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Die Creol taal (1996)

Die Creol taal

(1996)–Cefas van Rossem, Hein van der Voort–rechtenstatus Auteursrechtelijk beschermd

250 years of Negerhollands texts


Vorige Volgende

6 The 20th century

6.1 De Josselin de Jong's texts

In 1926 J.P.B. de Josselin de Jong published a collection of 103 texts he collected in the first months of 1923, together with a large word list and some English summaries. He had nine informants, of whom the youngest was 60 years old. The texts were dictated to him and reproduced phonetically. We have chosen three texts from this material. The first one is very informative about sugar harvesting, and although the main characters are the spider Anaanschi and Bru Tekoma, it is not a classical Anansi-story. The second is based on the Bremen Town Musicians, a traditional German fable. Finally, there is the tale of the Three Blind Mice, which can also be found in Nelson's material (section 6.2).

The orthography used in this section is the same as that in Ponelis (1988). See the Abbreviations section for details.



illustratie
17. Sugar


LXXV

1 Di kining1 a ha een suku -stik. Am a see a Tekoma, am
  DET king PST have a sugar -cane 3SG PST say NA Tekoma 3SG

  mangkéé shi suku fo kap wapi am lo kri een man fo maa
  lack 3POS sugar FOR cut where 3SG go get a man FOR make

  fi ondu də keetel sinu fo maa suku. Tekoma a anturt
  fire under the kettle 3PL FOR make sugar Tekoma PST answer

  a am, Anáánshi kan maa fi. So am nu weet huweel am sa
  NA 3SG Anansi can make fire so 3SG now know how.much 3SG will

5 charge am fo maa fi fo neem af2 də crop. So am a see,
  charge 3SG FOR make fire FOR take off the crop so 3SG PST say

  am ha fo lo a Anáánshi fo lo see am, fo am ho, wa am
  3SG have FOR go NA Anansi FOR DUR say 3SG FOR 3SG hear what 3SG

  see. So weni am a lo a Anáánshi, Anáánshi a see am,
  say so when 3SG PST go NA Anansi Anansi PST say 3SG

  jaa, am sa maa fi, bot dan, weni am kabáá neem af də
  yes 3SG will make fire but then when 3SG ready take off the

  crop, di kining ha fo gi am feiftik patakón mi twee ton
  crop DET king have FOR give 3SG fifty patakon and two barrel

10 suku fodima am ha een gunggu crop da fo tre3. So
  sugar because 3SG have a large crop there FOR harvest so

  Tekoma a ko a kining, am a see di kining. Di kining
  Tekoma PST come NA king 3SG PST say DET king DET king

  a see a Tekoma, jaa, am sa gi am di da, fodima
  PST say NA Tekoma yes 3SG will give 3SG DET there because

  a een swee crop bi nabo di lan. So Tekoma di Maanda -frufru
  NA a heavy crop BE on DET land so Tekoma DET Monday -morning

  a kri mushi fuluk fo ko kap suku. Weni am a lo
  PST get much people FOR come cut sugar when 3SG PST go

15 see di fuluk sinu, sin a see, jaa, sinu sa ko di
  say DET people 3PL 3PL PST say yes 3PL FUT come DET

  andu week. So di week am a wees da, am a skon op
  other week so DET week 3SG PST BE there 3SG PST clean up

  di kopu4 shi hus fo hou di a ordu weni sinu bigin fo
  DET copper 3POS house FOR keep DET NA order when 3PL begin FOR

  mula. Dan di Maan -da -frufru sinu a bigín fo kap. Sinu a
  grind then DET Monday -morning 3PL PST begin FOR cut 3PL PST

  kap suku. Sinu a bring di ko a mula, ko mula di. Dan
  cut sugar 3PL PST bring DET come NA mill come grind DET then

20 weni sinu a kabáá mula di week sinu a kook di suku.
  when 3PL PST PRF grind DET week 3PL PST cook DET sugar

  Weni sinu a tre di, sinu a gooi di bini di ton, sinu
  when 3PL PST harvest DET 3PL PST throw DET in DET barrel 3PL

  a du di bini di curin' -hus fo alma di malashi kuri it
  PST put DET inside DET curing -house FOR all DET molasses run out

  fan di. Di andu week sinu a kap werán, sinu a du diseldə
  of DET DET other week 3PL PST cut again 3PL PST do DET.same

  gut. Dan də fəléégen week sinu a stop betji fo lista
  thing then the next week 3PL PST stop little FOR let

