LL-L "Language varieties" 2004.08.12 (07) [E]

[Lowlands-L]

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A=Afrikaans Ap=Appalachian B=Brabantish D=Dutch E=English F=Frisian
L=Limburgish LS=Lowlands Saxon (Low German) N=Northumbrian
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From: GoodbyColumbus at aol.com <GoodbyColumbus at aol.com>
Subject: LL-L "Language varieties" 2004.08.12 (06) [E]

In a message dated 8/12/04 2:49:25 PM Central Daylight Time,
lowlands-l at lowlands-l.net writes:


  I've never heard of "Gullah" but as I often argue on the list, Appalachian
  speech is mostly characterised by features from the English of the south
  west of England - this includes Barnes's Dorset. It's not "Scotch-Irish"
  English at all.


'Gullah' is considered to be a Creole English spoken on a few of the islands
off the South Carolina coast by descendants of slaves.
I like to disagree for the sake of disagreement, too. I believe you're
referring to the 'hoi-toiders' of the southeastern coast, particularly
Virginia (Tangier Island is the infamous example...they're indistinguishable
from the English of southwest England.) Appalachian English is just what it
is, Appalachian English. And while Appalachian speech isn't exactly the same
as Ulster Scots, it's quite heavily influenced by it. One has but to go to
tidewater Virginia or North Carolina, then to the mountains to the west to
hear that it's a world of difference. I assume that some other factors might
include German and Pennsylvania Dutch as well as other varieties of English.

Just a thought,
Brad Conatser

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From: R. F. Hahn <sassisch at yahoo.com>
Subject: Language varieties

Sandy Fleming wrote:

> I've never heard of "Gullah" ...

Gullah may well be considered a language rather than a dialect (group).  It
is based on ("Elizabethan") English dialects used in what are now South
Carolina and Georgia, USA.  It has heavy admixtures of West African
languages, foremost Malinke, Mende, Kisi and some Bantu.  Nowadays it
(barely) survives on the Georgia Sea Islands.  It used to be spoken in
Charleston, South Carolina, as well.  I do not know if there are any
speakers left in that city.

Unfortunately, Gullah is now severely threatened, not only because of the
usual reasons of education and media influences but also because many
speakers are forced off the islands by the creation of wealthy vacationers'
romping grounds, making life there virtually unaffordable for ordinary
folks, most of whom sooner or later give in to developers' "requests."  The
tourism business offers you "Gullah tours" while the original Gullah
speakers and their descendants are packing up to move to the mainland ...

Gullah has developed peculiar words, such as "praise house" for "church," or
"day clean" for "dawn."

You can find out more about Gullah at this somewhat humorous site
(apparently directed at children): http://www.knowitall.org/gullahtales/

On this page you can listen to Gullah quivalents when you click on the
English words.  For you, Sandy, and for any other deaf person on the List,
here are my phonetic transcriptions (using SAMPA
[http://www.phon.ucl.ac.uk/home/sampa/home.htm], here: - = low tone, _ =
high tone, \ = falling tone, / = rising tone):

bird = bud [\bV:d]
girl = gal [/gj{:l]
mother = mammy [\'m{.mi]
thank you = tank you [_t{Nk'-ju]
this = dis [\dIs]
except = 'cept [\sEpt]
going = gonna [/'gO.na] (elsewhere _gwinna_ ['/gwI.na])
over here = ober yah [_?o:ba'\ja] (elsewhere _oba yuh_ [_?o:ba'\jv:])
that = dat [\d{t]
yes, sir = yessum [\lEsVm]
first = fuss [\fVs]
little = lettle [/'li.dl]
smart = smaat [\sm{:t]
the = da [dV]
you = una [\'u:na] (elsewhere _oona_)

There are also folktales (in Flash version) that can be listened to while
reading in both English and Gullah.

Perhaps we should create material of this kind (though also for adults) for
other Lowlands varieties.

Here is another Gullah page worth taking a look at:
http://www.co.beaufort.sc.us/bftlib/gullah.htm, and another one here:
http://www.nps.gov/sero/ggsrs/05%20Affected%20People%20and%20Environment%20(46-58).pdf

I have long wondered if the often mentioned peculiar "sing-song" intonation
of Gullah is based on West-African tonality (which is why I provided tone
marks in the above sample).  It sounds very much like the high tone, low
tone and (high>low and low>high) contour tones that are areal features in
Western Africa.  I wonder if anyone has investigated this.

Enjoy!
Reinhard/Ron

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