The black border

by Ambrose Elliott Gonzalez

Edisto Island was, before the war, through the fine Sea Island cotton produced there, one of the garden spots of the earth, and has been for many generations noted for the hospitality, culture, and refinement of its families; but in old times it was also noted for an unusual provincialism and for the habitual use of Gullah dialect by many of the planters’ young sons. These were in constant association with their slaves on hunting and fishing parties, and unconsciously adopted the highly picturesque and expressive speech of their black servitors. They were accordingly subjected to many hard stories by their neighbors on the main land, who declared that, when the tardy news of Napoleon’s exile to St. Helena, one hundred years ago, reached Edisto, the young islanders, believing their neighboring island of St. Helena to be the place of safekeeping, were apprehensive of another “return from Elba,” and, fearing the great Corsican as a potential liberator of their precious slaves, held an indignation meeting and resolved that: “Ef dem buckruh’ ’pantap Sa’leenuh choose fuh hab ’Poleon come ’pantap dem ilun’, berry well, but, uh sway-to-Gawd, him cyan’ come ’pantap dis ilun’, ’cause dat duh dainjus buckruh, en’, fus’ t’ing wunnuh know, him set we Nigguh’ free.”

The Edisto marshes abounded in wild donkeys, and a favorite Sunday amusement used to be the chevying of these unhappy animals out of the marshes by the white and black boys who, using sections of jackvine for whips, chased them over the plantations. A story is told of a young Edisto Islander who, a few days after matriculation at the University of Virginia, was requested by his fellow students to tell them something about the favorite sports and amusements of the South Carolina coast. He enlightened them as follows: “Great King wunnuh boy! Me nuh Cudjo blan hab fun duh Sunday. Cudjo him ketch long tail’ hawss, me ketch shawt tail’ hawss; we tek dem jack-wine, run dem jackass out’uh maa’sh, run’um all obuh plantesshun; den we blan go duh crik, ketch dem big pap-eye mullet!”

Vocabulary

The following list contains some seventeen hundred words. About this vocabulary two things are to be noted:

First, the Gullah is entirely a spoken, never a written, language;

Second, these 1,700 and odd words are so extended and applied according to Gullah usage as to serve the purpose and scope of at least 5,000 English words.

• A
• Aa’gyfy—argue, argues, argued, arguing.
• Aa’gyment—argument, arguments.
• Aa’m—arm, arms.
• Aa’my—army, armies.
• Abbuhtize—advertise, advertises, advertised, advertising.
• Ab’nue—avenue, avenues.
• Acksident—accident, accidents.
• Acquaintun—acquainted. (See “’quaintun”).
• Adswocate—advocate, advocates, advocated, advocating.
• Aff’ikin—African, Africans.
• Aff’iky—Africa.
• Afo’sed—aforesaid.
• Agguhnize—agonize, agonizes, agonized, agonizing.
• Aig—(n. and v.) egg, eggs, egged, egging; as “him aig’um on.”
• Aige—(n. and v.) edge, edges, edged, edging.
• Ain’—(ain’t) is not, isn’t. (See “ent” and “yent”).
• Ainjul—angel, angels.
• Alldo’—although. (See “’do’”).
• Alligettuh—alligator, alligators. (See “’gatuh”).
• Allimunny—alimony.
• Alltime—all the time, always.
• Alltwo—both, also each.
• All ub uh sudd’n/All ub uh sudd’nt/All ub uh sutt’n—all of a sudden, suddenly.
• Ambrelluh—umbrella, umbrellas.
• Annimel—animal, animals.
• Anodduh/Anudduh—another.
• Ansuh—answer, answers, answered, answering. Also used for message, especially for one requiring an answer; as: “Uh sen’ uh ansuh to de gal fuh tell’um uh wan’ hab’um fuh wife”—I sent a message to the girl to tell her that I wanted to marry her.
• Ap’un—apron, aprons.
• Arey/Aruh—each, either.
• Ashish—ashes.
• Attacktid—attacked. (See “’tack’” and “’tacktid”).
• Attuh—after.
• Attuhr’um—after him, her, it, them.
• Attuhw’ile—after a while.
• Augus’—August.
• Aw—a queer word, sometimes used instead of “fuh true;” meaning, it is true, in truth.
• Awkuhmun—Ackerman—name of a white family.
• Ax—ask, asks, asked, asking.
• Axil—axle, axles.
• Ax’me—ask, asks, asked, asking me.
• Ax’um—ask or asked him, her, it, them.
• B
• Baa’buh—barber, barbers.
• Baa’k—(n. and v.) bark, barks, barked, barking.
• Baa’nwell—Barnwell. A low-country family name.
• Baa’nyaa’d/Ba’nyaa’d—barnyard, barnyards.
• Bactize—baptize, baptizes, baptized, baptizing.
• Bad mout’—bad mouth—a spell, a form of curse.
• Baid—beard, beards.
• Baig—beg, begs, begged, begging.
• Baig’um—beg, begs, begged, begging him, her, it, them.
• Bait’um—bait, baits, baited, baiting him, her, it, them.
• Bakin—bacon.
• Balmuhral sku’t—Balmoral skirt—a dark worsted underskirt with red stripes above the hem, of the time of Queen Victoria and named for her castle at Balmoral.
• ’Bandun—abandon, abandons, abandoned, abandoning.
• Baptis’—Baptist, Baptists.
• Barril—barrel, barrels.
• Barruh—barrow, a bacon hog.
• Bawn—born.
• Bayre—bare, bares, bared, baring.
• Beabuh—beaver, beavers.
• Beagle—fox hound, fox hounds.
• Bedout/Bidout—without, unless, except.
• Beebu’d—bee-martin, king bird or Tyrannus Tyrannus.
• Beefu’t—Beaufort.
• Beehibe—beehive, beehives.
• Befo’—before; as: “Befo’ de wah.” (See “’fo’”).
• Befo’ day—before day. (See “crack-uh-day,” and “’fo’ day”).
• Behabe—behave, behaves, behaved, behaving.
• Behime/Behin’/Behine—behind.
• Bekase/Bekasew’y—because, because why.
• Behol’—behold, beholds, beheld, beholding.
• Belluh—bellow, bellows, bellowed, bellowing.
• Bellus—bellows (blacksmith’s).
• Bemean—to be mean to any one, to slander, abuse.
• Ben’—bend, bends, bent, bending.
• Benus—(sometimes “Wenus”)—Venus.
• Berry—(sometimes “werry”)—very.
• Berrywell—very well.
• Berrywellden—very well then.
• Bes’—best.
• Bettuh—better.
• Bex—vex, vexes, vexing; angry, anger, angers, angered, angering.
• Bidness—business.
• Biggin—begin, begins, begun, began.
• Bigguh—bigger.
• Bighouse—the Master’s house.
• Bile—boil, boils, boiled, boiling.
• Bilin’—boiling.
• Billige/Billage—village, villages.
• Bimebye/Bumbye—bye and bye.
• Bin—been, was.
• Binnuh—been, was, was a; as: “W’en uh binnuh boy”—when I was a boy.
• Bittle—victuals, food.
• Blackbu’d—blackbird, blackbirds.
• Blan—belong, belongs, belonged, belonging; used redundantly; as: “Da’ gal him blan blonx to my Maussuh”—That girl she belonged to belong, or used to belong, to my Master.
• B’leebe—believe, believes, believed, believing.
• ’Bleege—oblige, obliges, obliged, obliging.
• Bline—(n. and v.) blind, blinds, blinded, blinding.
• Bline Gawd—blind God—personal idol or fetish of African suggestiveness whose aid is invoked to further the desires of its owner.
• B’long/Blonx—belong, belongs, belonged, belonging.
• Bloodynoun—the great bullfrog of the swamps.
• Boa’d—(n. and v.) board, boards, boarded, boarding.
• Bodduh—bother, bothers, bothered, bothering; worry, worries, worried, worrying.
• Bodduhr’um—bother, bothers, bothered, or bothering him, her, it, them.
• Bofe—both. (See “alltwo”).
• Bol’—bold.
• Borruh—borrow, borrows, borrowed, borrowing.
• Boun’—bound, resolved upon.
• ’Bout—about.
• Bowre—bore, bores, bored, boring.
• Brawtus—broadus, lagniappe.
• Breas’—breast, breasts.
• Bredduh—(also brudduh) brother, brethren (formal).
• Brekwus’/Brukwus’—breakfast, breakfasts.
• Bresh—brush, brushwood; brush, brushes, brushed, brushing.
• Bress—bless, blesses, blessed, blessing.
• Bre’t’—breath.
• Briah—briar, briars.
• Brinly—brindled.
• Britchin’—breeching (harness).
• Britchis/Britchiz—breeches, trousers.
• Bruk—break, breaks, broke, breaking, broken; “bruk-foot man”—a broken-legged man.
• Bruk-aa’m—broken-arm.
• Bruk-foot—broken-foot, or leg.
• Bruk’up—break up, broke up, broken up: “De meetin’ done bruk’up.”
• Bruro—bureau, as “Freedmun’ bruro.”
• Brustle—bustle, bustles.
• Bubbuh/Budduh—(familiar) brother.
• Buckruh—a white person or persons; the white people.
• Buckruh-bittle—white man’s food.
• Buckruh-Nigguh—white man’s Negro, used contemptuously.
• Bucksley—Berkeley (county).
• Bud—bud, buds, budded, budding.
• Bu’d—bird, birds.
• Bu’dcage—birdcage, birdcages.
• Buh—brother, as “Buh Rabbit.”
• Buhhime/Buhhine—behind.
• Buhr—burr, burrs.
• Bull-yellin’—bull-yearling, or yearlings.
• Bu’n—burn, burns, burned, burning.
• Burruh—burrow, burrows, burrowed, burrowing.
• Buss’/Bus’—burst, bursts, bursting.
• Butt’n—button, buttons, buttoned, buttoning.
• Buzzum—bosom, bosoms.
• Buzzut—buzzard, buzzards; vulture, vultures.
• C
• ’Cajun—occasion, occasions.
• Callicro—calico.
• Cannibel—cannibal, cannibals.
• Cantuh—canter, canters, cantered, cantering.
• Catt’rack—cataract, cataracts (eye).
• ’Cause—because. (See “bekase”).
• Caw Caw Swamp—a great low-country savanna.
• ’Cawch—scorch, scorches, scorched, scorching.
• Cawn—corn.
• Cawnfiel’—corn field, corn fields.
• Cawnstalk—corn stalk, corn stalks.
• Cawnuh—(n. and v.) corner, corners, cornered, cornering.
• Cawprul—corporal, corporals.
• Cawpse—corpse, corpses; coffin, coffins.
• Cawpsus—“corpus;” as: “cawpsus politicksus”—body politic.
• Cawsett—corset, corsets.
• Cawss’—(n. and v.) cost, costs, costing.
• ’Ceebe/’Ceibe—deceive, deceives, deceived.
• ’Ceebin’/’Ceibin’—deceiving.
• ’Ceitful—deceitful.
• ’Cep’/’Cep’m/’Cep’n—except, excepts, excepted, excepting; accept, accepts, accepted, accepting; unless.
• Chaa’ge—charge, charges, charged, charging.
• Chaa’stun—Charleston, S. C. (See “Town”).
• Chany—china, chinaware.
• Chanyberry—Chinaberry, or Pride of India tree.
• Chaw—chew, chews, chewed, chewing; also noun, as of tobacco.