25 sin mogáás drook. Dan sinu a bli tu op alma
  3PL ground.sugar.canes dry then 3PL PST stay cover up all

  di suku sinu wa sinu a gooi a ton fo ma rhum fo
  DET sugar 3PL what 3PL PST throw NA barrel FOR make rum FOR

  di fəléégen week. Weni sinu a kabáá, dan sinu a bigín fo
  DET next week when 3PL PST ready then 3PL PST begin FOR

  kap werán. Sinu a kap twee week han -kuri. Dan sinu a stop
  cut again 3PL PST cut two week continuously then 3PL PST stop

  fo sti di eestu suku nu wa sinu a kap fo, a maak it
  FOR send DET first sugar now what 3PL PST cut FOR PST make out

30 fo sinu kri ple fo du di andu wa mi naastu werán.
  FOR 3PL get place FOR do DET other what BE NA.behind again

  Sinu a kap fo, a maak it fo sinu kri ple fo du di
  3PL PST cut FOR PST make out FOR 3PL get place FOR do DET

  andu wa mi naastu werán. Weni sinu a kabáá frukó
  other what BE NA.behind again when 3PL PST ready breakfast

  alma, dan sinu a bigin fo kap werán tee sinu a kri
  all then 3PL PST begin FOR cut again until 3PL PST get

  di crop it fan sin han. Weni sinu a kabáá di crop skonskon,
  DET crop out of 3PL hand when 3PL PST ready DET crop clean.RED

35 dan di kining a rup Tekoma mi Anáánshi di twee fan sinu
  then DET king PST call Tekoma with Anansi DET two of 3pl

  mangkandu. Am a fraag Tekoma, wa am mangkéé nu fo di
  together 3SG PST ask Tekoma what 3SG lack now FOR DET

  crop. Tekoma a see am, am fo gi am nu fo di crop twee
  crop Tekoma PST say 3SG 3SG FOR give 3SG now FOR DET crop two

  ton suku mi twaləf patakón mi een kui. Dan as am ding
  barrel sugar with twelve patakon with a cow then when 3SG think

  a am sel, am kan gi am een gut obu di, as am nu
  NA 3SG self 3SG can give 3SG a thing over DET as 3SG now

40 overcharge am, di kining a see am, jaa, fodima wa am
  overcharge 3SG DET king PST say 3SG yes because what 3SG

  kaa see am fo gi am, di werək a mee a di da. So di
  PRF say 3SG FOR give 3SG DET work NEG? more NA DET there so DET

  kining a gi am eenhondərt patakón fo shi tit mi di
  king PST give 3SG one.hundred patakon FOR 3POS time with DET

  twee ton suku mi shi kui. Dan am a see am, shi stibu
  two barrel sugar with 3POS cow then 3SG PST say 3SG 3POS money

  am kan nee een part fan di fo lo koop shi jit tee weni am
  3SG can take a part of DET FOR go buy 3POS food until when 3SG

45 mangkéé am werán. So am a du dzhis leiki hoso di kining a
  lack 3SG again so 3SG PST do just like how DET king PST

  see am. Am mi Anáánshi sinu a kri sin bitáál, sinu a lo a
  say 3SG 3SG with Anansi 3PL PST get 3PL payment 3PL PST go NA

  hus mi wa sinu a kri fan di kining.
  house with what 3PL PST get of DET king

LXXV

The king had a sugarcane. He said to Tekoma he needed his sugar cut, where he would get a man to light a fire under the kettles to make sugar. Tekoma answered to him, Anansi can light a fire. So he now knows how much he will charge him to light a fire to take off the crop. So he said, he should go to Anansi to tell him, to hear, what he'd say. So when he went to Anansi, Anansi said to him, yes, he would light a fire, but then, when he had finished taking of the crop, that the king had to give him fifty patakon and two tons of sugar because he had a large crop to harvest. So Tekoma came to the king. The king said to Tekoma, yes, he will give him it there, because it was a heavy crop on the land. So Monday morning Tekoma got a lot of people to come and cut sugar. When he went to speak to the people, they said yes they will come the other week. So the week he was there, he cleaned up the chief's house to keep it in order, when they began to grind. Then the Monday morning they began to cut. They cut sugar. They brought it to be ground. Then when they had finished grinding that week they cooked the sugar. When they had harvested it, they threw it in the barrel, they put it inside the curing house for all the molasses to run out of it. The other week they cut again, they did the same thing. Then the next week they stopped a bit to let their ground sugar canes dry. Then they stayed to cover up all the sugar canes that they threw in the barrel to make rum for the next week. When they were ready, then they started to cut again. They cut two weeks continuously. Then they stopped to send the first sugar which they had cut, and put it out, for them to make place to do the other which was behind again. They cut, put it out, for them to make place to do the other what was behind again. When they had all finished breakfast, they began to cut again until they got the crop out of their hands. When they had finished the crop clean then the king called Tekoma and Anansi, the two of them together. He asked Tekoma what he needed

now for the crop. Tekoma said to him, he was to give him now for the crop two barrels of sugar with twelve patakon and a cow. Then when he thought by himself, he could give him something more, if he could overcharge him. The king said yes to him, because whatever he had said to pay him, the work had been more. So the king gave him one hundred patakon for his time with the two barrels of sugar and his cow. Then he said to him, that he could take a part of his money to go buy his food until he needed him again. So he did just like the king said to him. He and Anansi they got their payment, they went home with what they had gotten from the king.

