreol Morisien ete?
LIR SA PASAZ LA AR BOUKOU LATANSION. ANSWIT OU POU BIZEN REPONN KESTION ORALMAN EK AN-EKRI.
IDANTITE NASIONAL
Talerla mo ti dir ki nou bizen apel nou lang
Morisien. Aster mo pou donn rezon kifer. Bien lontan dimoun, parski
zot ti dan linnyorans, ti pe apel nou lang 'patwa' ousa 'dialek'.
Aster nou apel li Kreol me ena ankor enpe dimoun ki kontinie servi
vie nom la. Kifer aster bizen resanz so nom? Ankor enn fwa li ti'a
bon ki nou definir bien klerman bann term ki nou servi. Ki ete enn
patwa? Li enn lang ki enn ti minorite koze kan zot dan zot ti group e
sa bann dimoun la, kan zot bizen kominik ar mazorite dimoun, ki
andeor zot group, zot oblize servi enn lot lang ki bien souvan lang
ki mazorite koze. Par egzanp bann ki koz Angle dan zot lakaz oblize
koz enn lot lang ler zot anvi koz ar dimoun ki pa form parti zot ti
group. Dan Moris zot oblize koz Morisien dan laplipar ka.
Dan
sitiasion Repiblik Moris, Angle ki nou lang ofisiel, ki premie lang
enternasional, li, dapre nou definision, enn patwa. Sa remark la li
aplike ar tou lezot lang dan nou pei. Zis Morisien ki pa enn patwa.
Boul finn devire. Ena osi detrwa fos entelektiel ki dir ki Morisien
li enn dialek. Dan enn timama ou pou trouve ki kantite zot fos. Ki
ete enn dialek? Tou bann lang, nenport ki lang, pa ena enn sel form,
enn sel kalite, enn sel varyete. Pou ki lide la vinn pli kler mo pou
servi enn analozi, enn konparezon, enn lekzanp ase parey. Nou pran
enn fri ki apel mang. Nou tou kone ki fri ki apel mang. Pa tou fri ki
apel mang me tou mang pa mem parey. Ena mang mezonrouz, mang besak,
mang dofine, mang lakord, mang mamzel me tou mang zot mang. Enn lang
'si parey. Li forme par plizier varyete, sakenn ar so prop bote. Bann
diferan rezion koz li dan zot prop fason. Apel sa dialek. Bann
diferan group sosial koz li dan zot prop fason. Apel sa sosiolek. Sak
dimoun ena so prop stil ki form parti so personalite. Apel sa
idiolek. Bann idiolek, sosiolek ek dialek, kan met zot ansam, atas
zot ansam, zot form enn lang. Kan enn dimoun dir ki Morisien li enn
dialek, ki zot pe rod dir? Eski Morisien li enn varyete rezional ki
atase ar enn lot lang? Si wi, ki sa lang la ete? Mo sir ena bourrbak
pou dir ki nou lang li atase ar Franse, ki li zis enn batar Franse,
ki li zis enn varyete enferyer, enn servant dan pale Franko-Franse.
Eski kapav fer bourik manz lazle? Nou seye.
Ena de tes pou
konn laverite. Premie tes se gete si enn Franse, ki sorti Lafrans, ki
zame finn tann dimoun koz Morisien, kapav konpran de Morisien ki pe
koz zot lang normalman. Deziem tes se konpar sentax Morisien ek
Franse. De dialek ki form parti mem lang zot sentax li preske parey.
Kan ou finn fini lir sa lartik la ou pou kapav pran ou prop desizion
parski taler ou pou gagn enn deskripsion sentax Morisien e lerla ou
pou kapav konpar li ar sentax Franse ki ou kapav konsilte dan nenport
ki bon liv gramer Franse. Nenport ki obzervater obzektif, rasionel ek
enparsial pou realize ki Morisien li ni enn patwa, ni enn dialek.
