Antigua and the Antiguans, Volume 2 (of 2): A full account of the colony and its inhabitants from the time of the Caribs to the present dayLanaghan, Mrs.
History
Antigua and the Antiguans, Volume 2 (of 2): A full account of the colony and its inhabitants from the time of the Caribs to the present day
Lanaghan, Mrs.
Antigua -- Description and travel; Antigua -- History
They have also particular ways to designate persons of all ages
among themselves; their old women they call “grandy,” those of a
middle age “aunté,” while the younger women are nominated “see,”
or “sissy.” In the same manner, the old men go by the title of
“daddy,” the middle-aged “uncle,” and the young men “buddy.” In
conversation they seldom pronounce the “s,” “th,” or “y;” thus,
if they want to say “story,” it is “’tory,” or “the,” it is “de,”
“young,” it is “noung.”
They are particularly polite whenever they meet, addressing each
other as “Sir,” and “Ma’am.” Many a dialogue have I heard pass
between the gossips on their way from the Moravian Chapel,
sufficient to excite the risible faculties of a stoic. “How d’ye,
ma’am?” said a dirty-looking man just now, to a woman of a
similar grade; “how you do?—I’se hope you well to-day.” “Well, I
tankee, sir—how you do?” “Oh, so so, ma’am, it one long time
since me see you; war you no come up our side?” “Oh, my dear sir,
me no forget you togedder, but me pic’nee been quite sick.”[37]
“Me sorry to hear dat, but me hopes he soon get well; me just
been to see de new gubbernor land.” “Yes, me here he cum, but me
not able to go; war kind of a gentleman is he?” “Oh, one
noble-looking buckra, an he lady on gran lady; it do you heart
good to see he; me dont tink we eber hab gubbenor like he afore.”
“War he named?” “Gubbernor Sir Charles _Gustus Fitzoy_.” “Eh, eh,
one big name true.” “Well, good morning, sir.” “Good morning,
ma’am,” and so they separated.
To a stranger, the negro tongue is as difficult to _write_ as it
is to _speak_. In the different conversations given in that
dialect, indulgence must be craved from my kind readers, both
English and Creole, if they are not correctly written, observing
at the same time that I write them as it seems proper to me, and
in such a manner as they may be understood by those who read, not
always the case when garnished by so many accentual marks.
Perhaps sufficient examples of their mode of talking has been
given, and that by adding more, the reader may be tired, and
myself involved in a maze; I will therefore conclude this subject
by remarking, that it requires more than a moderate stock of
patience to deal with them, for they talk so long, so loud, and
so fast, that if not blest with that virtue to an eminent degree,
you will be sure to lose your temper without avail.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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