VI

1 Een tid da ha een noli. Am ha kaa koo hou, am na
  a time there have a donkey 3SG have PRF come old 3SG NEG

  kan werək. Shi meestər a loo loo mata am. Am a maro.
  can work 3POS master PST FUT go kill 3SG 3SG PST flee

  Am a see an loo loo a Briment. Weni am a rak a paat,
  3SG PST say and FUT go NA Bremen when 3SG PST hit NA road

  am a fin een hon. Am a see: wamaa ju loo blaas soo?
  3SG PST find a dog 3SG PST say why 2SG DUR blow so

5 Də hont see: mi meesər loo loo mata mi. Di noli see:
  the dog say 1SG master FUT go kill 1SG DET donkey say

  koo loo mi mi a Briment. Den di twee fa sinə a wandə
  come go with 1SG NA Bremen then DET two of 3PL PST walk

  mangkandə. Sini a fin een pushi. Sini a fraa am, wa am
  together 3PL PST find a cat 3PL PST ask 3SG what 3SG

  loo du. Am see, am mi too hou. Am nə kan fang roto numéé.
  FUT do 3SG say 3SG 1SG too old 3SG NEG can catch rat no.more

  So di noli see: koo loo mi ons a Briment, ju sal maa
  so DET donkey say come go with 1PL NA Bremen 2SG will make

10 singman. So di dri fa zinə a loo. Sini a fin een hundu
  singer so DET three of 3PL PST go 3PL PST find a cock

  haan boonoo di farm hekn5. Sini ha fraa am, wa am a loo
  - on DET farm fence 3PL have ask 3SG what 3SG PST FUT

  du. Am lo skreew mi alga shi stem. An see, shi meestə ha
  do 3SG DUR scream with all 3POS voice and say 3POS master have

  een frokós. Am loo loo mata am. Noli a see: koo loo mi
  a breakfast 3SG FUT go kill 3SG donkey PST say come go with

  ons a Briment. Dan di fir fa zinə ha start. Dungku a fang
  1PL NA Bremen then DET four of 3PL have start night PST catch

15 sini a pát. Sini a kri ondə een boom. Də hunduhaan a
  3PL NA road 3PL PST get under a tree the cock PST

  flig bo di boom. Ham a rup yt a sini: di ha en le
  fly on DET tree 3SG PST call out NA 3PL DET have a light

  ni mi fer wéé fa ons. Di noli a see: taa ons loo api
  NEG BE far away of 1PL DET donkey PST say there 1PL go where

  di le bee. Weni sini rak, sini a peep dee een
  DET light BE when 3PL arrive 3PL PST look through a

  venstər. Sini a ki di difman sini loo jeet. Di noli ham a
  window 3PL PST look DET thief 3PL DUR eat DET donkey 3SG PST

20 wees di grostə6. Sini a maa am peep dee də venstər. Am
  BE DET largest 3PL PST make 3SG peep through the window 3SG

  a see, am kaa ki twenti mi fi man loo jit ront een
  PST say 3SG PRF look twenty with four man DUR eat around a

  taawul. Am a see di hon: dzhumb boo mi rigi. Di pushi a
  table 3SG PST say DET dog jump on 1SG back DET cat PST

  klim bo di hon rigi. Di hunduhaan a flig bo di pushi
  climb on DET dog back DET cock PST fly on DET cat

  koop. An sini a sing een sang. Di difman sini a kuri staa
  head and 3PL PST sing a song DET thief 3PL PST run leave

25 sin hus mi sin jit. Di noli a hoopoo di doo. Am a
  3PL house with 3PL food DET donkey PST open DET door 3SG PST

  loo abini. Am a maa di le. An sini a begin jit alda di
  go inside 3SG PST make DET light and 3PL PST start eat all DET

  jit. Weni sini a kabá, sini a it di le. Di noli a
  food when 3PL PST finish 3PL PST out DET light DET donkey PST

  loo midəl i plaats. Di hon a lei fo di doo.
  go middle DET place DET dog PST lay FOR DET door

  Də hunduhaan a flig a də roof. Də pushi a loo a də
  the cock PST fly NA the roof the cat PST go NA the

30 fiplee. De difman sini a sti een. Am a koo bini də
  fireplace DET thief 3PL PST send one 3SG PST come in the

  hus. Am a loo a də fiplee. Am a ki də pushi hoogoo.
  house 3SG PST go NA the fireplace 3SG PST look the cat eye

