Caribstu wrote:
I'm curious about Parlatuvier. Anyone know for sure? i've often thought about this and got my own idea.
I think Parlatuvier is a corruption of old french "Pas Le Truvier" (forgive the spelling if it's wrong) to mean "Not easy to find/locate/reach" and think it might refer to the cove where the village is located.
It could have some connection to "Parlais Tu" some old french for "you speak?" and the Vie? no idea. But i kinda like my hard to find idea, however Old 17th century french passed down via several hundred years of raw Tobagonian accent is a bit like chinese whispers. But i'd really love to know if there is any definitive translation for Parlatuvier, it's puzzled me for 12 years.
Hi Stu
I’ve leafed through my new copy of
La Magdalena (the book’s title refers to the earliest recorded naming of Tobago) and can’t as yet find the origin of Parlatuvier.
Chapter 1. of this very impressive history, from 1498 to 1898 by David Phillips records the navigators, cartographers and surveyors who first visited and named many of Tobago’s bays and headlands.
What is clear is that due to the numerous claims to ownerships between the Dutch, Courlanders, British, French and to a lesser degree the Spanish (who ‘discovered’ the island, which was then inhabited by Caribs and the Arawaks), some place names have changed numerous times.
CASTARA has for example been known as Kalpi Bay (Courlandian) Calpie Baaei (Dutch) and Charles’ Bay (British) – after Charles I.
Parlatuvier is shown on a 17th century map of a Dutch cartographer’s making as Stetyn’s Baaie.
Other places named are Coerse Baaie (Buccoo), Kanoe Baaie (Canoe Bay), Constant Bay – after Pieter Constant, Dutch commander of the island (Courland Bay), New Fushing (Scarborough), Jacobstadt (Plymouth), Engels Baaie (Roxborough),
De Casimiri Bay (Rockly Bay). In fact Rockly Bay has also been known as – Roedeclip Bay, Lampsins Bay, Great Bay, Read Rock Bay and Rocky Bay.
Perhaps Man-O-War bay can lay claim to the greatest number of name changes. It has been known as – Groete Kuylsack Bay, Manawa Bay, Jan de Moor’s Bay (sometimes corrupted to Jan de Groot, Jean la Mort, Jean La Maule or Jan Morris bay) and John Moore’s bay after a Commodore of the Royal Navy in command of the Leeward Islands Station.
Most of the names of French origin were derived from the period 1781 to 1793 during the occupation by the French, although the author of
La Magdalena sites Parlatuvier Bay as being a place specifically mentioned in an account by Capt. Pat Drummond of HMS
Tavistock who visited Tobago in April 1751, so it was known by its current name then. Other French derivatives include Louise D’or, Buccoo and Bon Accord.
Charlotteville is not of French origin, but named by the British after Charlotte, the wife of King George III.
Many place names appear to be derivations of the names of people of influence, position and nobility. Those that aren’t, appear to be descriptive namings e.g. Les Coteaux (The Hills), Lambeau (Lame Beau meaning beautiful waves), but the origin of Parlatuvier isn’t listed where there is ample opportunity in the text that I has so far read.
Perhaps your theory regarding the corrupted translation of a descriptive name is as close as we’ll get.
The mystery continues.
Full acknowledgement goes to the author of
La Magdalena – David Phillips - for the preceding references