• Cheep—cheep, cheeps, cheeped, cheeping.
• Cheer—chair, chairs.
• Chicagyo—Chicago.
• Chickin—chicken, chickens.
• Chile—child, children.
• Chillun—child, children.
• Chimbly—chimney, chimneys.
• Chinkypen—chinquapin, chinquapins.
• Chizzum—Chisolm—a low country family name.
• Chop’tongue—hounds with short yelp; the cry of the modern English fox-hound, as distinguished from the long bell-like notes of the Carolina deer-hounds.
• Chris’mus—Christmas.
• Chryce—Christ.
• Chu’ch—church, churches.
• Chu’chyaa’d—churchyard, churchyards.
• Chuckwilluh—Chuck-Will’s Widow, used to indicate the wide-open mouth of a hungry child.
• Chuesday—Tuesday.
• Chune—(n. and v.) tune, tunes; tune, tunes, tuned, tuning (up).
• Chunk—(n. and v.) chunk, chunks, chunked, chunking.
• Chupid/Chupit—stupid.
• Clawt’—cloth.
• ’Cla’ to Gawd—declare to God—a mild oath.
• Climb—climb, climbs, climbed, climbing.
• Coa’se—coarse.
• ’Coat—petticoat, petticoats (man’s “coat” is always “jacket”).
• Coax—coax, coaxes, coaxed, coaxing.
• Cockspuhr—cockspur, cockspurs.
• Cohoot—cahoot, agreement, association with, as: “Me en’ Joe gone een uh cohoot fuh kill de buckruh’ cow.”
• Cohort—colleague, colleagues.
• Col’—cold.
• Colluh—collar, collars, collared, collaring.
• Colluh—color, colors (“we colluh,” our color, or Negroes).
• Come—come, comes, came, coming.
• Come’yuh—come here.
• Commikil—comical, peculiar.
• Conkywine—concubine, concubines; used for masculine as well as for feminine affiliations.
• Connoo/Coonoo/Cunnoo—canoe, canoes.
• Consaa’n/Cunsaa’n—(n. and v.) concern, concerns, concerned, concerning.
• Consecrate lye—concentrated lye.
• Consumpshus/Cunsumpshus—consumption.
• Contestuss—contested, contesting.
• Contuhdix—contradict, contradicts, contradicted, contradicting.
• Cook—cook, cooks, cooked, cooking.
• Cootuh—cooter, cooters; terrapin, terrapins.
• Co’se—course, courses, as of a stream.
• ’Co’se—course, of course.
• Co’t—(n. and v.) court, courts; court, courts, courted, courting.
• Couldn’—could not.
• Could’uh—could have.
• Counstubble—constable, constables.
• Cow—cow, cows; bull, bulls; ox, oxen; cattle.
• Cow-paat’—cow-path.
• Crack ’e bre’t’—crack his or her breath; same as “crack ’e teet’.”
• Crack ’e teet’—crack, cracks, cracked, cracking his, her or their teeth, meaning opened her or his mouth to speak; as: “’E yent crack ’e teet’”—She never opened her mouth.
• Crack-uh-day—crack or break of day.
• Crap—(n. and v.) crop, crops; crops, cropped, cropping.
• ’Crape—(n. and v.) scrape, scrapes, scraped, scraping.
• ’Cratch—(n. and v.) scratch, scratches, scratched, scratching.
• Credenshul—credential, credentials.
• Credik—(n. and v.) credit, credits, credited, crediting.
• Creetuh—creature, creatures. Commonly applied to a beast of burden.
• Crik—creek, creeks.
• Crookety—crooked; also tricky, unreliable.
• Cross-road—the cross roads.
• Crucify—crucify, crucifies, crucified, crucifying; also improperly used for testify, testifies, testified, testifying.
• Cucklebuhr—cockleburr, cockleburrs.
• Cuhlumbia—Columbia.
• Cuhlumbus—Columbus.
• Culloo—curlew, curlews.
• Cullud—colored, colored people, the dark race
• Cumbee—the Combahee river, also the lands lying along the stream. This is, by the way, the correct pronunciation.
• Cumplain—(n. and v.) complain, complains, complained, complaining; complaint, complaints.
• Cump’ny—company, companies.
• Cumposhashun/Cumpuhshashun/Compuhshashun—conversation, talk, parley, interrogatories, argument.
• Cundemn/Condemn—condemn, condemns, condemned, condemning; but more frequently used to denote guilt or the appearance of guilt; as: “W’en uh ketch Joe wid de hog, ’e look so cundemn.”
• Cunfushun—confusion.
• Cumplain—(n. and v.) complain, complains, complained.
• Cuntrady—contrary, provoking.
• Cunweenyunt—convenient, conveniently, convenience.
• Cunweenyuntly—conveniently.
• Cunwenshun—convention, conventions.
• Cuss—(n. and v.) curse, curses, cursed, cursing.
• Cut’down, or TEK’DOWN—dejected, chagrined.
• Cuz/Cuz’n—cousin, cousins. (Shakespeare’s “coz”).
• Cya’—carry, carries, carried, carrying.
• Cyaa’/Cyaar—car, cars.
• Cyaaf—(n. and v.) calf, calves; to calve, etc.
• Cyaam—calm, calms; “uh cyaam sea.”
• Cyaa’pentuh/Cyaa’p’ntuh—carpenter, carpenters.
• Cyaaridge—carriage, carriages.
• Cyaa’t—cart, carts.
• Cyackly/Cackle—cackle, cackles, cackled, cackling.
• Cyan’—can’t.
• Cyas’—cast, casts, casting.
• Cyas’net—cast-net used for taking shrimp and mullet from tidal creeks.
• Cya’um—carry, carried, etc., him, her, it, them.
• Cyo’—cure, cures, cured, curing.
• D
• Da’/Dat—that.
• Daa’k—dark.
• Daa’ky—darken, darkens, darkened, darkening.
• Daa’tuh—daughter, daughters.
• Da’ dey—that there.
• Dainjus—dangerous.
• Damidge—(n. and v.) damage, damages, damaged, damaging.
• Day-bruk—day-break, day has broken.
• Dayclean—broad daylight.
• Dead—dead; die, dies, died, dying.
• Debble’ub’uh—devil of a.
• Decembuh—December.
• Deef—deaf.
• Deepo’—depot, railway station.
• Deestruss—distress. (See “distruss”).
• Deestunt—decent, respectable.
• Dem—them, they, those, their, theirs. Also used for “and them,” as “Sancho dem,” meaning Sancho and his companions.
• Dem’own—theirs, their own.
• Demself—them, they, themselves.
• Den—then, than.
• Den—(v.) to den, stay in a den.
• ’Denticul—identical.
• De Rock—the “Rock,” or phosphate mines near Charleston.
• Des’—just, as “des’ so,” just so. (See also “jis’”).
• Dese—these.
• Deseyuh—these here.
• Desso/Disso—just so. (See “jesso”).
• De’t’—death.
• Dey—they.
• Dey—there.
• Dey dey—there, there; right there; a repetition for greater emphasis.
• Deyfo’—therefore.
• Dibe—dive, dives, dived, dove, diving.
• Dictate—dictate, dictates, dictated, dictating; giving orders, overseeing; sometimes for explaining.
• Diffuh/Diffunce—differ, difference.
• Dimmycrack—Democrat, Democrats, Democratic.
• Dinnuh—dinner, dinners.
• Dis’—this; just. (See “jis’”).
• Disapp’int—(n. and v.) disappoint, disappoints, disappointed, disappointing, disappointment, disappointments.
• Disgus’—disgust, disgusts, disgusted, disgusting.
• Disgustuss—disgusting.
• Dishyuh—this, this here.
• Distrus’—distrust, distrusts, distrusted, distrusting.
• Distruss—distress. (See “deestruss”).
• Distunt—distant, distance.
• Do—do, does, did, doing.
• Do’—door, doors.
• ’Do’—though, although. (See “alldo’”).
• Doctuh—doctor, doctors.
• Dog—(n. and v.) dog, dogs, dogged, dogging.
• Don’—don’t, doesn’t.
• Done—done, did, already, has, finish, finished, as: “W’en you gwine done da’ t’ing?”—when are you going to finish that thing? “Uh done’um,” or “Uh done-done’um”—I have done or finished it.
• Done fuh—done for—meaning excessively, as: “Da’ ’ooman done fuh fat”—that woman is excessively or very fat.
• Done done’um/Done do’um—did it, finished the job.
• Done’um—did it.
• Do’step—doorstep, doorsteps.
• Do’um—do it, does it, did it, doing it.
• Drap—(n. and v.) drop, drops, dropped, dropping.
• Dreen—(n. and v.) drain, drains, drained, draining.
• Dribe—drive, drives, drove, driven, driving.
• Dribe—(n.) a run, cover, or section of woods where certain game is found or hunted.
• Drobe—(n.) drove, droves, as of animals.
• Drought—drought, droughts; “dry drought,” protracted drought.
• Drowndid—drown, drowns, drowned, drowning.
• Dry-bone—dry-boned—thin, lean, often applied to dusky ladies who do not incline to embonpoint.
• Dry so—just so.
• Dub—dove, doves.
• Duh—do, does; in, to, toward. Thus “duh paat’,” means going in the path, walking in the path; “duh ribbuh,” going to the river, going on the river; “duh fiah,” going to the fire; “duh ’ood,” going to the woods, going in or through the woods; “duh Sunday,” on Sunday; “duh weekyday,” on a week day, week days; “duh summuh,” summer, or in the summer; “duh wintuh,” winter, or in the winter.
• Dunkyuh—don’t care, doesn’t care, didn’t care.
• Dunno—don’t know, doesn’t know, didn’t know.
• Du’t—dirt, earth.
• Du’tty—dirty, soiled.
• E
• ’E—he, she, it.
• Eart’—earth, world, or soil, ground. (See “ye’t” and “yu’t”).
• Ebbrum—Abraham, Abram.
• Ebbuh—ever.
• Ebbuhlastin’—everlasting.
• Ebe—Eve, woman’s name; also eaves.
• Ebenin’—evening, evenings; “good evening,” a salutation.
• Eb’n—even.
• Eb’nso—even so.
• Eb’ry—every.
• Eb’ryt’ing—everything.
• Eb’ryweh—everywhere.
• Ecknowledge—knowledge, ability, understanding.
• Eddycashun—education.
• Eeduh—either.
• Eeduhso—either so, either, else, or.
• Eegnunt—ignorant.
• Een—in.
• Eenbite—(also eenwite) invite, invites, invited, inviting.
• Eenfawm—inform, informs, informed, informing.
• Eenhabit—inhabit, inhabits, inhabited, inhabiting.
• Eenjine—engine, engines. (See “injine”).
• Eenjinin’—adjoining.
• Eenjurin’/Enjurin’—enduring, during.
• Eenjy—enjoy, enjoys, enjoyed, enjoying; experience; as: “Uh eenjy uh berry oncomfuhtubble night’ res’”—I had or experienced a very uncomfortable night’s rest.
• Eenside—inside.
• Eensult—(n. and v.) insult, insults, insulted, insulting.
• Eentitle—entitle, entitles, entitled, entitling.
• Eentitlement—entitlement, “title;” as “Mr. Chizzum,” “Mis’ Wineglass.”
• Eentruss—interest.
• Eentuhfayre—interfere, interferes, interfered, interfering.
• Ef—if.