  Am a see: a stiki fi. Am a steek di kes a di. Də
  3SG PST say EMP piece fire 3SG PST light DET candle NA DET the

  pushi a flig a shi geség. Am a staat kuri. Am a fin də
  cat PST fly NA 3POS face 3SG PST start run 3SG PST find the

  hon a di doo. Di hon a bit am a shi bil. Am a fin
  dog NA DET door DET dog PST bite 3SG NA 3POS buttock 3SG PST find

35 di noli bini də plaas. Di noli a gi am een skop.
  DET donkey in the yard DET donkey PST give 3SG a kick

  Də hunduhaan a skreew. Am a drai a di andə sini en see:
  the cock PST scream 3SG PST turn NA DET other 3PL and say

  di ha een wizád a di fiple. Di ha een man mi
  DET have a wizard NA DET fireplace DET have a man with

  een mes a di doo. Di ha een man mi een banglá bini
  a knife NA DET door DET have a man with a club in

  di plaas. De polísman a skreew: bring di difman ko.
  DET place DET police.man PST scream bring DET thief come

VI

Once upon a time there was a donkey. He had grown old, he could not work. His master was going to kill him. He fled. He said he would go to Bremen. When he reached the road, he found a dog. He said: Why are you panting so? The dog said: My master will go and kill me. The donkey said: come and go with me to Bremen. Then the two of them walked together. They found a cat, and they asked her, what she would do. She said, I am too old. She could not catch rats any more. So the donkey said: Come with us to Bremen, you will make the singer. So the three of them went. They found a cock on the farm fence. They asked him, what he would do. He screamed with all his voice. He said, his master has a breakfast. He wanted to kill him. The donkey said: come with us to Bremen. Then the four of them started. The night caught them on the road. They got under a tree. The cock flew high into the tree. He called out to them: there is a light not far away from us any more. The donkey said: let us go where the light is. When they got there, they looked through a window. They saw thieves eating. The donkey was the largest. They made him look through the window. He said he just saw twenty-four men eating around a table. He said to the dog: jump on my back. The cat climbed on the dog's back. The cock flew onto the cat's head. And they sang a song. The thieves ran away from their house and food. The donkey opened the door. He went inside. He put on a light. And they started to eat all the food. When they finished they put out the light. The donkey went into the yard. The dog lay by the door. The cock flew onto the roof. The cat went to the fireplace. The thieves sent down one of them. He came into the house. He went to the fireplace. He looked into the cat's eye. He said: it is a piece of fire. He lit the candle to it. The cat flew him in the face. He started to run. He found the dog by the door. The dog bit him in the buttock. He found the donkey in the place. The donkey gave him a kick. The cock cried. He turned to the others and said: there is have a wizard at the fireplace. There is a man with a knife by the door. There is a man with a club in the yard. The police cried: bring the thieves here.

LXXXVIII

1 Dri blin mushi. Ki hoso sini kuri. Sini lo kuri fan də
  three blind mouse look how 3PL run 3PL ASP run of the

  farmer's wif. Widi shini en stet mi een kambusmes? Mi
  farmer.GEN wife who.DET cut a tail with a kitchen.knife 1SG

  noit kaa ki een -gut leiki dida abini mi lif.
  never PRF look one -thing like DET.there NA.inside 1SG life

  Jen ki wa sport!
  2PL look what game

LXXXVIII

Three blind mice. Look how they run. They run from the farmer's wife. Who cut a tail with a kitchen knife? I never have seen something like this in my life. Just look at what game!

6.2 Nelson's field notes

More than ten years after the visit of De Josselin de Jong to the US Virgin Islands, Frank Nelson did some fieldwork on Negerhollands on St. Thomas. In Reinecke (1975:320, nr. 31) the typoscript of the fieldnotes was mentioned under the name Words and texts in Negerhollands, gathered in St. Thomas, June 1936. It consists of a seven-page word list containing 413 items and one page with short texts. In this section we present these texts.

Following the correspondence between Hans den Besten and Frank Nelson in 1993-1994, more fieldnotes will be published in the near future. It is also from this correspondence that we know Nelson worked with informants from all of the US Virgin Islands.

1 Mi ā lō en dans gistu dūnku.
  1SG PST go one dance yesterday night

  Dɛ wɛs drum dans.
  DET BE drum dance

  Dɛ ā lō pān7 frai.
  DET PST go on nice

  Dī folok a wɛs w[e+]<ɛ>l drung.
  DET people PST BE very drunk

5 Der8 hā ēn [-fkeē] fɛ́ketɛ́.
  there have one - fight

  Der has9 seteris, an nē sene a di fort.
  there has policeman.PL and take 3PL NA DET fort

  As10 nē wɛt wāt sēn sa dū me sendū.11
  1PL NEG know what 3PL FUT do with 3PL

  Morok(?) ōns sā wêt.
  tomorrow- 1PL FUT know

Translation12

I went to a dance last night. It was a drum dance. It went on well. The people was well drunk. It had police, and take them in the Fort. I don't know what they will do with them. Tomorrow we will know.