Aster si nou obzerv avek swen manier ki dimoun koze, nou pou trouve
ki ena dan Morisien plizier dialek ek sosiolek. Sa li enn prev ki nou
lang li bien dinamik, li an bonnsante e li pe kontinie grandi. So
devlopman li spektakiler. So laviktwar li enbarab.
Aster finn
vinn ler pou gete kifer li neseser apel li Morisien. Nou lang, parey
kouma boukou lezot lang (parmi ena Endonezien ek Angle osi dapre bann
exper), li enn lang ki finn ne kan de ou plis lang finn rant an
kontak. Li enn lang metis. Kan dimoun ki koz diferan lang ki pa ena
nanye ankomen - parski kominikasion par parol li endispansab pou
kapav fer biznes marse - sakenn normalman siplifie so prop lang e
servi boukou mouvman lame ek expresion figir. Dousma-dousma zot
envant enn nouvo koze ki senp ek bazik. Li mem posib ki sa koze bazik
la li bien pre ar gramer iniversel ar ki sak imen zenetikman
programe. Li osi frazil ki enn nouvo-ne. Sa nouvo-ne la nou apel li
enn pijinn. Amizir letan pase, pijinn la devlope e enn ler pou arive
kot bann zanfan pou koumans servi li kouma zot premie lang (L₁).
Kan sa arive lang la so kara ogmante, so devlopman vinn pli rapid.
Lerla nou apel li kreol. Amizir sosiete devlope, lang la osi devlope
e ler pou arive kan lang la pran nom lepep ki koz li. Dan ka ki nou
pe etidie, lang la li finn fini depas letap kreol, ousa letap
kreolizasion. Li finn fini vinn enn lang adilt ki kapav reponn tou
lapel ki enn lang bizen reponn dan enn lemonn modern. Anplis li
itilize par preske tou dimoun dan Repiblik Moris ki konpoze ar
plizier lil. Bann diferan lepep lor diferan lil ki form sa repiblik
la zot ini par sa lang la. Li finn vinn lang Repiblik Moris.
Donk
li normal ki li pran nom repiblik la e vinn Morisien, parey kouma
Franse li lang Repiblik Franse. Kan diferan lepep dan enn repiblik
ena santiman ki zot form enn nasion, lang sa nasion la vinn enn lang
nasional. Mo bizen fer remarke isi ki mo pa pe koz lang ofisiel. Mo
panse ki pou bien-bien lontan ankor (pa kone komie letan) Angle pou
bizen res nou lang ofisiel e bilengism Morisien/ Angle li enn lafors
vital e prisipal pou asir nou devlopman. Bann lezot lang pou zwe enn
rol segonder, nou anvi, nou pa anvi.
Me enn lang, mem si li pa
ankor gagn tit lang nasional, li kapav donn enn gran koudme pou ed
enn lepep konstrir enn nasion. Ki manier? Nou finn trouve lao kouma
Morisien pou ed Morisien vinn literet. Aster nou gete kimanier li
kapav fer nou vinn enn lepep eklere.
— Si nou'le ki lekonomi
Repiblik Moris vinn pli miskle pou nou kapav kompiit lor marse
mondial e tir benefis dan komers enternasional, nou pou bizen enn
nouvo stratezi ekonomik ki baze non pa lor saler lafaminn me lor enn
nivodvi ot. Pou reysi sa dekolaz la nou pou bizen al ver haytek,
teknolozi avanse, ki dimann enn degre bien ot literesi ek formasion
ki, kouma mo finn montre lao, li posib selman si Morisien rant dan
lekol, pa kouma lang stepne me kouma lang mediom.
— Repiblik
Moris kapav vinn enn referans dan lansengnman lang L₁ ek L₂ e nou
kapav export nou konesans, nou 'know-how'. Boukou pei pou vinn aprann
ar nou.
— Nou pou liber lenerzi kreasion dan tou domenn ki li
literatir, teat, sinema, lamizik, sante, ladans, dizaynn,
kominikasion ets.