• Eh, Eh!—an exclamation.
• Elseso—else, unless; either.
• Ellyfunt—elephant, elephants.
• Ellyment—element, air, sky.
• En’—end, ends, and.
• Enny—any.
• Ent—(also yent) ain’t, are not, is not, isn’t.
• En’ t’ing’—and things, and everything.
• Enty—ain’t it, isn’t it, are they not, etc.
• Ent wut’—isn’t worth, meaning totally worthless, of no account.
• Epprull—April.
• ’Ese’f—himself, herself, itself.
• ’E stan’ so—it, he or she, stands so, it is so, it looks so, etc.
• Exceed—succeed, succeeds, succeeded, succeeding.
• Excusin’—excusing, except, excepting. (See “’scusin’”).
• Exwance—advance, advances, advanced, advancing.
• Exwantidge—advantage, advantages.
• Exwice—advice.
• Exwise—advise, advises, advised, advising.
• Ez—as.
• F
• Fabuh—(n. and v.) favor, favors, favored, favoring.
• ’F’aid—afraid, afraid of.
• Fait’—faith.
• Fait’ful—faithful, earnest.
• Faitfules’—faithfulest.
• Fambly—family, families; family’s, families’.
• Fannuh—a wide, shallow basket used for winnowing beaten rice or separating the corn husks from grist after grinding.
• Farruh—father, fathers.
• Farruhlaw—father-in-law, fathers-in-law.
• Fas’—fast.
• Fashi’n—fashion, like, resemblance.
• Fast’n—fasten, fastens, fastened, fastening.
• Fau’t—fault, faults.
• Fawk—(n. and v.) fork, forks, forked, forking.
• Fawm—(n. and v.) form, forms, formed, forming.
• Fawty—forty.
• Fawwu’d—forward.
• Febuh—fever, fevers.
• Febbywerry/Fibbywerry—February.
• Fedduh—feather, feathers.
• Feed’um—feed, feeds, fed, feeding him, her, it, them.
• ’Feeshun’—Ephesians—Paul’s Epistle to.
• Feet—frequently used for foot; as: “Snake bite da’ gal ’pun ’e lef han’ feet”—The snake bit that girl on her left foot.
• Felluh—fellow, fellows.
• ’Fen’—fend, defend. (See “refen’”).
• Fench—(n. and v.) fence, fences, fenced, fencing.
• Fiah—(n. and v.) fire, fires, fired, firing.
• Fibe/Fi’—five; “fibe dolluh en’ seb’nty-fi’ cent’.”
• Fiddluh—fiddler, fiddlers; violinists and fiddler crabs.
• Fiel’—field, fields.
• Fiel’han’—field hand, field hands.
• Fiel’nigguh—a laborer in the fields—the “peasant” of the plantation.
• Fight—fight, fights, fought, fighting.
• Filfil—fulfill, fulfills, fulfilled, fulfilling; also fill, as to fill a pulpit.
• Fin’—find, finds, found, finding; also to find, found, in the sense of furnishing or supplying rations.
• Fin’lly at las’—meaning at last, finally.
• Fin’um—find, finds, found, finding him, her, it, them.
• Fishpon’—fishpond, fishponds.
• Fishpun—Fishburne—name of a low country family.
• FitzSimmun—FitzSimons—a low-country family name.
• Flabuh—(n. and v.) flavor, flavors, flavored, flavoring; as: “Da’ buckruh’ hogmeat flabuh me mout’ ’tell uh done fuhgit uh hab sin fuh kill’um”—That white man’s pork flavored my mouth so that I forgot the sin I committed in killing the hog.
• Flatfawm—platform, platforms.
• Flew—fly, flies, flew, flying.
• Flo’—floor, floors, floored, flooring.
• Fly—flies, flew, flying.
• Fo’—four.
• ’Fo’—before. (See “befo’”).
• Fo’ce—force, forces, forced, forcing.
• Fodduh—fodder, used only for cured corn-blades.
• Folluh—follow, follows, followed, following.
• Foot—foot, almost universally used for feet; also for leg.
• Fo’punce—four pence. Used universally to indicate size of chickens sold for four pence before the Revolution, when British money was the currency of the Colonies. See, also, “seb’npunce,” which was used in a similar way.
• Forrud—forehead, foreheads.
• Fo’teen—fourteen.
• Fowl—fowl, fowls; chicken, chickens.
• Frail—to whip or lash.
• Frajuh—Fraser, Frazier—a low-country family name.
• Frazzle—(n. and v.) frazzle, fray, etc.
• Freedmun—freedman, freedmen.
• Freedmun’ bruro—Freedman’s Bureau.
• Freedum—freedom.
• Freehan’—freehanded, generous, liberal.
• Freemale—female, females.
• Fr’en’—friend, friends.
• Frizzle—frizzle, frizzles, frizzled, frizzling.
• Fros’—frost.
• Frum/F’um—from.
• Fry-bakin—fried bacon.
• Fry-bakin frog—the small pond frogs, whose constant cry is interpreted by the Negroes as “fry-bacon, tea-table; fry-bacon, tea-table.”
• Fudduh—far, farther, farthest; further.
• Fuh—for, for to.
• Fuhgit—forget, forgets, forgot, forgetting, forgotten.
• Fuh hab—for have: “One dance bin fuh hab deepo’ las’ night”—a dance was to have been had at the depot last night.
• Fuhr’ebbuh—forever, always, all the time.
• Fuhr’um—for him, her, it, them.
• Fuh sowl—for truth, truly, used as emphasis; as: “’E fat fuh sowl”—He, she, it or they is, was, were or are very fat. “Sowl” is perhaps from the Irish pronunciation of soul; as in “upon me sowl!”
• Fuh sutt’n—for certain, sure.
• Fuh true—in truth, for truth, it is so.
• Fu’lhawk—fowlhawk, fowlhawks.
• Fu’lhus’—fowl-house, fowl-houses.
• Full—fill, fills, filled, filling.
• Full’up—filled up, as a hive with honey, or a lady with wrath.
• Fun’rul—funeral, funerals.
• Fus’—first.
• Fus’ daa’k/Fus’ dus’—first dark, dusk, twilight in the evening.
• Fus’ fowl crow—first fowl crow—midnight, or soon thereafter.
• Fus’ gwinin’ off—first going off, at the beginning.
• G
• Gabrull—Angel Gabriel—he of the horn.
• ’Gage—engage, engages, engaged, engaging; hire, hired, etc.
• Gal—girl, girls; girl’s, girls’. Also used familiarly in addressing women.
• ’Gatuh—alligator, alligators. (See “alligettuh”).
• Gawd—God, Gods, God’s.
• Gedduh—gather, gathers, gathered, gathering.
• Gelt/Girt’—girth, girths.
• G’em—give, gives, gave, giving him, her, it, them.
• ’Gen—again.
• ’Gense—against.
• Gi’/Gib’—give, gives, gave, giving.
• Gimme—give me, gives me, gave me, giving me.
• Ginjuh—ginger.
• Gin’nlly—generally, in general.
• Gin’ul—general.
• Git—get, gets, getting, got.
• Gitta—get a (See “gittuh”).
• Gitt’ru—get through, got through; finish, finished.
• Gittuh—get a (See “gitta”).
• Git’way—get, gets, getting, got away.
• Gi’we—give us, gives us, gave us, giving us.
• ’Glec’—neglect, neglects, neglected, neglecting.
• Glub—glove, gloves.
• Go—go, goes, going, gone, went.
• Gol’—gold, golden.
• Gone—go, goes, going, gone; “time fuh gone”—time for me to go.
• Gone’way—go away, goes away, gone away, went away.
• Gonnil—gunwale, gunwales.
• Good-fashi’n—good fashion—well, thoroughly; as: “Uh lick da’ gal good-fashi’n”—I gave that girl a thorough whipping.
• Got/Gots—get, gets, have, had; also, has got to.
• Go’way—go away! get out!
• Grabble—(n. and v.) gravel, gravels, graveled, graveling.
• Grabe—grave, graves.
• Graff—grab, grabs, grabbed, grabbing; grasp, seize, seized.
• Gramma—grandmother. (See “grumma”).
• Gran’—grand—grandchild, grandson, or anyone in such relationships of “grand”.
• Gran’maamy—grandmother.
• Granny—grandmother, but used for any old Negro woman, whether related or not.
• Grano—guano, phosphate, commercial fertilizers.
• Gran’puh—grandfather. (See “grumpa,” “grumpuh”).
• ’Gree—agree, agrees, agreed, agreeing.
• ’Greement—agreement, agreements.
• Greese—(n. and v.) grease: “greese ’e mout’,” to feed with fatness, as with bacon.
• Greesy—greasy.
• Grin’salt—“grinding salt,” said of a hawk or vulture circling aloft.
• Gritch—grist, grits.
• Groun’—ground, land, piece of land.
• Grumma—grandma.
• Grummole/Gru’mole—ground-mole, ground-moles.
• Grum’pa/Grum’puh—grandpa, grandfather.
• Grunnot/Grunnut—groundnut, groundnuts, peanuts. (See “pinduh”).
• Gubnuh—governor, governors.
• Gunjuh—the scalloped molasses cakes sold in Southern country stores and commissaries.
• Gwi’/Gwine—going, going to.
• Gwinin’ en’ gwinin’—goings and goings on. Usually characterizing the light conduct of idle or irresponsible persons.
• Gyaa’d—(n. and v.) guard, guards, guarded, guarding.
• Gyaa’d’n—garden, gardens.
• Gyap—gap, gaps, as in a fence or hedge.
• Gyap—gape, gapes, gaped, gaping; also for speech, as: “’E nebbuh gyap”—she never opened her mouth.
• H
• Haa’bis’—harvest.
• Haa’bis’-flow—harvest-flow, or last irrigation of the ricefields preceding the harvest.
• Haa’d—hard.
• Haa’d-head—hard-head, hard-headed.
• Haa’kee—hark you or ye, hear.
• Haa’ness—(n. and v.) harness, harnesses, harnessed, harnessing.
• Haant—haunt, haunts; apparition; ghost, ghosts.
• H’aa’t—heart, hearts.
• H’aa’t’—hearth, hearths.
• Hab—have, has, had, having.
• Hack’lus—Hercules.
• Haffuh—have to, had to.
• Hair riz’—hair rose (with fright). An expression adopted from the whites, as upon the kinky heads of the coast Negroes there is nothing that even fright could cause to rise.
• Half-acre—half acre—210 feet square—a measure of distance or area.
• Han’—(n. and v.) hand, hands, handed, handing.
• Hanch—haunch, haunches, hind quarters.
• Hankuh—hanker, long, longs, longed, longing for; desire, desired, desiring.
• Happ’n—happen, happens, happened, happening.
• Harricane—hurricane, hurricanes; “harricane tree,” one thrown down by storm.
• Harruh—(n. and v.) harrow, harrows, harrowed, harrowing.
• Hatchitch—hatchet, hatchets.
• Hawn—horn, horns.
• Hawn’owl—the great horned owl.
• Hawss—horse, horses.
• Head—(n. and v.) head, heads; head, heads, headed, heading off.
• Head’um—get, gets, got, getting ahead of him, her, it, them.
• Hebby—heavy, great; as: “uh hebby cumplain’”—a great outcry.
• He’lt’—health.
• He’lt’y—healthy.
• Henduh—hinder, hinders, hindered, hindering.