1 Fandɛ́ nā gro Sunda
  today BE great sunday

  Wātō mī, laren, wātō m[e+]<ī>
  water 1SG *** water 1SG

  Wātō mī, na mī kōp shi
  water 1SG NA 1SG head side

  Wātō mī, laren, wātō mī
  water 1SG *** water 1SG

5 Han mī dī guava berri
  hand 1SG DET guava berry

  Wātō mī, laren, wātō mī.
  water 1SG *** water 1SG

Translation13

 
Today is Christmas
 
Water me, laren, water me,14
 
Water me to my head side,
 
Water me, laren, water me,
 
Hand me the g[au+]<ua>va-berry15,
 
Water me, laren, water me.

Three Blind Mice

1 Tri blain mishi16
  three blind mouse

  Ki hoso sen kūrri
  see how 3PL run

  Sen kurri awɛ́ wit də fāma chi wif,
  3PL run away with DET farmer 3POS wife

  Sen snī āf sens stet17 wit a gebrāta mes,
  3PL cut off 3POS tail with a roast knife

5 Mī noit no ka ki so en gōt a mī lef
  1SG never NEG PRF see such one thing NA 1SG life

  Leke drī blain mishi.
  like three blind mouse

Translation

Three blind mice. See how they run. They run away with the farmer's wife. They cut off their tail with a carving knife. I never have seen such a thing in my life, like three blind mice.

1 Dī kabai hala dī kārūshi
  DET horse pull DET cart

  Dī frau [-f]lolo a bɛnɛ market.
  DET woman ASP.go NA inside market

  Mī lolo kop en pān suko
  1SG ASP.go buy one pound sugar

  Apɛ́ yo lolo?
  where 2SG ASP.go

5 Hōsɛ́ yo nām?
  how 2SG name

  A mān mā en hus. Der ha drī kambu
  a man make one house there have three room

  en kambus me en pantrum, en regolbaek
  one kitchen and one pantry and cistern

  a biti fan də hus
  NA outside of DET house

  Mī nū kan dinko mɛ́ no.
  1SG NEG can think.of more now

Translation18

The horse pulls the cart. The woman is going to market. I'm going to buy a pound of sugar. Where are you going? What's your name? A man built a house; it had three rooms, a kitchen and a pantry, a cistern [a+]<o>utside the house. I cannot think of more now.

6.3 The last stage of Negerhollands

In 1977 Graves published The present state of Dutch creole of the Virgin Islands (Ann Arbor, Michigan). For this description of Negerhollands she worked with six informants, probably the last six native speakers of the language. One of these informants was Mrs. Alice Stevens, born in St. John in 1898. She died in 1987. Two other scholars who worked closely together with Mrs. Stevens are Gilbert A. Sprauve

and Robin Sabino. The following two text samples are translations of English texts by Mrs. Stevens under the supervision of Gilbert Sprauve and conversations between Mrs. Stevens and Robin Sabino.

Negerhollands, as used in this section, represents the creole language in its final phase. This does not mean that Mrs. Stevens did not speak the language well. See Sabino (1989) for more information about issues of competence, and the publications of Sprauve and Sabino in our bibiography for more information about recent Negerhollands and texts in this language.

Information about the orthography used by Sprauve and Sabino can be found in each section.



illustratie
18. Neu Herrnhut on St. Thomas


6.3.1 Active translations

The following texts are transcribed from a tape recording made during a visit of the late Mrs. Alice Stevens to the Dutch Creole class at the University of the Virgin Islands on the 18th of June, 1985.19

The following practices are adhered to in the following transcription:

I = low high front vowel as in English ‘bit’
U = low high back vowel as in English ‘butt’, ‘put’
E = front mid open vowel as in English ‘bed’

O = back mid open vowel as in French ‘robe’
ô = back mid nasalized vowel as in French ‘on’
N = velar nasal consonant of     English ‘sing’
sh = unvoiced palatal ‘shibilant’ of     English ‘ship’

Otherwise, the text is broadly phonemic in nature. The basic methodology employed in eliciting Dutch Creole speech from Mrs. Stevens was to translate orally and then paraphrase in English Creole or English for her some of the stories of de Josselin de Jong and permit enough time for her to render the material in Dutch Creole. Mrs. Stevens was never exposed to written Dutch Creole and was thus translating on the spot and from scratch when she worked with the class at the University.

