Note 107 — Little Dictionary of Creole Proverbs.

The words pè, pé, in Creole are distinguishable only by their accentuation. Peur (fear); peu (a little); paix (peace, or “hush”); peut (can), all take the form pè or pé in various Creole dialects. Ipas ni pè sépent: “he is not afraid of snakes.” Sometimes one can guess the meaning only by the context, as in the Martinique saying: Pè bef pè caca bef. “Few oxen, little ox-dung;” i.e. “little money, little trouble.” The use of “pè” for père (father), reminds us of a curious note in the Creole studies of the brothers Saint-Quentin (See Bibliography). In the forests of Guiana there is a bird whose song much resembles that of our Louisiana mocking-bird, but which is far more sonorous and solemn. The Creole negroes call it ZOZO MONPÉ (l’oiseau mon-père), lit., “The my-father bird.” Now monpè is the Creole name for a priest; as if we should say “a my-father” instead of “a priest.” The bird’s song, powerful, solemn, far-echoing through the great aisles of the woods by night, suggested the chant of a monpè, a “ghostly father;” and its name might be freely translated by “the priest-bird.”