• Heng—hang, hangs, hanged, hung, hanging.
• Hengkitchuh—handkerchief, handkerchiefs.
• Hice—hoist, hoists, hoisted, hoisting.
• Hice de chune—hoist or raise the tune.
• Higguhri-hee—the great horned owl. (See “hawn-owl”).
• Him—he, she, it, his, her’s, its.
• Him’own—his, her’s, his own, her own, its own.
• Hin’/Hine—hind, behind; as, “hine foot”—hind feet.
• Historicuss—historic, historical.
• Hitch—hitch, hitches, hitched, hitching; also for marry, marrying.
• Hol’—(n. and v.) hold, holds, held, holding.
• Hol’fas’—Hold Fast—a favorite dog name.
• Holluh—(n. and v.) hollow, hollows, hollowed, hollowing.
• Holluh—halloo, halloos, hallooed, hallooing.
• Hom’ny—hominy.
• Hongry—hungry, hunger.
• Hoonuh—you, ye. (See “oonuh” and “wunnuh”).
• Hot—heat, heats, heated, heating.
• Huccome/Hukkuh—how come, how came; how does or did it come; how came it?
• Huddy—howdy, how do you do?—“tell’um heap’uh huddy.”
• Hummuch—how much, or how many.
• Hund’ud—hundred, hundreds.
• Hu’t/Ho’t—(n. and v.) hurt, hurts, hurting.
• I
• Impedin’—impudence, impudent.
• Inflummashun—information.
• Ingine—engine, engines. (See “eenjine”).
• Injun—Indian, Indians.
• Intuhcede—intercede, intercedes, interceded, interceding.
• I’on/I’un—(n. and v.) iron, irons, ironed, ironing.
• Iz/Yiz—is.
• Izick—Isaac.
• J
• Jack—(n. and v.) jack, jacks, jacked, jacking.
• Jacksinburruh—Jacksonboro.
• Jackstan’—jack-stand—stands on which fires are kept at night in summer settlements for protection against mosquitoes and other insects.
• Jacky-lantu’n—Jack-o’-lantern—will-o’-the-wisp.
• Jallus—jealous, jealousy.
• Jaybu’d—jaybird, jaybirds.
• ’Jeck’—reject, rejects; object, objects, objected, objecting; objection.
• ’Jeckshun—objection, objections.
• ’Jeck’um—reject or rejected him, as an undesirable juror.
• Jedge—(n. and v.) judge, judges, judged, judging.
• Jedus—Jesus.
• Jestuss—justice.
• Jew—Jew, Jews.
• Jew—dew.
• Jimpsin-weed/Jimsin-weed—Jimpson or Jamestown-weed.
• Jine—join, joins, joined, joining.
• Jinin’—joining; adjoining. (See “eenjinin’”).
• Jinnywerry—January.
• Jis’—just. (See “dis’”).
• Jisso/Jesso—just so. (See “disso”).
• Johossee—Jehossee—a rice-growing island of the South Carolina Coast.
• Jokok—Jaycocks—the name of former Governor Heyward’s overseer on the Combahee.
• Jook—jab, jabs, jabbed, jabbing.
• Jookass—jackass, jackasses.
• Judus Caesar—Julius Caesar.
• Jue—due, dues.
• Juhruzelum—Jerusalem.
• Ju’k—jerk, jerks, jerked, jerking.
• Julip—the vanished mint julep.
• Jully—July.
• Junk—chunk, chunks, as of lightwood.
• Juntlemun—gentleman, gentlemen; also a woman’s “man” or husband; as, “him juntlemun,” meaning her husband.
• Juntlemun’ nigguh—gentleman’s Negro, meaning one who as a slave had belonged to people of position—the “quality.”
• K
• ’Kace—scarce. (See “sca’ce”).
• ’Kacely—scarcely, hardly. (See “sca’cely”).
• Ketch—catch, catches, caught, catching; took, take; as: “’E ketch ’e tex f’um de fus’ chaptuh een Nickuhdemus”—He took his text from the first chapter of Nicodemus. Also for reach, reached; as: “Time uh ketch de ribbuh bank, de dog done gone.”
• Ketch’um—catch, catches, caught, catching him, her, it, them.
• Ki—an exclamation. (Sometimes “kwi” or “kwoy”).
• Kibbuh—(n. and v.) cover, covers, covered, covering.
• Kibbuhr’um—cover, covers, covered, covering him, her, it, them.
• Killybash—calabash, calabashes; gourd, gourds.
• Kin—can.
• Kin—kin, kindred.
• Kin’—kind, kinds; sort, sorts.
• Kind’uh—kind of, sort of.
• Knock—knock, knocks, knocked, knocking.
• ’Knowledge—acknowledge, acknowledges, acknowledged, acknowledging; admit, etc.
• Know’um—know, knows, knew him, her, it, them.
• Kyag—keg, kegs.
• Kyarrysene—kerosene.
• L
• Laa’ceny—larceny.
• Laa’d—lard.
• Laa’gin’—enlarging, swaggering, boastful.
• Laa’n—learn, learns, learned, learning.
• Lab’ruh—laborer, laborers.
• Lam’quawtuh—lamb’s-quarter—an edible wild herb of which, like the tender leaves of the pokeberry, the Negroes are very fond, using it for boiling.
• Langwidge—language, talk.
• Las’—last, lasts, lasted, lasting; last (adverb); shoemaker’s last.
• Las’yeah—last year, last year’s.
• Laugh—(n. and v.) laugh, laughs, laughed, laughing.
• Lavuh—(n. and v.) labor, labors, labored, laboring.
• Lawfully lady—a Negro’s legally married wife.
• Leabe—leaf, leaves.
• Leabe—(n. and v.) leave, leaves, left, leaving (see “lef’”); permit, permission.
• Lean fuh—lean for—set out for with haste and speed.
• ’Leben/’Leb’n—eleven.
• Leddown—lay, lays, laid or lie, lies, lay, lying down.
• Leek—lick, licks, licked, licking—with the tongue.
• Leely/Lilly—little, in size or quantity.
• Leetle—little, in size or quantity.
• Lef’—leave, leaves, left, leaving. (See “leabe”).
• Lef’ han’—left hand or left handed, “lef han’ foot,” or “lef han’ feet”—left foot or left leg.
• Lef’um—leave, leaves, left or leaving him, her, it, them.
• Leggo—let go, lets go, letting go.
• Leh—let, lets, letting.
• Leh we—let us.
• Le’m—let them.
• Lem’lone—let, lets him, her, it, them alone.
• Lemme—let me.
• Len’—(v.) lend, lends, loaned, lending.
• Lengk—length, lengths.
• ’Less—(or onless) unless.
• Liah/Lie—liar, liars.
• Lib—live, lives, lived, living.
• Libbin’—living.
• ’Libe—alive.
• Libbuh—liver, livers.
• ’Libbuh—deliver, delivers, delivered, delivering.
• Lick—(n. and v.) a blow; to whip, whips, whipped.
• Lick back—turn, turns, turned, turning back, while moving rapidly.
• Lickin’—(n. and v.) a licking, lickings, whipping, etc.
• Light on—light on—mount, mounts, mounted, mounting.
• Light’ood—lightwood—resinous pine-wood.
• Light out—to start, start off, or away.
• ’Lijah/’Lijuh—Elijah, the prophet.
• ’Lijun—religion.
• Likeso/Likewise also—likewise, also.
• Limus-cootuh—a small, malodorous black terrapin, held in contempt by both races.
• Linniment—liniment.
• Liss’n—listen, listens, listened, listening.
• Loblolly-pine—the great short-leaf pine growing in low ground.
• Locus pastuh—local pastor, or preacher.
• ’Long—along, along with.
• Longis’—longest.
• Longmout’—long mouth—descriptive of the surly or contemptuous pushing out of the lips of an angry or discontented Negro.
• ’Longside—alongside.
• Long talk ketch run’way nigguh—meaning long talk or conversation by the roadside often causes or caused runaway slaves to be caught by the “patrol.”
• Longuh—longer.
• ’Long’um—along with, or with him, her, it, them.
• Loss—lose, loses, lost, losing.
• ’Low’um—allow, allows, allowed, allowing him, her, it, them.
• Lub—(n. and v.) love, loves, loved, loving; like, likes, liked, liking.
• Luk—like, alike.
• Lukkuh—like, like unto, resembling.
• Luk’um—like or resembling him, her, it, them.
• M
• Maa’ch—March; march, marches, marched, marching.
• Maa’k—(n. and v.) mark, marks, marked, marking.
• Maa’l—the marl or phosphate mines. (See “de Rock”).
• Ma’am—madam.
• Maamy—mother, mothers.
• Maa’sh—marsh, marshes.
• Macfuss’nbil—McPhersonville—a summer village.
• Man—man, man’s; men, men’s.
• Mange—mane.
• Mannus—manners, politeness, courtesy.
• Mannussubble—well-mannered, polite.
• Marri’d—married, marry, marries, marrying.
• Mass/Mas’—master when used with a name: as, “Mass Clinch,” “Mas’ Rafe.”
• Mastuh—Master—used only for God.
• Match—(n. and v.) match, matches, matched, matching. Yet “matches” is sometimes used for the singular; as, “Gimme uh matches”—give me a match.
• Maum—same as “maumuh,” when used with the name of the person spoken to or of, as “Maum Kate.”
• Maumuh—mauma, the equivalent of the up-country “mammy.”
• Maussuh—master, masters. NOTE: See above “Mastuh.” While the Gullah can pronounce “mastuh,” he reserves this for God, even saying “Maussuh Jedus”—Master Jesus.
• Mawgidge—(n. and v.) mortgage, mortgages, mortgaged, mortgaging.
• Mawnin’—morning, mornings; also “good morning!”
• Me—I, my.
• Mean—mean, meanness.
• Meddisin/Med’sin—medicine, medicines, physic
• Medjuh—(n. and v.) measure, measures, measured, measuring.
• Medjuhr’um—measure, measures, measured, measuring him, her, it, them.
• Mek—make, makes, made, making.
• Mek’ace—make haste.
• Mek ansuh—make, makes, making, made reply.
• Mek fuh—make for; to go to, goes to, went to, going to.
• Mek out—make, makes, made, making out; a makeshift.
• Mek yo mannus—make your manners, your obeisance.
• Membuh—member, members as of a church or society.
• ’Membuh—remember, remembers, remembered, remembering; remind, etc.
• ’Memb’unce—remembrance, remembrances.
• Men’ ’e pace—mend his, her, its, their pace; hurry, hurry up, etc.
• Mens—men.
• Meself/Muhself—myself.
• Met’dis’—Methodist, Methodists.
• Metsidge—message, messages.
• Middleblouse—middy-blouse, middy-blouses.
• Middleday—midday, noon.
• Middlenight—midnight.
• Min’—mind, minds, minded, minding; heed, etc.; take care of, protect, cherish, guard.
• ’Miration—admiration, wonder, astonishment.
• Mis’/Miss—Miss, Mrs., Mistress, when accompanied by a name, as Miss Anne, “Mis’ Chizzum.”
• Missis—mistress, mistresses.
• Mistuh—Mr.
• Mo’—more.
• Moan—moan, moans, moaned, moaning.
• Mo’ bettuh—more better, better.
• Moccasin—water-moccasin, a venomous snake.
• Mo’ longuh—more longer, longer.
• Mo’n—mourn, mourns, mourned, mourning.
• Mo’nful—mournful.