— Pou ena plis demokrasi ki pou vinn enn
manier viv e pa ziss enn sistem gouvernman. Nou bizen onet ar noumem.
Osi lontan ki nou bizen senbol politik lor bilten vot li vedir ki nou
pa konn lir. Dan enn demokrasi avanse elekter vot pou dimoun parski
li konn lir bann nom lor bilten. Si nou bizen senbol pou rekonet enn
kandida sa li vedir ki nou pa mem posed literesi bazik. Akoz samem
dan Repiblik Moris pie banann eli.
— Nou pou fer bilengism vinn
enn realite, pa zis enn slogan pou touris e lerla partisip plen-plen
dan lendistri tradiksion ki pou vinn enn sekter enportan ar
entansifikasion globalizasion. Ti'a bon isi ki nou konpran bien ki
globalizasion li ena so bon ek move kote. Nou bizen konn pran so bon,
san may dan lak so pwazon. Pou nou reysi fer sa nou bizen solid lor
nou lipie kouma enn lepep e kouma enn nasion ki kone ki li ete e ki
kone kot li pe ale. Par ekzanp pou garanti sekirite alimanter nou
oblize protez sekter agrikiltir ki konsern prodiksion manze. Sinon
nou riske al kraze lor brizan.
Nou ena enn gran trezor me
nou'nn ferm li dan lakav. Nou tir kadna, ouver laport, larg li dan
lalimier e les li bat so lezel pou konkerir lesiel.
*
LESON N₀ 2
1. Ki ete enn fonem? Ki diferans ant enn fonem ek enn son? Kouma kone si enn son li enn fonem?
2. Lalis konsonn; lalis vwayel ek diftong. Grafi Larmoni - Eski ameliorasion neseser?
3. Ki ete enn silab; ki ete enn mo? Kouma dekoup bann mo dan enn fraz?
4. Ponktiasion.
*
TRAVOPRATIK: TRADIR LARTIK KI SWIV AN KREOL MORISIEN
ON THE LANGUAGE, MAURITIAN CREOLE (MC)
A Creole language is one born out a contact/collision between two or more languages. In its initial stage it is called a pidgin, a language with limited resources, but when it becomes the L1 (first language, mother tongue) of a group it is becomes a Creole language, a language which satisfies the linguistic and cultural needs of the group of native speakers.
If at the origin of our language, Mauritian Creole (MC) there was the presence of French and some African language, it is now safe to say that when the British took over Mauritius and later indentured labourers from India were brought in, the Creole language which had developed entered a new phase of repidginisation as a result of contact with English and Bhojpuri specially. Two phonemes (sounds used to generate words) not found in French carved a niche into the language. They are represented in 'Grafi Larmoni' by the grapheme 'j' as in 'jos' (pleasure with a sexual overtone), 'jal' (cymbals), 'jalsa' (great fun), 'job' (a job) and by the grapheme 'ch' as in 'chacha' (uncle), 'chombo' (hold tight), 'chichi' (exclamation of disgust), 'cholo' (idiot/moron), 'chalta' (a fruit). After a brief period of repidginisation to adapt to the new reality, the language went through a rapid process of accelerated creolisation to finally become today the L1 of roughly 80% of the population, the L2 (a second language) of the remaining 20% and the de-facto (not de-jure) national language. This is the reason why it is believed that it should be renamed 'Morisien' (Mauritian) for Mauritius and 'Rodrige' (Rodriguan) for Rodrigues. If creolisation was a stage in the evolution of the language, it has now reached a new stage: the symbol of nationhood for Mauritius and Rodrigues. Hence it would be advisable in due course, when there is a consensus, to give the language its rightful name.
We are very lucky in the Republic of Mauritius to have the two most dynamic and vital languages, MC and English, which are both Creole languages, as the national and official language respectively. Consequently the passage from the national language to the official language can be smooth and highly productive. Yes, English is also a Creole language. A contrastive analysis of the grammar of the two languages will make this clear.
