Language in Exile: Three Hundred Years of Jamaican Creole

Glossary

Glossary a 1. prep. (probably -p:Jt:J (DJE) rassa sb. < SE arse. By metathesis and addition of vowel according to JC sound laws. Note Krio ros "I. buttocks. 2. term of abuse" (Fyle and Jones 1980), and also jC ross, obscene term for anus, backside. ratoon sb. < Spanish retono a fresh shoot or sprout (DJE). The second growth of sugarcane, which sprouts after the first cutting of the canes. Regan gown sb. regency gown. sabby vb. to know. DJE lists sabi-so < savvy. Glossary 231 sangaree sb. < Spanish sangria, a spicy beverage of wine and orange juice or other flavorings, a favorite drink among West Indian planters. See OED. sarmint sb. < SE sermon. EDD notes sarmon (Lancashire) and zarmon (Berkshire). say See se. se connective particle with sense of that after verbs of hearing, learning, listening , understanding, etc. See main entry in DJE. < Twi sl, "after a previous verb ... introducing the words spoken." Note Text 9: "Me yerry se de dance a Berry Hill." Vars. SEH, SAY. shay-shay sb. a vigorous, lively dance. DJE suggests < French chossl. shay-shay vb. to dance in a provocative fashion: "Shay-shay decent, gal!" (old woman overheard scolding girl at dance, 1948-Jean D'Costa). shell-blow sb. the time marked by the blowing of a conch shell to summon slaves to work, to the midday meal, etc. var. CAUCHIE « conch-shell)- "Cauchie blow yet?"-recorded in Trelawny 1945-51 Oean D'Costa). shivel adj. < SE civil. somebody sb. var. SUMMARY (Barclay 1826: 191). < SE somebody, in mod JC smadi. 1. someone, somebody. 2. anyone. 3. a person. Note sense (2) in "me no kill somebody" and sense (3) in "You wicked somebody," (Williams 1826: 196). sinicky adj. < SE sneaky. so-so adj. 1. of a thing: alone, by itself; 2. mere, ordinary (DJE, which cites Portuguese so, "alone, sole," and Yoruba sho-sho, "only"). Has sense of "nothing but." stamp-aD-go sb. < SE, from an order given in the British navy to sailors for the performance of certain duties (DJE and OED). A fritter made from dried codfish. Also called "stamps." suoting sb. < SE something. 1. a thing. 2. something. Note mod JC sinting. swalla-henkychi sb. phrase. vars. incl. SWARRA, SWALLOW. An elaborate headdress or head tie; a head kerchief tied with high-flying points, swallowtail fashion. See Text 9. sweet vb. In DJE "1. To please greatly. 2. Also const up: to try to please, be sweet to." Note sexual overtones in Text 4. sweet-mout adj. Glib, persuasive. tafferel sb. OED 2: "The upper part of the flat portion of a ship's stern." tajo vb. etymology unknown. Sense obscure, probably sexual. See Moreton 1793: 157: "Tajo, tajo, tajo ... 0 laud, O! / Tajo, tajo, tajo! / You work him, mackey massa! / You sweet me, mackey massa! / A little more, my mackey massa!" Possibly Portuguese source or Eng. dialect "Ta, Joe," meaning "Thanks, Joe." tan vb. < SE stand. tate sb. < SE estate. tatta sb. father; grandfather; also respectful term of address to elderly man. See DJE: TAATA, term for "father" occurs in a number of W. African languages , e.g., Ewe tatti. 232 Glossary tay prep. tenky sb. until, till. Note var. TE. < SE thanks, thank you. 1. thank you. 2. a gift (DiE). uno pron. Vars. ONOO, UNOO, UNNU (DiE). you (plur.) < Ibo unu, "you" (plur.). unno exclamation of negative emphasis. Var. INO. Murray 1877: 16: "Unno! Tom ded, mek him go." wagabone sb. < SE vagabond. EDD notes vagabone in Scots, Irish, and northern usage. wann sb. < SE war. unusual form occurring in W. African discourses in Crow 1830: 141-42; possibly African pidgin rather than IC. warra interrogative pronoun. vars. WURRAH, WHARRA. why, for what; what. See DiE. Text 9: "Da warra mo we wanty?" Weenus prop. name. < SE Venus. wibble wabble adj. unsteady, wobbly. OED notes as colloq. form, earliest citation 1847. wily prop. name. < SE Violet. wind vb. DiE: "To twist and turn the hips, esp provocatively, in dancing or walking." wittal See VITTEL, BITTLE. Note EDD wittal in Midland and Suffolk usage. < SE victuals. woio exclamation. expression signifying distress. See Williams 1826: 189: "make de buckra man cry woio." Note DiE WAAY-WAAY, a cry of distress. wo wo adj. obscure, but poss. feeble, useless. See phrase "wo wo palaver" in Crow 1830: 142. Note Christaller 1881: 560-61: wo "13. mmorsii a woawo no kakm, weak, diluted brandy or spirit; nsii yi, woawo no, this wine is mixed with water. 14. yede tiWQ ano, we (have) had a dispute with each other." yam-yamme See NYAM. yerry vb. vars. YE-HEARY, YEARY, HEAREE. to hear, often imperative, "hear! listen !" Note Williams 1826: 190: "Ye heary, my Brar." This form could be a reinterpretation by Williams. yeye < SE eye. Note EDD yees in Devonshire 1790. For the [i:] sound, note EDD [i:] as a dialectal variant and [ni:] for nigh in Lancashire and northwest Devonshire. ...