Part 20

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.