Both languages have only two tenses: past and non-past.
In both languages the future is indicated by either a modal [(will, 'll) (pou or ava/va)] or by an adverb of time. 'Tomorrow I'm going to Rodrigues' or 'Tomorrow I'll go to Rodrigues'; 'Dime mo pe al Rodrig' ou 'Dime mo pou al Rodrig'.
Both languages use aspect markers to define clearly the contours of verbs. This grammatical feature is inexistent in French which is forced to use periphrases. Look at these examples: 'I eat/ I am eating / I have eaten.' (Mo manze / Mo pe manze / Mo finn manze.)
French grammaticalises gender whereas in MC and English gender is sex-based.
If at surface level MC appears to be close to French, at a deeper level there are great grammatical facilitators to ease the journey from MC to English. This is why Mauritians learn English faster than French although they are less exposed to it.
MC/English bilingualism is not only essential to all Mauritians; it is also something which can easily be acquired.
The Republic of Mauritius boasts of a high level of literacy (approx. 90% according to official figures1). This is very far from the truth specially if we consider that in today's world basic literacy is vastly inadequate and the national aim should be UNIVERSAL FUNCTIONAL LITERACY. A generous but reliable figure would be closer to 25% of the population having mastered functional literacy. In spite of heavy public and private investments in education we have lost the battle against illiteracy. Why? Simply because we have the most absurd language policy in the world. We expect children of 5 to be able to learn to read, write and count in 3 foreign languages simultaneously (English, French and an ancestral language - Hindi, Urdu, Mandarin, Arabic, Tamil, Telegu or Marathi) when they have not yet fully mastered their L1 which is not a medium of instruction and is used only as a support language when communication breaks down.
The PREVOKBEK course devised for children who have failed the end of primary schooling course exam (CPE) twice and are non-literate and non-numerate after 7 years of schooling has shown beyond any doubt that L₁ literacy (MC) and L₂ literacy (English) can be quickly achieved through the right language policy and a pedagogy which makes good use of the cultural resources of the child.
To ensure truth, justice and reconciliation we must empower the wretched of the earth. Empowerment means among other things the right education and the right education cannot take place if the language of the child is ignored. We must aim at L₁ literacy and MC/English bilingualism. The following decisions could quickly be made.
The PREVOKBEK principles, methodology, pedagogy should without delay be introduced in all prevocational classes run by all educational authorities. If parents from other ethnic groups have other preferences, at least AfroKreol parents and children should have access to a course which will definitely generate dignity, self-confidence and a strong foundation on which the future can be built.
The IVTB should adopt MC/English oral and written bilingualism to allow Prevok graduates (female and male) to follow training courses. Again. If parents from other ethnic groups have other preferences, at least AfroKreol parents and children should have access to a course which will definitely generate dignity, self-confidence and a strong foundation on which the future can be built.
L1 literacy and numeracy together with literacy and numeracy in English should become the hard core of primary education. All other subjects should be optional and non-examinable. AND AGAIN. If parents from other ethnic groups have other preferences, at least AfroKreol parents and children should have access to a course which will definitely generate dignity, self-confidence and a strong foundation on which the future can be built.
We have already wasted too much time due to our shortsightedness and prejudices. Please let us not waste time anymore. At least let us start to offer these facilities to the AfroKreols for whom MC is an ancestral language, a mother tongue and a national language. Father Gregoire was applauded when he proposed this on Thursday 01.05.08. Let us all support him for in his wisdom are the fruits of peace and development for one and all.
*
LESON N₀ 3
1. Gramer Kreol Morisien.
TRAVOPRATIK
a. Klas mo; blok-nominal; determinan; azektif; blok-verbal; marker tan; marker aspe; bann modal.
