Very often the Gullah usage consists in new and peculiar applications of words, twisted to meet its own needs, and making a single vocable serve the purpose of many.
With a single “knock,” the Gullah knocks, has knocked, is knocking.
With but a “rock,” he rocks, has rocked, is rocking.
With “fight,” he fights, has fought, is fighting.
With “run,” he runs, has run, is running; and so on with many other words, used to express singular and plural numbers, or all the simple tenses of the verb.
While the Gullah usually holds fast to his favorite pronunciation, he sometimes permits himself a grotesque variation. For example, his usual pronunciation of car is “cyaa’,” which he utters as flatly as a Charlestonian of the Battery; but should he permit himself a “cyaar,” he will roll you an “r” as raucously as any Ohioan.
Of course, all Gullah Negroes pronounce certain English words correctly, while others approximate, in varying degrees, the speech of their former masters. This fact accounts for the slight variations that will be noticed in the speech of different individuals in these stories, and in the several pronunciations sometimes occurring in the Glossary. For example, the Gullah word for you, ye, your, yours, is variously pronounced “ona, oona, oonuh, unnuh,” and, among dyed-in-the-wool dialecticians, “yunnuh” and “wunnuh.” So, the Orang-utan is called by some “’Rangatang” and by the extremists “’Ranguhtang.”
Warm is “wawm;” form or inform, “fawm,” “eenfawm;” morning is “mawnin’;” corn, “cawn;” horse or horses, “hawss;” horn, “hawn;” born, “bawn;” cow is correctly pronounced, and calf is near enough to the Charleston usage to pass. Tore, torn, tears, and tearing are never used, tear taking the place of all. As: the girl tore her petticoat—“De gal tayre ’e ’coat.” That man’s shirt is torn—“Da’ man’ shu’t tayre.” This cloth tears badly—“Dis clawt’ tayre bad.” They are tearing off the boards—“Dem duh (does) tayre off de boa’d’.”
Them (“dem”) is universally used for they and their. They took off their shoes—“Dem tek off dem shoesh.” Dog and hog, while sometimes drawled, are very rarely lengthened to “dawg” and “hawg,” tho’ God is almost invariably “Gawd.” The contraction of your is “yo’;” and yet, for yours, instead of “yo’n”—the mountaineers’ “yourn”—they prefer “you’own,” as theirs or their own is always “dem’own.”
Unlike Mr. Weller, the Gullah does not affect the letter V, which he always changes to W or B—Violet modestly shrinking to Wi’let or Bi’let, while, as Benus, the amorous Aphrodite doubtless loves quite as ardently in her humble way. And the soft and teasing vex suggests, as “bex,” anger swift and passionate!