Prompt (by student or Sprauve)   Alice Stevens response
(From story #12 in de Josselin
de Jong (1926))		    
1 Jack had to give a man some
money		  
    Jack ha to gi en nom
stibu
  Now, when the man come to
Jack		  
    wEnE dI nom a kô a JAck
fo suk fo di stibu
  Jack know the day when the man
was coming		  
    Jack a wet dI dak wEnE
dI nom a lo kô
  Jack put his mother on the
road		  
    Jack a du shi ma abo dI
pat
5 He had his coalpot in the
house		  
    ‘He had?’ aN a ha dI
‘coalpot’ abEnE dI huS
  with the pot on the fire
to cook		  
    dI pot abo dI fi fo kok
  By the time the man reach
to the door		  
    dI tit dI man rak a
dI do... ‘say’, a dI hus
‘OK?’ dI tit dI man a
rak a dI hus
  his mother bring the pot
come put it before the door		  
    dI ma brIN dI pot a du
abEnE dI hus

  with two, three stone ‘wit three’ ... dri sten
10 She make the pot cook there
on the three stone		  
    ‘she’ a ma dI pot kok abo
dI dri sten
  Where she put the pot ‘where’ am a ‘putt’ di pot
  the pot don't have any
fire under it		  
    dI pot no a ha entIN fi
ondu di
  But as she take it off
the fire		  
    ‘but as’ aN ka ne di fran
dI fi
  so the pot cooking so dI pot a we...a lo kok
15 The man tell Jack dI nom a ‘tell....’ se
Jack
  Jack, you have a pot cooking
without fire		  
    Jack, yu a ha en pot lo
kok ‘without’ fi, yu no
ha en fi ondu di
  (from story # 60 in de Josselin de Jong)  
  He eat his bellyful aN ka yet shi pa...bIkfu
  She call One-Eye rUp en ogo
  She say: ‘she say? or she think?’
20 Left to you bli ayu
  all de goat dem alma...
  woulda go wild ‘what?’
  gone wild ‘de goat?’
  [Here Sprauve offers a
reminder that one girl has been left to tend goats.]		  

    am manke hau di kabrita
sInu? am a fIn SInu lo
slap?
25 She say: ‘left to you de
goat woulda gone wild		 ‘Let She speak clear,
that I could under-
stand!’
am ase: lIsta a yu
dI kabrita sInU saN
a lo wEl
  she don't know anything
about it		 aN no wet IntIN gut
boU...vʌn SInu
  Come, let's go home kô lista ons dra a hus
  Then she went home wEn am a lo a hus
  Three-eye ask who gave... dri hogo a fra am...
‘What?’
30 Who gave her food a wi a gi sInu yet
wEnE am a lo a hus dri-
hogo a fra am wi gi
sInu yet
  She don't want to eat
the food		 an no manke yIt di yet
  One-eye say en-hogo a se
  She ain' see anybody en-hogo a se aN no a ki
IntIN fo...
  She say: Yeh, yeh, somebody am a se: ya, ya, sʌm
folUk a gI am yet
35 Tomorrow I go go mOrUk mi lo lo
  The day after, three-eye
went		 dI ‘day’ astu dri-hogo a
lo
  [Sprauve prompts:] the day
after, Miss Alice?		 ?? dI ‘day’ astu

  [Sprauve:] How do you say
three days?		  
    dri dak...dI dag astu
‘the day after’
  He chase the goat inside
the high grass		  
    am a yak dI kabrita
abini dI...gras
40 High grass grot ‘High is big!’20 dI
grot gras
  [After Miss Alice complains that
her eyes had bothered her recently,
and no one from the class came
to check on her, Sprauve asks her
to say that much in Creole.		  
    mi a fra yu no fo badu mi
yu no fU ho wa mi a sE
yu...‘Wha' I tell him?
  [Sprauve:] yU hogo a wes ro ya. hogo a we ro. dI pIn
mi, kuri watu
  [Sprauve:] Shall we go ahead? [to students ‘You must
talk hard, please!
(Cause me eye sick
make me ear sick.)
  He say am a se
45 Three-eye, Three-eye dri-hogo, dri-hogo
  You go sleep yu lo slap
  ... you wake ...yu wak
  So he say, bleat the small
goat, bleat		  
    blit, di klen kabrita
blit
  Small table come, full o'
Food		 dI klen tabke a kô fUl
mI yet
  He eat till he can't
eat no more		  
    am a yIt tI aN no kan
yIt IntIN mo

50 All the time Three eye
Two eye...		  
    alma dI tIt dri-hogo
two-eye...
  Go sleep  
    lo Slap
  The one in front of his head
didn't sleep		  
    dI en afo shi kop no
wel slap
  [Students inquire about
correspondence between ‘lo’
and -ing		  
    mi lo slap. ‘When I am
going go sleep, I say
‘mi lo lo slap’ ‘Mi lo
slap is ‘I sleeping,
and I going to sleep is
mi lo lo slap nu...’
  ...it seeing everything
what he doing		  
    aN lo ki eke gut
wa am lo do
55 When he finished wEnE am a kaba
  He say am a se
  ...let's go home lISta ons dra a hus
  You didn't help me take care
of the goat dem		  
    yu no a help ni kyar...
kik it fo dI kabrita
yu no a help mi kik it fo
dI kabrita sInu
  Get up, let us go hopo, lIsta ons lo
‘Where all you going?’
60 Them go in the house. They
went in the house		  
    sIn a lo abEnE di hus
  [Sprauve: They went in the
house, or they went...]		  