*
LESON N₀ 4
1. Bann fraz.
TRAVOPRATIK: ANALIZ SA BANN FRAZ LA.
a. Sa lane la lapli ti refiz tonbe.
b. Mem enn gran siklonn ki normalman amenn boukou dilo ti avoy rafal sek, kas bann brans kouma kas baton zalimet.
c. Nivo dilo dan rezervwar lavil ti pe kontinie bese.
d. Dan zarden botanik basen pwason santi dilo-mor e bann nenifar tom febles.
e. Tanzantan dimoun lev lizie lao pou gete si ena niaz dan lesiel me zot gete tas ar ble elektrik.
f. Zot bes latet, get koltar fonn lor asfalt gransime.
g. Dan bann karo de kote lavil, ki nouri enn popilasion ki pa ti pe aret grandi, later pel-pele enpwisan divan soley san pitie.
h. Bann fey lor pie mang lakord soliter laba lor mel ros korde ar swaf.
*
LESON N₀ 5
1. Konpran ek apresie literatir - (poezi; literatir dramatik; proz literer)
TRAVOPRATIK: a. Etidie sa poem la e ekrir enn apresiasion dan anviron 300 mo.
Enpe boul tamaren! Pa kafe nwar!
Plito kafeole. Zoli bronzaz.
Parol gidi zorey, zoli bataz;
mari ideal, papa kaspake.
Malen, edike, otman kalifie,
peyna so segon dan kominike;
Mem so adverser bizen aksepte
ki limem meyer pou alim nou far.
Zeneral dakor, militer ere;
fabrikan fizi, kontrakter lager,
kourtie tranzaksion, larme mersener,
marsan kanon ek serkey satisfe.
Kofor pe ranpli; lepep angourdi
aplodi lamor zwazo paradi.
b. Ekrir enn ti tex poetik, dramatik ou an proz lor tem lamour ou lamitie.
*
LESON N₀ 6
1. Kifer Angle? Lien ant Angle ek Kreol Morisien (KM) ek ant Franse ek KM.
2. Bann diferan metod. Lekel meyer? Kifer metod Gramer-Tradiksion?
3. Metod prensipal ek segonder.
TRAVOPRATIK:
1. montre detrwa similarite ant gramer Angle ek KM.
2. Montre detrwa diferans ant Angle ek KM.
3. Tradiksion KM/Angle ek Angle/KM.
4. Aprann BASIC ENGLISH POU PREVOKBEK
"BASIC ENGLISH" POU PREVOKBEK
Ler finn arive pou ki nou prodir enn maniel ANGLE BAZIK pou zelev PREVOKBEK.
Dan PREVOKBEK nou met lanfaz lor literesi dan lang nasional (KM) ek lang ofisiel (ANGLE). Kapasite koz Angle kouraman pou devlope apre ki zanfan ki finn fel CPE 2 fwa finn devlop literesi bazik dan Angle.
Angle ek Kreol Morisien (KM) zot toulede lang Kreol e nou servi metod Gramer-Tradiksion pou permet zanfan ki zot L₁ li KM pou aprann Angle ki enn lang etranzer malgre ki li nou lang ofisiel. Enn vokabiler bazik ek bann reg gramer senp ek bazik pou enn gran led pou zanfan ki finn fel CPE 2 fwa. Anplis Angle Bazik pou sifizan pou zot swiv kour vokasionel bileng KM/ANGLE dan IVTB. Kan zot finn fini travers 3 an PREVOKBEK pou ena ki pou anvi al dan sirkwi prensipal. Sa bannla pou bizen devlop konesans dan Angle standar.
Nou rekonet isi ki nou finn enspire par travay CHARLES K. OGDEN ki apel BASIC ENGLISH. Nou pou servi so lalis mo avek bann azisteman ki nou kwar neseser parski nou bizen pran kont realite kiltirel dan lekel nou bann zanfan viv.
