LL-L: "Language varieties" LOWLANDS-L, 29.NOV.2000 (04) [E/Irish]

[Lowlands-L]

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 L O W L A N D S - L * 29.NOV.2000 (04) * ISSN 189-5582 * LCSN 96-4226
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From: Stefan Israel [stefansfeder at yahoo.com]
Subject: "Language varieties"

Jim asked:

> Ron & Stefan, Then perhaps using the above as a criterion for
> discerning
> between language and dialect, that Appalachian ought to be
> considered a
> dialect, since as a non speaker of Appalachian, I can
> understand a Kentuckian
> or a Tennesseean quite well.  I live in the Midwest, and was
> raised on the
> Pacific coast of the USA.  Gullah, on the other hand is quite
> indeciferable to
> me.  Your thoughts

Gullah really is a separate language- it has lots of English
words, but it's a creole; linguists call a language a creole
when speakers of various languages are thrown together with no
dominant language, resort to pidgin, and that pidgin then gets
internalized by the next generation and turned into a brand new
language, the creole.  Creoles have simple grammars, by default,
and vocabulary borrowed from the various contributing languages.
 Most creoles have arisen among enslaved or at least endentured
populations, since they are the ones most likely to be thrown
together without any language dominant.

Appalachian, in all its varieties and in all its superficial
differences in pronunciation and vocabulary, is still quite
close to other varieties of English.  I've still seen plenty of
northerners not understand Appalachian English, though- that
depends on familiarity, willingness, and how much the
Appalachian speaker has accomodated their speech toward the
mainstream.

Stefan Israel
stefansfeder at yahoo.com

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From: R. F. Hahn [sassisch at yahoo.com]
Subject: Language varieties

Dear Lowlanders,

As for Gullah and its close relative Geechee -- both used in the coastal
region of South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida -- it is believed that their
original English base is quite old, going back to the earliest days of
colonization and African slave trade in the Americas.  Many refer to it as
"Elizabethan English."

As for the African elements in Gullah and Geechee, these seem to be
predominantly Western Niger-Kongo languages, mostly Malinke, Mende and Kisi
(used mostly in today's Sierra Leone, Liberia, Mali, Guinea, Senegal, Gambia,
Burkina Faso and Ivory Coast).  Some claim that there are also influences from
Ewe, Igbo, Twi, and Yoruba.  However, there are apparently also some Bantu
influences, probably westernmost ones.

A few Gullah expressions
(http://www.co.beaufort.sc.us/library/Beaufort/gullah.htm#Some Examples of
Gullah), the kind of expressions people tend to find "cute":

beat on ayun: "mechanic"; literally, "beat-on-iron"
troot ma-wt: "a truthful person"; literally, "truth mouth"
hush ma-wt: "hush mouth"; literally, "hush mouth"
sho ded: "cemetery"; literally, "sure dead"
tebl tappa: "preacher"; literally, "table-tapper"
ty oonuh ma-wt: "Hush, stop talking"; literally, "Tie your mouth"
krak teet: "to speak"; literally, "crack teeth"
i han shaht pay-shun: "He steals"; literally, "His hand is short of patience"

Some Gullah/Geechee words found their way into mainstream or "slang" American
English, e.g., 'goober' (peanut), 'gumbo' and 'yam'.

Regards,
Reinhard/Ron

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From: Criostoir O Ciardha [paada_please at yahoo.co.uk]
Subject: Help Needed (Irish/English)

A chairde,

Bhí ag smaoiníonn mé ar mo theanga Bhéarla fhéin agus
táim simiúil beidh cabhair aon shibhse mise. Mar thá a
fhios agaibh, i mo shlí na dlabhairt, tá muid labhair
"us" le "me" i mBéarla oifigiúil - mar shampla: "Giess
us tha' tierr." (i.e., [gi:j'jus Dae? t'i:@], "Give us
that here" = "Cuir ansin liomsa") An bhfuil eolas
agaibh ar aghaidh seo sna theangacha Ghalldú eile? An
bhfuil eisean sa Dhuitlannis nó sa Fhrisis
Thuaisceart?
Tá sé aghaidh go hiontach go léor i mo chaint agus ní
thuigim mise a rugadh. Aon cabhair anseo?

Go raibh maith agaibhse,

Críostóir.

-

Dear all,

I was thinking about my variant of English and I
wondered would anyone help me. As you know, in my
language, we say "us" for standard English "me" - for
example: "Giess us tha' tierr." (i.e., [gi:j'jus Dae?
t'i:@], "Give us that here" = "Give me that
[emphatic]") Is there any information on this
development in other Lowland languages? Is it in
Jutlandish or Northern Frisian? It's a very
interesting aspect of my speech and I don't understand
its origin. Can anyone help?

Thank you very much...!

Críostóir.

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