  They went home sIn a lo a hus
  They ask Three-eye: where
Two-eye get food		 sIn a fra dri hogo ape
twe hogo a kri yet
  He put two of his eyes to sleep am a du twe hogo fo slap,
o dri hogo???
65 [Sprauve:] He put two of his eye-
dem to sleep. He got three of dem		  
    twe a a-am hogo
  [Sprauve:] Say the whole thing
for me, please		  
    am a du twe fa ham hogo
fo slap
  The one in front of he head wasn't sleeping  
    dI en hogo... ‘Wa a must
say? Me don't know!’
  ‘afo’? in front? dI en hogo a fo am no
a slap
  In front she head afo shi kop
70 wasn't sleeping di en hogo afo shi kop
no a slap
  He was watching everything. am a lo ki eke gut
  what she was doing wa sIn a lo du
  Then he say am a se
  He can't have it better
than us		  
    an no kan ha di mo
frai dan ons
75 Because he terrible am mI lIlUk
  and like other people an mI lEk andu folUk
a en lelUk kIn, o ‘a man’
a en frau?
  ‘a en frau’ a en frau?

  So the mother say dI ma a se am
  Go kill the goat lo ‘kill’ dI kabrita
80 Go kill the goat ‘Go kill it? lo mata dI
kabrita
  He sit down Am a sEt a gr^N
  He start to cry am a skrau
  The woman come again dI frau a kô weran
  She ask him am a fra am
85 what he doing wa yo lo du
  [Sprauve:] What do him? wa a du am
  She Says to her: she mother
mother done kill de goat		  
    dI ma ka mata [‘not “lo”;
“lo” is going to’ ‘ka
mata’ is done do it
already’], ka mata dI
kabrita

6.3.2 Short stories

The following stories were told by Mrs. Alice Stevens to Dr. Robin Sabino. English words used by Mrs. Stevens are placed between brackets.

I. Hoso ju ma coconut oli.

1 lista di kokonət senu sen drok.
  let DET coconut 3PL 3PL dry

  ju a ne di əbiti21 di šel.
  2SG HAB take it out DET shell

  ju dra senu
  2SG carry 3PL

  dɛn ju goi watu abo di.
  then 2SG throw water on it

5 [an you squeeze them] əbiti.
  and 2SG squeeze them out

  dɛn ju ne di mɛlək fan di kokonət
  then 2SG take DET milk from DET coconut

  ju du di abo di fi.
  2SG put it over DET fire

  kok [until] ju ki di oli ko abobo, ju ki?
  cook until 2SG see DET oil come up 2SG see?

  dan ju ne en lipu en ju [skim di] oli.
  then 2SG take a spoon and 2SG skim DET oil

10 du abɛne en gut
  put in a thing

  ɛn ju kautu di.
  and 2SG cold it

  ɛn ju du di əbɛni di batl.
  and 2SG put it in DET bottle

Translation

How to make coconut oil.

Let the coconuts dry. You take it out of the shell. You take them, then you throw water on it and you squeeze them out. Then you take the milk from the coconut. You put it on the fire. Cook it until you see that the oil comes up22, you see? Then you take a spoon and skim the oil. Put it in something and you cool it. And you put it in the bottle.

II. Hoso ju dov fles.23

1 ju šini di.
  2SG cut DET

  ju du saut mi pepu - swat pepu abɛnɛ di.
  2SG put salt and pepper black pepper in it

  dan ju ne ju nɛf.
  then 2SG take 2SG knife

  ju šini ju [onion] abo di en ju [tomato an]
  2SG cut 2SG onion on it and 2SG tomato and

5 den ju lista di bli klen bichi.
  then 2SG let it stay little bit

  ju du ju put abo di fi.
  2SG put 2SG pot on DET fire

  wɛnɛ di pɛt a hət,
  when DET pot PRF hot

  ju [throw] di oli əbɛni di.
  2SG throw DET oil in it

  dan ju drai di,
  then 2SG turn it

10 ju drai di,
  2SG turn it

  ju drai di,
  2SG turn it

  en ju drai di,
  and 2SG turn it

  en ka drai, ka kuk.
  and PRF turn PRF cook

  [after] di ka kuk frai,
  after it PRF cook good

15 ju du di [onion] mi di {...}.
  2SG put DET onion with it -

  ju wit?
  2SG know

  goi klen bichi watu abɛni di,
  throw little bit water in it

  dan ju tu di.
  then 2SG close it

  ju lista di bli [there].
  2SG let it stay there

20 [then it simmer,
  and it simmer,
  and it simmer, you know
  and it simmer,
  and it come right out to how you want it.]