CHARLES K. OGDEN's BASIC ENGLISH
OPERATIONS
come, get, give, go, keep, let, make, put, seem,
take, be, do, have, say, see, send, may, will,
about, across,
after, against, among, at, before, between, by, down, from, in, off,
on, over, through, to, under, up, with,
as, for, of, till, than,
a , the, all, any, every, little, much, no, other, some, such,
that, this, I , he, you, who,
and, because, but, or, if, though,
while, how, when, where, why,
again, ever, far, forward, here,
near, now, out, still, then, there, together, well,
almost,
enough, even, not, only, quite, so, very, tomorrow, yesterday,
north, south, east, west, please, yes .
THINGS - General words
account, act, addition, adjustment, advertisement, agreement, air, amount, amusement, animal, answer, apparatus, approval, argument, art, attack, attempt, attention, attraction, authority, back, balance, base, behavior, belief, birth, bit, bite, blood, blow, body, brass, bread, breath, brother, building, burn, burst, business, butter, canvas, care, cause, chalk, chance, change, cloth, coal, color, comfort, committee, company, comparison, competition, condition, connection, control, cook, copper, copy, cork, cotton, cough, country, cover, crack, credit, crime, crush, cry ,current, curve, damage, danger, daughter, day, death, debt, decision, degree, design, desire, destruction, detail, development, digestion, direction, discovery, discussion, disease, disgust, distance, distribution, division, doubt, drink, driving, dust, earth, edge, education, effect, end, error, event, example, exchange, existence, expansion, experience, expert, fact, fall, family, father, fear, feeling, fiction, field, fight, fire, flame, flight, flower, fold, food, force, form, friend, front, fruit, glass, gold, government, grain, grass, grip, group, growth, guide, harbor, harmony, hate, hearing, heat, help, history, hole, hope, hour, humor, ice, idea, impulse, increase, industry, ink, insect, instrument, insurance, interest, invention, iron, jelly, join, journey, judge, jump, kick, kiss, knowledge, land, language, laugh, law, lead, learning, leather, letter, level, lift, light, limit, linen, liquid, list, look, loss, love, machine, man, manager, mark, market, mass, meal, measure, meat, meeting, memory, metal, middle, milk, mind, mine, minute, mist, money, month, morning ,mother, motion, mountain, move, music, name, nation, need, news, night, noise, note, number, observation, offer, oil, operation, opinion, order, organization, ornament, owner, page, pain, paint, paper, part, paste, payment, peace, person, place, plant, play, pleasure, point, poison, polish, porter, position, powder, power, price, print, process, produce, profit, property, prose, protest, pull, punishment, purpose, push, quality, question, rain, range, rate, ray, reaction, reading, reason, record, regret, relation, religion, representative, request, respect, rest, reward, rhythm, rice, river, road, roll, room, rub, rule, run, salt, sand, scale, science, sea, seat, secretary, selection, self, sense, servant, sex, shade, shake, shame, shock, side, sign, silk, silver, sister, size, sky, sleep, slip, slope, smash, smell, smile, smoke, sneeze, snow, soap, society, son, song, sort, sound, soup, space, stage, start, statement, steam, steel, step, stitch, stone, stop, story, stretch, structure, substance, sugar, suggestion, summer, support, surprise, swim, system, talk, taste, tax, teaching, tendency, test, theory, thing, thought, thunder, time, tin, top, touch, trade, transport, trick, trouble, turn, twist, unit, use, value, verse, vessel, view, voice, walk, war, wash, waste, water, wave, wax, way, weather, week, weight, wind, wine, winter, woman, wood, wool, word, work, wound, writing , year.
