Geechee

[Jerry E Kane]

In a message dated 1/4/2005 9:20:11 PM Pacific Standard Time, 
wilson.gray at RCN.COM writes:

> ---------------------- Information from the mail header 
> -----------------------
> Sender:     American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:     Wilson Gray <wilson.gray at RCN.COM>
> Subject:    Re: A Glossary of Gullah Words
> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
> --
> 
> On Jan 2, 2005, at 5:39 PM, Jerry E Kane wrote:
> 
> >---------------------- Information from the mail header
> >-----------------------
> >Sender:     American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> >Poster:     Jerry E Kane <Jerryekane at AOL.COM>
> >Subject:    A Glossary of Gullah Words
> >-----------------------------------------------------------------------
> >--------
> >
> >Gullah Tours - Charleston, SC - Abridged Gullah Dictionary
> >http://www.gullahtours.com/gullah_dictionary.html
> >
> >Glossary of Gullah Words taken from The Black Border by Ambrose E.
> >Gonzales
> >
> > Amazon.com: Books: The Black Border: Gullah Stories of the Carolina
> >Coast
> >
> 
> "Gullah" reminds me of "geechee." Among blacks in East Texas along the
> border with Louisiana, this term, _geechee_, is applied to blacks from
> Louisiana, particularly those who speak what's known to ETx blacks as
> "Gumbo French."  It also is applied to black Louisianans with French
> (sur)names, e.g. the bluesmen Clifton Chenier and Jean Baptiste "J.B."
> LeNoir, the jazzman Jean Baptiste "Illinois" Jacquet, the R&B singers
> the Trenier Twins and Antoine "Fats" Domino. Sometimes, merely speaking
> an obviously non-Texas dialect, such as that of New Orleans, is enough
> to render a person geechee. There's no opprobrium that attaches to
> being considered geechee,
> 
> -Wilson Gray
> 

According to the American Heritage Dictionary the word Geechee derives from 
the
Ogeechee  River.

Geechee. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth 
Edition. 2000. 

A snippet from the following website:

It is believed the name Ogeechee comes from the Muskogean word meaning "River 
of the Yuchis," which was an Indian tribe that lived near the river. 

Sherpa Guides | Georgia | Coast | Savannah | Ogeechee River 
http://sherpaguides.com/georgia/coast/northern_coast/ogeechee_river.html

Map of the Ogeechee River:

Sherpa Guides | Georgia | Coast | Ossabaw Island 
http://sherpaguides.com/georgia/coast/northern_coast/ossabaw_island_map.html


Jerry E Kane
Los Angeles, CA