• ’Mong/’Moung—among, amid.
• Mongk’y/Monk’y—monkey, monkeys.
• Monstrosity—monstrous.
• Mo’nuh—mourner, mourners.
• Mo’nuh—more than.
• Mo’nuh da’—more than that.
• Moobe—move, moves, moved, moving.
• Mo’obuh—moreover.
• Mo’ris’/Mo’res’—most.
• Mout’—mouth, mouths.
• Muffey—Murphy.
• Muffledice—hermaphrodite.
• Mufflejaw—muffle-jawed—a strain of barnyard fowl, heavily feathered about the cheeks.
• Muhlassis—molasses.
• Mukkle—myrtle, myrtles; myrtle thickets.
• Munt’—month, months.
• Murruh—mother, mothers.
• Murruhlaw—mother-in-law.
• Mus’be—must be, must have, must have been.
• Muscoby—Muscovy—a breed of domestic ducks much affected by low-country Negroes.
• Muskick—musket, muskets.
• Muskittuh—mosquito, mosquitoes.
• Mussiful—merciful.
• Mussy—mercy, mercies.
• Mustu’d—mustard.
• Mustuh—muster, musters, mustered, mustering.
• My’own—mine, my.
• N
• Nakid/Nakit—naked.
• Nakity—naked, nakedness.
• ’Narruh—another. (See “’nodduh” and “’norruh”).
• Navuh—neighbor, neighbors.
• Nebbuh—never. (See “nubbuh”).
• Needuh—neither.
• Needuhso—neither so, neither, nor.
• N’min’/N’mine/Nemmin’/Nemmine/Nummine—never mind.
• Nepchune—Neptune.
• Nes’—(n. and v.) nest, nests, nested, nesting.
• Newfanglety—newfangled.
• Newnited States—United States.
• Nickynack—“nic-nac” crackers, biscuit.
• Nigguhhouse—Negro house or houses, cabin or cabins.
• Nigguhhouse yaa’d—Negro house yard, the main street running through the plantation Negro quarters.
• Nigh—near, also draw near to; as: “W’en de bull biggin fuh nigh’um de gal tek ’e foot een ’e han’ en’ run ’way.”
• Night—night, night-time, at night.
• Nigh’um—near, or nearing him, her, it, them.
• ’N’int—anoint, anoints, anointed, anointing. (See “renoint”).
• No—any.
• No’count—no account, worthless.
• ’Nodduh—another. (See “’narruh” and “’norruh”).
• Nomannus/Nomannussubble—impolite, without manners, rude.
• Nominashun—nominate, nominates, nominated, nominating; also nomination, nominations.
• ’Norruh—another. (See “’narruh” and “’nodduh”).
• Nott—nut, nuts; as “nott-grass,” nut grass.
• Notus—(n. and v.) notice, notices, noticed, noticing.
• Nowembuh—November.
• Nubbuh—never. (See “nebbuh”).
• ’Nuf—enough, abundance.
• Nuh—nor; also for and.
• ’Nurruh—another.
• Nuss—(n. and v.) nurse, nurses, nursed, nursing.
• Nussuh/Nusso—not so.
• Nutt’n’—nothing.
• Nyam—eat, eats, eating, ate; sometimes “nyam-nyam,” a repetition for emphasis.
• Nyankee—Yankee, Yankees.
• Nyoung/Nyung—young.
• Nyoungis’—youngest.
• Nyuse/Use—(n. and v.) use, uses, used, using. (See “uz’n”).
• Nyuze/Nyuz’n—(v.) used, using.
• O
• Oagly—ugly.
• Objeck’—object. (See “’jeck’”).
• Obserb’—observe, observes, observed, observing.
• Ob’shay—overseer, overseers.
• Obuh—over, above.
• Obuhtek—overtake, overtakes, overtook, overtaking.
• Obuht’row—overthrow, overthrows, overthrew, overthrowing; overthrown.
• Octobuh—October.
• Odduh—other, others.
• Odduhres’—the other rest, the rest, remainder.
• Off’uh—off, off of.
• Offuh—offer, offers, offered, offering.
• Off’um—off, or off of him, her, it, them.
• Ole—old.
• Onbutt’n—unbutton, unbuttons, unbuttoned, unbuttoning.
• Oncommun—uncommon.
• Ondeestunt—indecent, indecency.
• Ondelicate—indelicate, presumptuous.
• Onduh—under.
• Onduhneet’—underneath.
• Onduhstan’—understand, understands, understood, understanding. Also, as an understanding.
• Onduhtek—undertake, undertakes, undertook, undertaking.
• One—only; “me one,” I only.
• One’narruh/One’nodduh/One’nudduh/One’nurruh—one another.
• Onetime—once, once upon a time.
• Onhitch—unhitch, unhitches, unhitched, unhitching; also marital separation.
• Onkibbuh—uncover, uncovers, uncovered, uncovering.
• Onlock—unlock, unlocks, unlocked, unlocking.
• Onmannussubble—unmannerly, impolite, rude. (See “nomannussubble”).
• Onnuh—(n. and v.) honor, honors, honored, honoring.
• Onnuhrubble—honorable.
• Onrabble—unravel, unravels, unraveled, unraveling; untangle.
• Onreasunnubble—unreasonable.
• Onsaa’t’n—uncertain.
• Onsattify—unsatisfied, unsatisfying.
• Ontel—until.
• Ontie—untie, unties, untied, untying.
• ’Ood—wood, woods.
• ’Ooman—woman, woman’s; women, women’s. “’Ooman iz uh sometime t’ing”—Woman is a fickle, uncertain creature, sometimes one thing, sometimes another.
• Oonuh—ye, sometimes you. (See “wunnuh,” etc.).
• Oshtuh—oyster, oysters.
• Oshtuh rake—long-handled rake or tongs for gathering oysters.
• Oughtuh—ought, ought to, ought to be; as: “Man oughtuh t’engkful”—man ought to be thankful.
• Out/Out’n—to go out, put out, extinguish; as: “Uh out de fiah”— I put out the fire. “Uh out’n’um”—I put it out.
• Out’uh—out of, out.
• Ox—oxen.
• Oxidize—to turn into an ox.
• Oxin—ox.
• P
• Paa’d’n—(n. and v.) pardon, pardons, pardoned, pardoning.
• Paa’dnuh—partner, partners.
• Paa’kuh—Parker—a low-country family name.
• Paa’luh—parlor, parlors.
• Paa’simony—parsimony, also avarice or rapacity.
• Paa’s’n—parson, parsons.
• Paat’—path, paths.
• Paa’t—(n. and v.) part, parts, parted, parting.
• Paa’ty—party.
• Palabuhrin’—palavering—soft talk of a philanderer with the gentler sex.
• Papuh—(n. and v.) paper, papers, papered, papering; also a written instrument, a note or letter.
• Parrysawl—parasol, parasols.
• Pashun/Pashunt—patience; patient, forbearing.
• Passobuh—Passover.
• Pass’um—pass, passes, passed, passing him, her, it, them.
• Pastuh—pastor, pastors; pasture, pastures.
• Patty-auguh/Petty-auguh—piragua, pirogue.
• Pawpus—porpoise, porpoises.
• ’Pawtun’/’Portun’—important.
• ’Pawtunce/’Portunce—importance.
• Peaceubble—peaceable, peaceful.
• Peawine—peavine, peavines.
• Penitenshus—penitentiary.
• ’Pen’pun—depend, depends, depended, depending upon.
• Peruse—to saunter, walk in a leisurely manner, as: “Da’ gal him bin peruse ’long de road en’ ’e nebbuh study ’bout nutt’n’;” also investigate, examine, consider.
• Pessle—pestle, pestles; a double-headed wooden implement for beating rice.
• Phoskit/Phuskit—phosphate, commercial fertilizer; also “de Phoskit” the phosphate mines.
• Piggin—a small cedar pail in universal use among Negroes of the coast.
• Pinch’um—pinch, pinches, pinched, pinching him, her, it, them; sometimes gripping, as of pain.
• ’Pin—spin, spins, spun, spinning.
• Pinduh—pindar, peanut, peanuts. (See “grunnot”).
• Pinelan’—pineland, pinelands.
• ’Pinion—opinion, opinions.
• P’int—(n. and v.) point, points, pointed, pointing; direct, etc.
• ’P’int—appoint, appoints, appointed, appointing.
• ’P’intment—appointment, appointments.
• ’Piskubble—Episcopal, Episcopalian.
• ’Pistle—Epistle, Epistles (Bible).
• Pitchuh—pitcher, pitchers.
• Pit—put, puts, put, putting.
• Pit’um—put him, her, it, them.
• Pizen—poison, poisons, poisoned, poisoning.
• Pizen-oak—poison-oak, or poison ivy.
• ’Plash—(n. and v.) splash; to splash, splashes, splashed, splashing.
• Plat-eye—a ghostly apparition, common to the Georgetown section of the coast.
• Play ’Possum—to make believe, to fool, deceive.
• Please kin—please can—a redundancy; as: “please kin gimme”—please give me.
• Pledjuh—pleasure, pleasures.
• Pledjuhr’um—please, give pleasure to him, her, it, them.
• Po’—poor, also thin, lean, low in flesh.
• Po’Buckruh—a poor white man, the poor whites.
• Po’Buckruh-Nigguh—a Negro who had formerly belonged to the poorer whites, or those not of the “quality.”
• Po’ch—porch, porches.
• Politicksus/Politicuss—political. (See “cawpsus politicksus”).
• Pollydo’—Polydore—a favorite man’s name among the Negroes; used also for Apollos.
• Po’ly—poorly, describing health.
• Pon Pon—the lower Edisto and the region south of the A. C. L. Ry., opposite Jacksonboro.
• Pooty/Putty—pretty.
• Po’r—pour, pours, poured, pouring.
• Po’r’um—pour, pours, poured, pouring it, that.
• Pos’—(n. and v.) post, posts, posted, posting.
• Positubble—positive, positively.
• Possimmun—persimmon, persimmons; the tree and fruit.
• Po’trial—Port Royal.
• Praise-meetin’—prayer-meeting.
• Pray—(n. and v.) prayer, prayers; prays, prayed, praying.
• ’Pread—spread, spreads, spreading.
• Preechuh—preacher, preachers; minister, ministers.
• Preechuh on de sukkus—the circuit or traveling preacher.
• Premussiz—premises.
• Presinck—precinct.
• Pres’n’ly—presently.
• Prezzydent—president.
• Priblidge—(n. and v.) privilege, privileges, privileged.
• Primus ward—ward primary.
• Prizzunt—present, presents, presented, presenting.
• Prizzunt aa’m—present arms.
• Projic’—to “monkey with,” to hazard.
• Prommus—(n. and v.) promise, promises, promised, promising.
• Proobe—prove, proves, proved, proving.
• Proputty—property, wealth.
• ’Publikin—Republican.
• Puhceed/Pusceed—proceed, proceeds, proceeded, proceeding.
• Puhhaps—perhaps.
• P’uhjec’—project, projected, as: “W’en da’ ’ooman bex, him p’uh’jec’ him mout’ at me”—When that woman was angry she stuck out her mouth at me.
• Puhjuh—perjure, perjures, perjured, perjuring.
• Puhlicituh—solicitor, solicitors; the dreaded prosecuting attorney of the Criminal Court, held in awe by all low-country Negroes.
• Puhlite—polite, politely. Also a popular Negro name, as “Mingo Puhlite.”