Translation

How to roast meat.

You cut it. You put salt and pepper, black pepper, on it. Then you take your knife. You cut your onion over it and your tomato and then you let it stand a little while. You put your pot on the fire. When the pot gets hot, you throw the oil in it. Then you turn it, you turn it, you turn it, you turn it, and when you are finished turning it, it's finished cooking. After it has completely finished cooking, you put the onion with it {...}. You know? Throw a small amount of water into it, then you close and cover it. You let it stay like that. Then it simmers, and it simmers, and it simmers, you know, and it simmers, and it comes out just how you want it to.

III. Werewolf.

1 mi grotma ši həsbə a se mi
  1SG grandmother 3POS husband PST say 1SG

  wenə, [I know I were] klenci.
  when 1SG know 1SG were little.DIM

  a [grow] guƞgu [slavery].
  3SG grow big slavery

  in duƞku, an a lo wandu.
  one night 3SG PST ASP walk

5 an a ki en hən.
  3SG PST see a dog

  də hən a maƞke fə stop am fə wandu.
  DET dog PST want FOR stop 3SG FOR walk

an a [lay] ši stək,
  3SG PST lay 3POS stick

  an də hən a sɛt [by] am.
  and DET dog PST sit by 3SG

  am a se am: twe, twe, twe, twe [das two].
  3SG PST say 3SG two two two two that -BE two

10 am a se [to] də hən twe.
  3SG PST say to DET dog two

  di hən se [one, one, one, one].
  DET dog say one one one one

  am a se twe, twe, twe, twe, twe, twe.
  3SG PST say two two two two two two

  di hən a se in, in, in, in.
  DET dog PST say one one one one

  an a [te] ši stək,
  3SG PST take 3POS stick.

15 am a sla24 am.
  3SG PST beat 3SG

  [that were] en [werewolf].
  that were a werewolf

Translation

Werewolf.

My grandmother's husband told me when, [I know I was] small. He grew up during slavery times. One night, he went walking. He saw a dog. The dog wanted to stop him from walking. He put aside his stick, and the dog sat by him. He said to him: ‘Two, two, two, two.’ [That's two]. He said to the dog, ‘Two.’ The dog said, ‘One, one, one, one.’ He said, ‘Two, two, two, two, two, two.’ The dog said, ‘One, one, one, one.’ He took his stick. He beat him. That was a werewolf.

IV. Alice lo a skol.

1 RS: How old you was when you begin to go to school?

  AS: {...} fɛəv.
    five
    five

    mi a lo a skol
    1SG PST go NA school

I went to school

    te mi a [make thirteen]
    until 1SG PST make thirteen

until I was thirteen.

5   mi a lo a [school]
    1SG PST go NA school

I went to school

    wɛnɛ mi [were five years],
    when 1SG BE five years

When I was five years,

    mi grotma a sti mi a skol.
    1SG grandmother PST send 1SG NA school.

my grandmother sent me to school.

  RS: ja
    yes

  AS: ja. a ha en kapəto.
    Yes EMP have a dress

Yes. There was a dress.

10 RS: ja
    yes

  AS: [you know what is] kapəto?
    2SG know what is dress

Do you know what ‘kapəto’ means?

  RS: [a dress]?
    a dress

  AS: mi a ha en kapəto.
    1SG PST have a dress

I had a dress.

    mi a maƞke fə dra di a hus.
    1SG PST want FOR carry it NA house

I wanted to wear the dress at home.

15   an a noit a lista mi a dra di.
    3SG PST never PST let 1SG PST carry it

She wouldn't let me wear it.

    mi a skreu.
    1SG PST scream

I screamed.

    mi a skreu.
    1SG PST scream

I screamed.

    mi a skreu.
    1SG PST scream

I screamed.

    mi se, ‘mi maƞke lo a skol.’
    1SG say 1SG want go NA school

I said, ‘I want to go to school.’

20   am a sti mi a skol.
    3SG PST send 1SG NA school

She sent me to school.

  RS: ju a dra di kapoto?
    2SG PST carry DET dress

Did you wear the dress?

  AS: ja!
    yes

Yes!

  RS: ja.
    yes

  AS: an a du di kapəto abo mi.
    3SG PST put DET dress on me

She put the dress on me.

25 RS: ja
    yes

  AS: [an] mi a lo.
    and 1SG PST go

and I went.

    lo a skol.
    go NA school.

went to school.

  RS: [who] a dra ju - awidi a dra ju?
    who PST carry 2SG who PST carry 2SG

Who took you (to school) - who took you (to school)?

  AS: en fa mi kizin senu.
    one of 1SG cousin 3PL

one of my cousins.


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