THINGS - Picturable words -
angle, ant, apple, arch, arm, army, baby, bag, ball, band, basin, basket, bath, beach, bed, bee, bell, berry, bird, blade, board, boat, bone, book, boot, bottle, box, boy, brain, brake, branch, brick, bridge, brush, bucket, bulb, button, cake, camera, card, cart, carriage, cat, chain, cheese, chest, chin, church, circle, clock, cloud, coat, collar, comb, cord, cow, cup, curtain, cushion, cyclone, dog, door, drain, drawer, dress, drop, ear, egg, engine, eye, face, farm, feather, finger, fish, flag, floor, fly, foot, fork, fowl, frame, garden, girl, glove, goat, gun, hair, hammer, hand, hat, head, heart, hook, horn, horse, hospital, hotel, house, island, jeans, jewel, kettle, key, knee, knife, knot, leaf, leg, library, line, lip, lock, map, match, monkey, moon, mountain, mouth, muscle, nail, neck, needle, nerve, net, nose, nut, office, orange, oven, parcel, pen, pencil, picture, pig, pin, pipe, plane, plate, plough, pocket, pot, potato, prison, pump, rail, rain, rainbow, rat, receipt, reef, ring, rod, roof, root, sail, school, scissors, screw, sea, seed, sheep, shelf, ship, shirt, shoe, skin, skirt, snake, sock, spade, sponge, spoon, spring, square, stamp, star, station, stem, stick, stocking, stomach, store, street, sugar cane, sun, T-shirt, table, tail, thread, throat, thumb, ticket, toe, tongue, tooth, tourist, town, train, tray, tree, trousers, umbrella, vegetable, wall, watch, wheel, whip, whistle, window, wing, wire, worm.
QUALITIES - General
able, acid, angry, automatic, beautiful, black, boiling, bright, broken, brown, cheap, chemical, chief, clean, clear, common, complex, conscious, cut, deep, dependent, early, elastic, electric, equal, fat, fertile, first, fixed, flat, free, frequent, full, general, good, great, grey, hanging, happy, hard, healthy, high, hollow, important, kind, like, living, long, male, married, material, medical, military, natural, necessary, new, normal, open, parallel, past, physical, political, poor, possible, present, private, probable, quick, quiet, ready, red, regular, responsible, right, round, same, second, separate, serious, sharp, smooth, sticky, stiff, straight, strong, sudden, sweet, tall, thick, tight, tired, true, violent, waiting, warm, wet, wide, wise, yellow, young.
QUALITIES - Opposites
awake, bad, bent, bitter, blue, certain, cold, complete, cruel, dark, dead, dear, delicate, different, dirty, dry, false, feeble, female, foolish, future, green, ill, last, late, left, loose, loud, low, mixed, narrow, old, opposite, public, rough, sad, safe, secret, short, shut, simple, slow, small, soft, solid, special, strange, thin, white, wrong.
WORD FORMATION
Use of compound words as in Mauritian Creole.
Example: gato + noun as in gato Endien, gato Franse, gato pima, gato brenzel, gato banann etc. Thus we can have Indian cake, French cake, chilly cake, brinjal cake, banana cake etc.
GRAMMAR
A basic English sentence is made up of a noun phrase (NP) (blok nominal) and a verb phrase (VP) (blok verbal).
Example:
A lively young girl (NP) + is eating a mango on the tree (VP).
(Enn zenn tifi gayar (NP) + pe manz enn mang lor pie la/pe manz mang lor pie (VP).)
The young boy (NP) is helping his mother in the kitchen (VP).
(Ti garson la (NP) pe ed so mama dan lakwizinn (VP).)
N.B In MC as in English, the article can be dropped in certain circumstances. Examples in English: go to school; be at home, enjoy lunch etc. See examples above for MC: manz mang lor pie; dan lakwizinn.
The English NP is made up of a noun which is preceded by determiners and adjectives.
Example:
All those beautiful smiling faces = determiners + adjective + adjective + noun
(Tou sa bann zoli figir souriyan = determinan + azektif + nom + azektif)
NB In English adjectives are pre-nominal (appear before the noun); in MC adjectives may be pre-nominal or post-nominal (appear after the noun): zoli + vizaz + souriyan.
SOME ENGLISH DETERMINERS
a/an (enn); the (... la); this, that, those (sa ... la, sa bann ... la); all (tou); many, much, some (boukou, detrwa); one, two, three (enn, de, trwa); both (toulede); either ... or (swa ... swa) etc.