• Puhshay—Porcher—name of a low-country family.
• Puhtek—protect, protects, protected, protecting.
• Puhtekshun—protection.
• Puhtettuh—potato, potatoes—usually sweet. (See “tettuh”).
• Puhtickluh—particular, particularly.
• Puhwide—provide, provides, provided, providing.
• Puhwid’n—providing, also provided.
• Puhwiduh—provider, providers.
• Puhwishun—provision, provisions; ration, ration.
• Puhwoke—provoke, provokes, provoked, provoking.
• Puhwokin’—provoking.
• Puhzac’ly—exactly, precisely.
• Puhzishun—position, positions.
• Pulblic—public, the public.
• Pull wool—to pull the kinky forelock in salutation to “de Buckruh.”
• Punkin—pumpkin, pumpkins.
• Punkin-skin—pumpkin colored or mulatto Negro.
• Punnounce—pronounce, pronounces, pronounced, pronouncing.
• ’Puntop/’Puntap/’Pantap—upon, on, on top of.
• ’Puntop’uh—upon top of, on top of, at.
• Puppus—purpose, on purpose.
• Puss’n/Pusson/Pussun—person, persons.
• Puss’nully/Pussonully/Pussunully—personally.
• Q
• ’Quaintun’—acquainted, acquainted with.
• ’Quaintunce—acquaintance, acquaintances. (See “acquaintun’”).
• Quarril/Quawl—quarrel, quarrels.
• Quarrilment/Quawlment—quarrel, quarrels, quarreled, quarrelling.
• Quawt—quart, quarts.
• Quawt’ly—quarterly.
• Quawtuh—(n. and v.) quarter, quarters, quartered, quartering.
• ’Queeze—squeeze, squeezes, squeezed, squeezing.
• Queschun/Squeschun—(n. and v.) question, questions, questioned, questioning. Rarely used, “quizzit” taking its place.
• Quile—(n. and v.) coil, coils, coiled, coiling.
• ’Quire—require, requires, required, requiring.
• ’Quire—inquire, inquires, inquired, inquiring.
• Quizzit—(quiz) ask, asks, asked, asking; to question, questions, questioned, questioning. (See “squizzit,” a rarely used variant).
• R
• Rabbish—ravish, ravishes, ravished, ravishing.
• Rab’n—raven, ravens; vulture, vultures; buzzard, buzzards.
• Rab’nel—Ravenel, Ravenels—a family name, also a station on Atlantic Coast Line Railway.
• Racktify—to break, breaks, broke, broken, breaking. Confuse in mind: “Da’ buggy racktify”—that buggy is dilapidated. “Da’ ’ooman racktify een ’e min’”—that woman’s mind is distracted.
• Rain—(n. and v.) rain, rains, rained, raining.
• Rale—real, very, truly.
• Ramify—to act like a ram.
• Range—range, ranges, ranged, ranging.
• ’Ranguhtang—Orang-Utan, Orang-Utans.
• Rappit—rapid, rapidly.
• Rashi’n—(n. and v.) ration, rations, rationed, rationing.
• Rayre—rear, rears, reared, rearing.
• ’Ready—already.
• Rebel time—rebel times—the freedmen’s offensive characterization of the period before freedom when their former masters controlled the government of their own states.
• Reb’ren’—reverend—used also as a noun, as “de reb’ren’.”
• Recishun—decision, decisions.
• Redduh—rather. (See “rudduh”).
• Refen’—defend, defends, defended, defending. (See “’fen’”).
• Reinge—reins.
• Remonia—pneumonia.
• Renite—unite, unites, united, uniting.
• Renoint—anoint, anoints, anointed, anointing. (See “’n’int”).
• Renointed—anointed.
• Repeah—appear, appears, appeared, appearing.
• Reploy—(rare) reply, replies, replied, replying.
• Repose—oppose, opposes, opposed, opposing.
• Resplain—explain, explains, explained, explaining; elucidate, etc.
• Retch—reach, reaches, reached, reaching.
• ’Riah—Maria.
• Ribbuh—river, rivers.
• Ricebu’d—ricebird, ricebirds.
• Ridick’lus—ridiculous, also outrageous, scandalous. (Often so used by illiterate whites).
• Roas’—roast, roasts, roasted, roasting.
• Rock—rock, rocks, rocked, rocking. Also for phosphate rock. (See “de Rock”).
• Rokkoon—raccoon, raccoons.
• Roll—roll, rolls, rolled, rolling.
• Roos’—(n. and v.) roost, roosts, roosted, roosting.
• Roostuh—rooster, roosters.
• Rozzum—(n. and v.) rosin, rosins, rosined, rosining.
• Rubbidge—rubbish.
• Ruckuhnize—recognize, recognizes, recognized, recognizing.
• Rudduh—rather. (See “redduh”).
• Rudduh—rudder, rudders.
• Rumpletail—(rumpless) a tailless fowl.
• Run—run, runs, ran, running.
• Ruppezunt—represent, represents, represented, representing.
• S
• Saa’b—serve, serves, served, serving.
• Saa’bint—(also “saa’bunt”) servant, servants.
• Saa’bint day—servants’ day—perhaps originally a corruption of Sabbath day.
• Saa’bis—(also sarbis) service, services, use.
• Saa’ch—search, searches, searched, searching; also examine, examined, etc.
• Saa’f—soft.
• Saa’f’ly—softly.
• Saa’pint/Saa’punt—serpent (Biblical).
• Saa’t’n/Sutt’n—certain.
• Sabannuh/Sawannuh—Savannah; savanna, savannas.
• Sabbidge—savage, savages.
• Sabe—save, saves, saved, saving.
• Sabeyuh—the Savior.
• Sa’leenuh—St. Helena Island, on the South Carolina coast.
• Same lukkuh—(also sukkuh) same like, like, resembling.
• San’—sand.
• Sat’d’y/Sattyday—Saturday.
• Sattifackshun—satisfaction.
• Sattify—satisfy, satisfies, satisfied, satisfying.
• Sawlketchuh—Salkehatchie—upper reaches of the Combahee above the A. C. L. Ry.
• Sawt—(n. and v.) sort, sorts, sorted, sorting.
• Sawtuh—sort of—after a fashion.
• Say—say, says, said, saying.
• Sca’ce/Sca’ceful—scarce.
• Sca’cely—scarcely, hardly. (See “kacely”).
• Scattuh—scatter, scatters, scattered, scattering.
• Schemy—scheming, tricky.
• Scole—scold, scolds, scolded, scolding.
• Scriptuh—Scripture—the Bible.
• ’Scuse—(noun) excuse, excuses.
• ’Scusin’—excusing, except.
• ’Scusshun—excursion, excursions.
• ’Scuze—(verb) excuse, excuses, excused, excusing.
• Seaz’nin’—seasoning.
• Seb’n—seven.
• Seb’npunce—seven pence. (See “fo’punce”).
• Seb’nteen—seventeen.
• Seb’nty—seventy.
• Seckriterry—secretary, secretaries.
• Sectembuh—September.
• Secun’—second.
• Sedate—sedately, quietly, in a leisurely manner: “De mule walk so sedate uh couldn’ plow fas’.”
• Seddown—sit or set down, sits or sets down, sat or set down, sitting or setting down.
• See—see, sees, saw, seen, seeing.
• Seegyaa’—cigar, cigars.
• Seem—seem, seems, seemed, seeming.
• ’Self—himself, herself, itself, themselves; as: “Him maussuh ’self haffuh wu’k”—his master himself has to work.
• Selfish—selfish—glum, dour.
• Sence—since.
• Sen’um—send, sends, sent, sending him, her, it, them.
• Sesso—say so, says so, said so, saying so. (See “susso”).
• Set—sit, sits, sat, sitting. (See “seddown”).
• Settle’—settled, as: “settle’ ’ooman,” a settled woman, a Negro woman of a certain age, not a flapper.
• Sett’n’—sitting.
• Sett’n’up—sitting up—a Negro wake; a small religious meeting.
• Sezzee—says he, said he.
• Sezzi—says I, said I.
• Shaa’k—shark, sharks.
• Shaa’p—sharp.
• Shaa’p’n—sharpen, sharpens, sharpened, sharpening.
• Shabe—shave, shaves, shaved, shaving.
• Shadduh—(n. and v.) shadow, shadows, shadowed, shadowing.
• Shame—(n. and v.) shame, shames, shamed, shaming; ashamed.
• Shawt—short—“shawt-pashunt,” short patience or irritable, irritability.
• Shayre—share, shares, shared, sharing.
• Shayre’um—share, shares, shared, sharing him, her, it, them. Also for shear, shears, sheared, shearing him, her, it, them.
• Sheepbuhr—sheepburr, sheepburrs.
• She’own—her own.
• Shepu’d—shepherd, shepherds.
• She-she talk—woman’s talk, gabble.
• Shet—shut, shuts, shut, shutting.
• Shimmy—chemise, chemises.
• Shish—such.
• Shishuh—such a.
• Sho’—sure, surely.
• Shoe—(n. and v.) shoe, shoes, shod, shoeing.
• Shoesh—shoes.
• Sho’ly—surely.
• Shoot’um—shoot, shoots, shot, shooting him, her, it, them.
• Shoulduh—shoulder, shoulders, shouldered, shouldering.
• Should’uh—should have.
• Shout—(n. and v.) shout, shouts; shout, shouts, shouted, shouting; frenzied outcries of a religious devotee. A plantation dancing festival, frequently accompanied by beating sticks on the floor.
• Show—show, shows, showed, showing.
• Show’um—show, shows, showed, showing him, her, it, them.
• Shroud—shroud, shrouds; also surplice, surplices, as: “De ’Piskubble preechuh pit on ’e shroud.”
• Shub—shove, shoves, shoved, shoving.
• Shuh—pshaw!
• Shum—see, sees, saw, seeing him, her, it, them.
• Shu’t—shirt, shirts.
• Side’uh—on the side of, alongside.
• Silbuh—silver—“silbuhfish,” silver fish.
• Silby—Silvia.
• Silunt—silent, silence, as “silunt een co’t!”—silence in court!
• Silus—Silas.
• Sistuh—(formal) sister, sisters.
• Skay’d—scared.
• Skayre—scare, scares, scared, scaring.
• Skay-to-de’t’—scare or scared to death.
• Skollup—escallop, escallops, escalloped, escalloping.
• Sku’t—skirt, skirts.
• Slabe—slave, slaves.
• Slabery—slavery.
• Slabery time—slavery times—before freedom.
• Slam—a synonym for “spang,” expressing distance, all the way.
• Slann’ Ilun’—Slann’s Island, a tract lying along the North Edisto inlet and Toogoodoo creek.
• Sleebe—sleeve, sleeves.
• ’Sleep—asleep; sleep, sleeps, slept, sleeping.
• Slip’ry—slippery.
• Smaa’t—smart.
• ’Smattuh—what is the matter?
• Snawt—snort, snorts, snorted, snorting.
• Snow’re—snore, snores, snored, snoring.
• Soad—sword, swords.
• Sobuh—sober.
• Sobuhr’um—sober, sobers, sobered, sobering him, her, them.
• Sodjuh—(n. and v.) soldier, soldiers; soldiering, etc. To loaf on the job.
• Sof’—soft.
• Somebody—somebody’s, some one, some one’s.
• Somebody’own—somebody’s own.
• Sonnylaw—son-in-law, sons-in-law.
