Anguillian Language 101
The Anguillian Language, that is to say, our syntax, grammar, pronunciation as well as vocabulary are quite different to that of Standard English – although the Official Language is English.
Below we have rules words and phrases that are common locally. Here are four quick rules when trying to understand Anguillian Language (Dialect).
- Rule 1: Subject Verb Agreement?! There is no need for that! A statement or question might sound odd to the ears at first but once you realise that grammar weighs little in dialect, you’ll get used to it.
- Rule 2: Fewer words and/or letters the better! In dialect, there’s no need to be long-winded so you might notice that a few words or letters are missing from sentences. For example, “You goin’ down dere?” or “I goin’ yes”.
- Rule 3: “Does” does have great importance in Anguillian dialect. It is used to denote actions that are habitual. For example, “He does get on my nerves”. This means that the person in question often times provokes the speaker.
- Rule 4: Knowing the little words is fundamental.
- The = De/Di
- That = Da/Dat
- There = Dere/Dey
- You/Your = Yuh
- It = Ti
- Us = We
- I; A/an; Of = Uh (pronounced like “uh” but it is not always used in the written form”)
- His = He
- Her = She
Words
A
Addle
noun
To get mixed up or confused.
“Chile don’t addle mi brains”
Aggravate
verb
To be annoying.
“You so aggravating, man!”
Alers/Aloes
noun
Aloe vera plant.
“Put aloes on yuh hair.”
Amiffted
verb
To get upset. (In standard English, “miffed”)
“Mi dear, she get highly amiffted.”
Anudder
determiner, pronoun
Something in addition to. (In standard English, “another”)
“She gone fuh anudder one.”
Apolicate
verb
To excuse or give an apology.
“Please have me apolicated.”
Apsy-clapse
noun
Difficulty or confusion.
“More apsy-clapse fuh us.”
Aya/Awya/Ayer/Awyer
exclamation
An idiomatic exclamation with a variety of inflections to suit a variety of contexts.
“Aya look wuk” | “Awya look a me wuk” | “Ayer Lawd” | “Awyer look trouble” | “Aya hear wuk”
B
Baadfeelin
adjective
A sudden feeling of being unwell.
“Uh guh uh baadfeelin.”
Badminded
adjective
Malicious; envious
“Dem too badminded.”
Badtalk
verb
To speak about someone in a negative way; to gossip.
“He does badtalk she.”
Bajang
noun
A mischievous, rude person.
“Look at dah bajang!”
Ball-head
adjective
To be bald.
“He gah a shiny ball-head.”
Bandoo
noun
Bow legs.
“Dem mudda gah two bandoo legs.”
Bank-up
adjective
An overcast sky with dark clouds indicating rain.
“The East bank-up”
Barhar
noun
A long curved pipe used as a wind instrument.
“Play dat barhar!”
Barrage
adjective
Plenty.
“She come wid uh barrage uh tings.”
Bath-pan
noun
A large metal tub used for washing and bathing.
“Go put dem clothes in de bath-pan.”
Bath-pan (drum)
noun
A bass instrument made using an inverted bath-pan with a string attached to a stick.
“Dah bath-pan sound sweet nuh.”
Battle
verb
To throw stones at an object/thing.
“Don’t battle the fowls!”
Bawl
verb
To cry loudly.
“She bawl long tears.”
Bawl out
verb
To shout in anger; to scream.
“Why yuh bawl out at de chile?”
Bean Peas
noun
Locally grown beans.
“I gine cook some rice and bean peas for lunch.”
Bed sac
noun
A sac filled with old clothes and used as a bed on the floor.
“Dah bed sac need to wash!”
Belongce
verb
To belong to.
“Dem chirren belongce to de woman from down de road.”
Bidness
verb
Something to attend to; tasks.
“Da yuh bidness.”
Big-up
verb
To praise someone.
“Big-up to mi boy from long time.”
Bind
verb
To become constipated from eating too much carbohydrates.
“No more bread fuh you cause yuh gonna get bind.”
Bittle
verb
To hit forcefully.
“He bittle him bad.”
Blue Soap
noun
A blue cuboid-shaped bar of soap that is used to wash clothes.
“Rub some blue soap on de clothes.”
Bonja
noun
A banjo.
“He does play de Bonja in de scratch band.”
Booloonjee
noun
An eggplant.
“Put some booloonjee on yuh plate.”
Boot-up
verb
To collide.
“He boot-up in me!”
Borry
verb
To borrow.
“I wanna borry dah dere.”
Boung
noun
A boundary; an object that demarcates a division of land based on ownership.
“He put down he boung today.”
Bottom
noun
Ground for cultivation/Arable land.
“I goin’ Gaulin Bottom to plant some bean peas”
Brainser
adjective
An intelligent person.
“She de brainser in de family.”
Broad paaish
adjective
Behaviour that is not classy.
“She too broad paaish buddy.”
Bubba
noun
A nickname for an older brother.
“Love you too, bubba.”
Buddy
exclamation
A response made when frustated; a sarcastic word used in place of a person’s name.
“Wa wrong wid you buddy?!”
C
Chirrun/Chirren
noun
Children.
“You have to go pick up the chirrun from school at 3.”
Clean
adverb
Completely.
“I clean forget.”
Cockeenya
noun
An Anguillian sweet/candy made from pulled and twisted sugar left to harden.
Conkie
noun
A traditional, sweet dumpling made of ground corn and flour mixed with spices.
Cut n’ contrive
verb
To make ends meet/to make do with what one has.
D
Disgustin
adjective
Used loosely to denote annoyance or irritation or to describe a troublesome person.
“These mosquitoes too disgustin!”
Dung Long/Dung Along
adjective
Faraway. (Traditionally East Enders reference to The Valley)
“She from dung long.”
Source: Dictionary of Anguillian Language (1st Edition) by Ijanya Christian
More words to be added shortly…
#GrannySay Facebook Initiative
#GrannySay, a series of posts about Anguillian lingo as well as common sayings and phrases, encourages the retention of the Anguillian language and the education of locals and those who desire to visit, or have visited, the island in order to be in tuned with its culture/heritage.