[45] The Martinique dialect gives both _oti_ and _outi_ for "où": "where." Mr. Bigelow gives the curious spelling _croquez_. The word is certainly derived from the French, _accrocher_. In Louisiana Creole we always say _'croché_ for "hang up." I doubt the correctness of the Haytian spelling as here given: for the French word _croquer_ ("to devour," "gobble up," "pilfer," etc.) has its Creole counterpart; and the soft _ch_ is never, so far as I can learn, changed into the k or g sound in the patois.
116. D'abord vous guetté poux de bois mangé bouteille, croquez calabasse vous haut. (Quand vous voyez les poux-de-bois manger les bouteilles, accrochez vos calabasses [en] haut).
"When you see the woodlice eating the bottles, hang your calabashes out of their reach."[46]--[_Hayti._]
[46] Mr. Bigelow is certainly wrong in his definition of the origin of the word which he spells _queté_. It is a Creole adoption of the French _guetter_, "to watch:" and is used by the Creoles in the sense of "observe," "perceive," "see." Other authorities spell it _guêtte_, as all verbs ending in "ter" in French make their Creole termination in "té." This verb is one of many to which slightly different meanings from those belonging to the original French words, are attached by the Creoles. Thus _çappe_, from _échapper_, is used as an equivalent for _sauver_.
117. D'abord vous guetté poux de bois mangé canari, calebasse pas capabe prend pied. (Quand que vous voyez les poux-de-bois manger les marmites, les calebasses ne peuvent pas leur résister).
"When you see the wood-lice eating the pots, the calabashes can't be expected to resist."[47]--[_Hayti._]
[47] The saliva of the tropical woodlouse is said to be powerful enough to affect iron.
118. Dans mariaze liciens, témoins gagne batté. (Aux noces des chiens, les témoins ont les coups.)
"At a dog's wedding it's the witnesses who get hurt."--[_Mauritius._]
119. Dêïèr chein, cé "chein"; douvant chein, cé "Missier Chein." (Derrière le chien, c'est "chien," mais devant le chien, c'est "Monsieur le Chien.")
"Behind the dog's back it is 'dog;' but before the dog it is 'Mr. Dog.'"--[_Trinidad._]
120. Dent mordé langue. (Les dents mordent la langue.)
121. Dents pas ka pôté dëî. (Les dents ne portent pas le deuil.)