• Soon-man—a smart, alert, wide-awake man.
• Sooply—supple.
• Spaa’k—spark, sparks.
• Spang—all the way, expressive of distance.
• Sparruh—sparrow, sparrows.
• Sparruh-grass—asparagus.
• Sparruhhawk—sparrow-hawk or hawks.
• ’Spec’—expect, expects, expected, expecting; suspect, suspects, suspected, suspecting.
• Specie’—species.
• Specify—from specify, but greatly extended to include almost all meanings of “specifications”—proving inadequate, not coming up to expectations, etc. (See Introduction to this Glossary).
• Speckly—speckled.
• Spen’—spend, spends, spent, spending.
• Sperritual—spiritual, spirituals, the Negro religious songs.
• ’Speriunce—experience, experiences, experienced, experiencing.
• Speshly—specially, especially.
• Spiduh—spider, spiders; also a cooking utensil in universal use among the Coast Negroes.
• Spile—spoil, spoils, spoiled, spoiling.
• ’Spishun—suspicion, suspicions.
• ’Spishus—suspicious, suspiciously.
• ’Spize—despise, despises, despised, despising.
• ’Splain—explain, explains, explained, explaining.
• Splotch—blot, blots; stain, stains.
• ’Spon’—respond, responds, responded, responding.
• ’Sponsubble—responsible, also used emphatically or specifically; as: “Tell’um ’sponsubble fuh do da’ t’ing.”
• ’Spose—expose, exposes, exposed, exposing.
• S’pose—suppose, supposes, supposed, supposing.
• Spo’t—sport, sports; also sporting man.
• Spo’tin’/Spot’n’—(n. and v.) sport, sports, sported, sporting.
• Spo’ty—sporty.
• S’preme—(n.) supreme—only in “s’preme co’t.”
• Spuhr—(n. and v.) spur, spurs, spurred, spurring.
• ’Spute—(n. and v.) dispute, disputes, disputed, disputing; contest with.
• ’Spute’n—disputing.
• Squayre—(also squay) square—also a parallelogram in a ricefield divided from other squares by irrigation ditches.
• Squeschun—question—sometimes used for the more common “quizzit,” which see. (Also see “queschun”).
• Squizzit—a rarely used variant of “quizzit,” which see.
• Staa’ch—(n. and v.) starch, starches, starched, starching.
• Staar—star, stars.
• Staa’t—start, starts, started, starting.
• Staa’t nakid—stark naked.
• ’Stablish—establish, establishes, established, establishing.
• Stan’—stand, stands, stood, standing; look, looks, looked, looking.
• Stan’—a stand, stands; deer stands, etc.
• Stan’lukkuh—stand, stands, stood, standing like; to look like, etc.
• Stan’sukkuh—stand same like unto, same meaning as “stan’lukkuh.”
• ’Stead’uh—(also ’stidduh) instead of.
• Steal—steal, steals, stole, stealing.
• Sto’—store, stores; shop, shops.
• ’Stonish—astonish, astonishes, astonished, astonishing.
• ’Stractid—protracted, as a “’stractid meet’n’,” a protracted meeting.
• Straight’n fuh—make for, made for, making for; run quickly or swiftly.
• Strance—trance, trances.
• Stree—three; as in “seb’nty-stree.” Rarely used. (See “t’ree”).
• Strengk—strength.
• Stretch-out—stretch out—extend. (See “’tretch-out”).
• Strike—strike, strikes, struck, striking. (See “’trike”).
• ’Stroy’d—destroy, destroys, destroyed, destroying.
• ’Struckshun—destruction.
• ’Struckshun—construction.
• ’Struckshun strain—construction train.
• Structid—struck, striking.
• Stubb’n—(also stubbunt) stubborn.
• Study—think, plan, ponder.
• Stuhr—stir, stirs, stirred, stirring.
• Stuhstiffikit—certificate.
• Stylish—stylish, meaning also appropriate, dignified, suitable, as: “uh stylish grabe,” being a grave ornately decorated with broken china or glass.
• ’Suade—persuade, persuades, persuaded, persuading.
• Suck—suck, sucks, sucked, sucking.
• Suck-aig—suck-egg—as: “uh suck-aig dog.”
• Suck me teet’—and “suck ’e teet’”—a contemptuous gesture, frequently indulged in by the fair sex.
• Sudd’nt—sudden, suddenly.
• Suffuhrate—separate, separates, separated, separating; also divorce, divorcing, etc.
• Suh—sir.
• Suh—that, say. (See “susso” and “sesso”).
• Suhciety—society, societies.
• Sukkle—(n. and v.) circle, circles, circled, circling.
• Sukkuh—(a contraction of “same lukkuh” used by rapid speakers) same, same like, resembling.
• Sukkuhr’um—same like, or like him, her, it, them.
• Sukkus—circus, circuses.
• Sukkus—circuit, circuits.
• Sukkus-preechuh—circuit preacher.
• Summuch—so much, so many.
• Summuh/Summuhtime—summer, summers, summer-time.
• Sump’n’—something.
• Sump’n’nurruh—something or other.
• Sundown—sunset.
• Sunhigh—late morning, about the middle of the forenoon.
• Sunhot—sunshine, heat of sun.
• Sun-lean—period of the day when the sun begins to decline, and its declining: “sun-lean fuh down.”
• Sun’up—sunrise.
• Supploy—supply, supplies, supplied, supplying.
• Suppuh—supper.
• Supshun—substance, sustenance, strength of food, as of a juicy roast: “Da’ meat hab supshun een’um”—that meat has much nourishment.
• Susso/Suh-so—say so, says so, said so, saying so. (See “sesso”).
• Sutt’n—certain, certainly.
• Sutt’nly—certainly.
• Swalluh—(n. and v.) swallow, swallows, swallowed, swallowing.
• Swalluhr’um—swallow, swallows, swallowed, swallowing him, her, it, them.
• Swawm—(n. and v.) swarm, swarms, swarmed, swarming.
• Sway’/Swayre—swear, swears, swore, swearing.
• Swaytogawd—swear to God.
• Sweeth’aa’t—sweetheart, sweethearts.
• Sweetmout’—sweetmouth—blarney, flattery.
• Sweetmout’ talk—soft talk of a philanderer with the gentler sex.
• Swell—swell, swells, swelled, swelling; swollen.
• Swell-up—swelled, swollen up, puffed up with anger, importance or authority.
• Sweet’n—sweeten, sweetens, sweetened, sweetening.
• Sweet’nin’—“sweetening.”
• Swif’—swift, fast.
• Swimp—shrimp, shrimps.
• Swinge—singe, singes, singed, singeing.
• Swink—shrink, shrinks, shrunk, shrinking.
• Swonguh—“swank,” swagger, swaggering, boastful.
• T
• Taar—(n. and v.) tar, tars, tarred, tarring.
• ’Tack—(n. and v.) attack, attacks, attacked, attacking.
• ’Tacktid—attacked. (See “attacktid”).
• Tackle—(n. and v.) tackle, tackles, tackled, tackling; arraign, hold accountable.
• ’Taguhnize—antagonize, antagonizes, antagonized, antagonizing; arraign, arraigned, etc.
• ’Tail—(n. and v.) entail, entails, entailed, entailing.
• ’Take—(n. and v.) stake, stakes, staked, staking.
• Talk’um—talk, talks, talked, talking; talking it, speak out, etc.
• Talluh—tallow.
• Tallygraf—(n. and v.) telegraph, telegraphs, telegraphed, telegraphing; telegram, telegrams.
• ’Tan’—stand, stands, stood, standing.
• ’Tan’up—stand, stands, stood, standing up.
• ’Tarrygate—interrogate, interrogates, interrogated, interrogating; question, questioned, etc.
• Tarrypin—terrapin, terrapins.
• Tarrify—terrify, terrifies, terrified, terrifying.
• Tarruh—t’other, the other. (See “torruh,” “todduh”).
• Tas’—task—a measure of distance as well as of area: 105 feet or 105 feet square. A “tas’,” or one-fourth of an acre, being the daily task during slavery on a sea-island cotton plantation, in “listing,” “hauling,” or hoeing sea-island cotton, a task being frequently completed before noon, when the slave was free for the rest of the day. Used as meaning distance of a shot; as: “My gun kin shoot two tas’”—My gun can kill at 210 feet (70 yards).
• Tas’e—taste, tastes, tasted, tasting.
• Tas’e ’e mout’—put a taste in his, her or their mouth or mouths; meaning something appetizing to eat.
• T’aw’t—(n. and v.) thought, thoughts. (See also “t’ink”).
• ’Tay—stay, stays, stayed, staying.
• Tayre—tear, tears, tore, tearing.
• Tayre’um—tear, tears, tore, tearing him, her, it, them.
• Teday—today.
• Teet’—tooth, teeth.
• Teet’ache—toothache.
• Tek—take, takes, took, taken, taking.
• Tek’care—take-care—as: “Tek’care bettuh mo’nuh baig paa’d’n”—Take care is better more than beg pardon; meaning an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
• Tek’eself—take, takes, took, taking himself, herself, itself, themselves.
• Tek me foot een me han’—“tek him foot een ’e han’”—Took my foot in my hand, took his or her foot or their feet in his, her, or their hand or hands—meaning hastened, hurried, speeded up.
• Tek’um—take, took, taken him, it, them; as: “tek’um en’ t’engky.”
• Tek’way—take, takes, took, taking away.
• Tek wid’um—taken with, pleased with him, her, it, them.
• ’Tell—till, until.
• Tell’um—tell, tells, telling, told him, her, it, them. “Tell’um huddy fuh me”—tell him howdy for me.
• ’Ten’—attend, attends, attended, attending; intend, intends, etc.
• Tendduh—tender.
• T’engkful—thankful.
• T’engk’Gawd—thank God!—thank, thanks, thanked, thanking God.
• T’engky—thanks, thank you.
• Tenight—tonight.
• ’Tenshun—attention.
• ’Tenshun—intention; as: “Uh ’tenshun fuh go” it is my intention to go.
• ’Tep—(n. and v.) step, steps, stepped, stepping.
• Tetch—(n. and v.) touch, touches, touched, touching. Also a remnant, as: “T’engk Gawd, ’e lef’ uh leetle tetch een de bottle.”
• Tetch’um—touch, touches, touched, touching him, her, it, them.
• ’Tettuh—potato, potatoes—usually sweet. (See “puhtettuh”).
• T’ick—thick.
• ’Tick—(n. and v.) stick, sticks, stuck, slicking.
• T’ickit—thicket, thickets.
• ’Tickluh—(n. and v.) particular, particulars. (See “puhtickluh”).
• T’ickness—thickness, thicknesses.
• ’Ticky—sticky.
• T’ief—(n. and v.) thief, thieves; steal, steals, stole, stolen, stealing. “T’ief iz bad, but t’ief en’ ketch iz de debble”—It is bad to steal, but to steal and be caught is worse.
• T’iefin’—thieving.
• Tie’um—tie, ties, tied, tying him, her, it, them.
• Tie up ’e mout’—tie, ties, tied, tying up his, her, or their mouth or mouths; meaning held his, her, or their speech.
• Tillin’ass’—Tillinghast—a low-country family name.
• T’ing—thing, things.
• ’Ting—sting, stings, stung, stinging.
• T’ink—think, thinks, thought, thinking.
• T’irteen—thirteen.
• T’irty—thirty.