VERB PHRASE
The head word of the verb phrase is the verb which takes modals, tense and aspect markers, direct and indirect objects, adverbials.
Example:
Mr SoNso thinks he must give his wife some help in the kitchen.
[ verb + present tense marker + modal + verb + indirect object + direct object + place adverbial]
(Misie Entel panse ki li bizen donn so madam koudme dan lakwizinn.)
TENSE MARKER
Only the third person singular takes the present tense marker.
|
I walk |
Mo marse |
|
You walk |
To/Ou marse |
|
He walks |
Li marse |
|
We walk |
Nou marse |
|
You walk |
Zot marse |
|
They walk |
Bannla (zot) marse |
PAST TENSE MARKER
As we will use, as far as possible, only regular verbs, we can say that the siffix 'ed' marks the past tense and so has the same function as 'ti' in MC.
|
I walked |
Mo ti marse |
|
They walked |
Bannla (zot) ti marse |
FUTURE
To indicate the future, the modal 'will' or '...'ll' is used. In MC, depending on the intention of the speaker, 'pou' or 'va' is used.
|
I will or I'll walk |
Mo pou marse (lentansion ferm) |
|
|
Mo va marse ( pa tro anvi fer li) |
ASPECTS
Both English and MC use aspect markers to indicate whether the action is completed or in progress.
|
I am walking |
Mo pe marse |
|
I was walking |
Mo ti pe marse |
|
I have walked |
Mo finn marse |
|
I had walked |
Mi ti finn marse |
MODALS
Modals are auxiliary verbs such as can, could, may, might, must, should, will, and would which are used to indicate certainty, possibility, necessity, ability etc. Commonly used modals in MC are kapav, bizen, pou, va.
PREPOSITIONS
These are words used to forn prepositional phrases which may function as adverbials such as 'in the room, on the next day, for no reason, in spite of her kindness etc.' In English there are several useful prepositions which we must help pupils to master. They are 'above, after, across, against, about, along, among, at, before, below, beside, besides, between, by, down, during, in, into, inside, of, off, on, outside, over, since, through, to, under, until, with, within, without etc'. Most of them have MC equivalents: lao, anba, andan, deor, avan, apre, divan, deryer, parmi, akote, apar, ant, ver, pandan, lor, andeor, depi, grasa, ziska, ar, avek, san etc.
COMPLEX SENTENCE AND CLAUSES
A standard complex sentence is made of a main clause and one or more subordinate clauses.
Example:
My teacher told me that I could do well if I started to study seriously the subjects which were being taught in my class.
(Mo profeser ti dir mwa ki mo ti pou fer bien si mo ti koumans aprann kouma bizen bann size ki ti pe montre dan mo klas.)
|
CLAUSE (KLOZ) |
NATURE (KI KALITE) |
FUNCTION (FONKSION) |
|
My teacher told me |
main clause |
|
|
Mo profeser ti dir mwa |
kloz prensipal |
|
|
that I could do well |
subordinate noun clause |
direct object of 'told me' |
|
ki mo ti pou fer bien |
kloz nominal sibordone |
konpleman direk 'dir mwa' |
|
if I started to study seriously the subjects |
subordinate adverbial clause of condition |
modifying 'could do well' |
|
si mo ti koumans aprann kouma bizen bann size |
kloz adverbial kondision sibordone |
modifie 'ti pou fer bien' |
|
which were being taught in my class |
subordinate adjectival clause |
qualifying 'the subjects' |
|
ki ti pe montre dan mo klas |
kloz azektif sibordone |
kalifie 'bann size' |
1The authorities confuse schooling with literacy. They think that all those who've been to school are literate. Moreover they use a Victorian definition of literacy: a person, who can painfully scribble a few signs called a signature, is literate. Literacy is a different thing. It means more sophisticated creative, dynamic and progressive skills.