• T’istle—thistle, thistles.
• Tittie/Tittuh—sister, sisters (informal).
• Toad—a young female dog (old English).
• Toad-frog—toad, toads.
• Todduh/Tudduh—the other, t’other, the others. (See “tarruh,” and “torruh”).
• Tol’—rare, for told. (See “tell’um”).
• Tongue/Toung—tongue, tongues.
• Toogoodoo—a short tidal creek or river in former Colleton, now Charleston, County.
• ’Toop—stoop, stoops, stooped, stooping.
• Toot’—tooth, teeth.
• ’Top—stop, stops, stopped, stopping.
• Top—(n. and v.) top, tops; top, tops, topped, topping.
• ’Toppuh—on, on top of.
• Torruh—(also tarruh and todduh) t’other; the other, the others; as: “Dem todduh one”—those other ones.
• ’T’oruhty—authority.
• Tote—“tote”—carry, carries, carried, carrying.
• T’ous’n/T’ouz’n—thousand.
• Town—Charleston, “the City.” (See “Chaa’stun”).
• Trabble—travel, travels, traveled, traveling.
• ’Traight—straight.
• ’Traight’n—straighten, straightens, straightened, straightening. “’Traight’n fuh”—straighten for, to hurry or extend oneself for a certain point.
• ’Trangle—strangle, strangles, strangled, strangling.
• T’rash—thrash, thrashes, thrashed, thrashing; thresh, threshed, etc.
• T’rashuh—thrasher, thrashers; thresher, threshers.
• Tredjuh—treasure, treasures.
• Tredjuruh—treasurer, treasurers.
• Tree—(v.) tree, trees, treed, treeing.
• T’ree—rarely “stree”—three.
• T’ree-time—three times.
• ’Tretch—stretch, stretches, stretched, stretching.
• ’Tretch-out—stretch out. (See “stretch-out”).
• Trigguh—trigger, triggers.
• ’Trike—strike, strikes, struck, striking.
• Trimble—tremble, trembles, trembled, trembling.
• ’Tring—string, strings, strung, stringing; “’tringbean”—string or snap-beans.
• T’roat—throat, throats.
• T’row—throw, throws, threw, thrown, throwing.
• T’rowbone—throw “bones” (dice) play craps.
• T’row’d—threw, thrown.
• T’row’way/T’ruh’way—throw, throws, threw, throwing, thrown away.
• T’ru—through.
• Trubble—(n. and v.) trouble, troubles, troubled, troubling.
• Trus’—(n. and v.) trust, trusts, trusted, trusting.
• Trus’-me-Gawd—a narrow dugout canoe, so cranky that one who ventures forth upon the waters must have faith in God to bring him through.
• Trute—truth.
• Trute-mout’—truth-mouth—one who will not lie.
• Trybunul—tribunal, tribunals.
• Tuckrey—turkey, turkeys.
• Tuh—to.
• Tuhbackuh—tobacco.
• Tuh dat—to that—as: “’E chupid tuh dat”—he is stupid to that extent; he is that stupid. “Ef him maussuh lub’um tuh dat”—if his master loves him so greatly.
• Tuhgedduh—together.
• Tuhreckly—directly.
• Tuhr’um—to him, her, it, them.
• Tuk—took. (See “tek”).
• Tummuch—too much, intensely, ardently, fervently.
• ’Tump—(n. and v.) stump, stumps; stump, stumps, stumped, stumping.
• ’Tump—stub, stubs, stubbed, stubbing.
• ’Tumpsuckuh—stump-sucker, a crib-sucking horse or mule.
• Tu’n—(n. and v.) turn, turns, turned, turning.
• T’unduh—(n. and v.) thunder, thunders, thundered, thundering.
• T’unduhsnake—thundersnake, thundersnakes.
• Tu’nflour—turned flour, scalded corn meal, mush or porridge; same as Italian polenta.
• Tu’nup—turnip, turnips.
• Tu’n up—turn, turns, turned, turning up.
• Tup’mtime/Tup’ntine—turpentine.
• T’ursd’y—Thursday.
• Twelb’—twelve.
• Twis’—(n. and v.) twist, twists, twisted, twisting.
• Twis’-mout’—twist mouth—twist-mouthed.
• Twis’up—twist or twisted up.
• Two Chuesday, Two T’ursday, etc.—the second Tuesday or the second Thursday in the month.
• Two place—second place, in the second place. NOTE: Other numbers used similarly.
• Two time—two times, twice.
• Two-t’ree—two or three.
• U
• Ub—of. (See “uh”).
• Ubtain—obtain, obtains, obtained, obtaining.
• Ub uh—of a—“Uh debble ub uh mule”—a devil of a mule.
• Uh—I; a, an. Also of. (See “ub”).
• Uhhead—ahead.
• Uhhead’uh—ahead of.
• Uhlly/Yuhlly—early.
• Um—him, her, it, them.
• Up tuh de notch—up to the notch—to the Queen’s taste, perfect.
• Us—we, our.
• Use—use, uses, used, using; also for game or cattle frequenting certain feeding grounds. (See “nyuse”).
• Use’n/Uze’n—used to be, in the habit of.
• Use-tuh—used to, accustomed to.
• W
• Waagin—wagon, wagons.
• Waa’ment—“varmint, varmints,” destructive animals or birds.
• Wadmuhlaw—Wadmalaw—an island of the Carolina coast.
• Wah—war.
• Wais’—waist, waists.
• Wanjue-range—sometimes “Banjue-Range”—Vendue Range, the old Charleston slave market.
• Wantuh—want to, wants to, wanted to, wanting to.
• Warruh/Wadduh—what, what is that.
• W’ary—weary.
• Was’e—waste, wastes, wasted, wasting.
• Wash-up/Wush-up—worship (religious).
• Watuhmilyun—watermelon, watermelons.
• Wawm—(n. and v.) warm, warms, warmed, warming.
• Wawn—(n. and v.) warn, warns, warned, warning.
• Wawss’—wasp, wasps.
• Wawss’nes’—wasp’s nest.
• We—our, us.
• W’eat—wheat.
• W’eat-flour—flour, wheat-flour.
• Wedduh—weather, weather; to rain or storm, in such phrases as: “’E gwine tuh wedduh”—it is going to or looks like rain or storm.
• Wedd’n’—wedding, weddings.
• Weeky-day—a week day.
• W’eel—(n. and v.) wheel, wheels, wheeled, wheeling.
• W’eelbarruh—wheelbarrow, wheelbarrows.
• Wegitubble—vegetable, vegetables.
• Weh—where.
• Wehr’as—whereas.
• Wehrebbuh—wherever.
• W’enebbuh—whenever.
• W’ensd’y—Wednesday.
• We’own—our own, ours.
• Werry—very. (See “berry”).
• We’self—ourselves.
• Weskit—waistcoat, waistcoats.
• Westiblue—vestibuled—the fast “limited” or tourist train.
• Whoebbuh—whoever.
• Wictoria—Victoria—also victorious.
• ’Wice—(also “exwice”) advice, advices.
• W’ich/W’ich’n—which.
• W’ich en’ w’y—which and why—as: “W’ich en’ w’y talk”—contradictory talk.
• Wickity/Wickit—wicked, wickedness.
• Wid—with.
• Widduh—widow, widows.
• Widt’—width, widths.
• W’ile—while, awhile.
• Wil’cat—wild cat, the bay-lynx of the Southern swamps.
• Willuh—willow, willows.
• Win’—(n. and v.) wind, winds; wind, winded.
• Win’—(n. and v.) wind, winds, wound, winded, winding.
• Winduh—window, windows.
• Wine—vine.
• Wineguh—vinegar.
• Winnuh—winnow, winnows, winnowed, winnowing.
• Winnuhhouse—winnowhouse, winnowhouses, where in the old days rice was winnowed.
• Wintuhtime—winter, in the winter season.
• ’Wise—(also “exwise”) advise, advises, advised, advising.
• Wish de time uh day—“pass de time uh day”—a salutation, greeting.
• Wisit—(n. and v.) visit, visits, visited, visiting.
• W’iskey—whiskey; formerly used, now an obsolete vocable among the Gullah.
• Witch—witch, witches.
• ’Witch—bewitch, bewitches, bewitched, bewitching.
• W’ite—white.
• Woice—voice, voices.
• Woodpeckuh—woodpecker, woodpeckers.
• Woodpeckuh laa’k—woodpecker lark—the flicker.
• Wrop—wrap, wraps, wrapped, wrapping.
• Wu’d—word, words.
• Wudduh da’—what is that.
• Wuffuh—what for, why.
• Wuh—what, that.
• Wuhebbuh—whatever.
• Wu’k—(n. and v.) work, works, worked, working.
• Wu’ll’—world, worlds.
• Wunduh—(n. and v.) wonder, wonders, wondered, wondering.
• Wunt—won’t, will not.
• Wurrum—worm, worms.
• Wus’den’ebbuh—worse than ever.
• Wuss/Wus’—worse, worst.
• Wussuh—worse.
• Wut’—worth, is worth, was worth, etc. “Ent wut’”—a disparaging characterization.
• Wuz—was.
• W’ymekso—what makes it so, why.
• Y
• Yaa’d—yard, yards.
• Yaa’n—yarn, yarns.
• Yaas—yes.
• Yaas’suh—yes-sir.
• Yalluh—yellow.
• Yalluhhammuh—yellowhammer—the flicker or golden-winged woodpecker.
• Yalluh yam—yellow yam—a variety of sweet potato.
• Yanduh—yonder.
• Yeah—ear, ears (corn or other grain); also year, years.
• Yearin’—hearing.
• Yeddy/Yerry—hear, hears, heard, hearing.
• Yeddy’um—hear, hears, heard, or hearing him, her, it, them.
• Yellin’—yearling, yearlings.
• Yent—(ent) ain’t, is not, are not; so pronounced when preceded by a soft vowel sound.
• Ye’t/Yu’t—earth. (See “eart’”).
• Yeye—eye, eyes; so pronounced when preceded by a soft vowel sound. “’E yeye red”—his or her eyes are bloodshot with anger.
• Yez—ear, ears (human or animal).
• Yistiddy—yesterday.
• Yiz—is; so pronounced when preceded by a soft vowel sound.
• Yo’/You—your, yours.
• You’own—your own, yours.
• Yowe—ewe. (“Yowe” is in use in Early English).
• Yuh—here.
• Yuh him—here he, she, it is, or they are.
• Z
• ’Zackly—exactly. (See “puhzackly”).
• ’Zammin’—examine, examines, examined, examining; question, questioned, etc.
• ’Zyd’n’—presiding; as: “’Zyd’n’ elduh”—presiding elder.

THE TAR BABY STORY
AS TOLD BY COL. C. C. JONES AND JOEL CHANDLER HARRIS

Buh Wolf, Buh Rabbit, and de Tar Baby
Jones’s Version

Buh Wolf and Buh Rabbit, dem bin lib nabur. De dry drout come. Ebry ting stew up. Water scace. Buh Wolf dig one spring fuh him fuh git water. Buh Rabbit, him too lazy an too scheemy fuh wuk fuh isself. Eh pen pon lib off tarruh people. Ebry day, wen Buh Wolf yent duh watch um, eh slip to Buh Wolf spring, an eh full him calabash long water an cah um to eh house fuh cook long and fuh drink. Buh Wolf see Buh Rabbit track, but eh couldnt ketch um duh tief de water.