Examples of The Gullah Language - Definitions of Common Words and Expressions

Adapted from - Ambrose E.  Gonzales, The Black Border: Gullah Stories of the Carolina Coast   (1922)

ANUDDUH

another

ANSUH

answer

AP'UN

apron

ARUH

each, either

ASHISH

ashes

ATTACKTID

attacked

ATTUH

after

ATTHR'UM

after him, her, it, them

ATTUHW'ILE

after a while

AX'ME

asking me

AX'UM

ask or asked him, her, it, them

BAA'BUH

barber

BAA'K

bark

BAA'NYAA'D

barnyard

BACTIZE

baptize

BAD MOUT'

bad mouth,a spell, a curse

BAID

beard

BAIG

beg

BAIG'UM

 begged, begging him, her

BAIT'UM

bait, baits, baiting him, her

BAKIEN

bacon

BANDUN

abandon

BAPTIS'

Baptist

BARRUH

barrow, a bacon hog

BAWN

born

BAYRE

bare

BEABUH

beaver

B'DOUT

without, unless, except

BEEFU'T

Beaufort

BEEHIBE

beehive

B'FO'

before

B'FO' DAY

before day

B'HABE

behave

B'HIN'

behind

B'KAUSE

because

BEHOL'

behold

BELLUH

bellow

BELLUS

bellows

BEMEAN

to be mean to any one

BEN'

bend

BERRY (sometimes "werry")

very

BERITYWELL

very well

BERRYWELLDEN

very well then

BET'

best

BETTUH

better

BEX VEX

vexes,  angry, anger

BIDNFSS

business

B'GIN

begin

BIGGUH

bigger

BIGHOUSE

the Master's house

BILE

boil

BILLIGE

village

BUMBYE

bye and bye

BIN

been

BINNUH

been, was, was a

BITTLE

food

BLACKBU'D

blackbird

B'LONG

belong

B'LEEW

believe

'BLEEGE

oblige

BLINE

blind

BOA'D

board, boarding

BODDUN

bother, worry

BODDUHR'UM

bothering him, her, it, them

BOFF

both

BOL'

bold

BORRUH

borrow

'BOUT

about

BOWRE

bore,boring

BREDDUH (also brudduh)

brother, brethren

BREKWUS'

breakfast

BRESH

brush

BRESS

bless

BRE'T'

breath

BRITCHIS

trousers

BAUK'UP

break, broke, broken

BRUKAA'M

broken arm

BRUKFOOT

broken foot or leg

BRUK'UP

break up, broke up

BRURO

bureau

BUBBUH (familiar)

brother

BUCKRUH

A White person or persons; the white people

BUCKRUHBITTLE

white man's food

BUCKSLEY

Berkeley county

BU,D

bird

BU'DCAGE

birdcage

BUH

brother

BUHHIME

behind

BU'N

burn

BUS'

burst

BUZZUT

buzzard, vulture

'CAJUN

occasion

'CAWCH

scorch

CAWN

corn

CAWNFIEL'

corn field

CAWNUH (n and v)

corner

CAWPSE

corpse,  coffin

CAWSS'

cost

'CEEBIN'

deceiving

'CEP'M

except, accept

CEP'N

accepting; unless

CHAA'STUN

Charleston

CHANY

china

CHAW

chew

CHEER

chair

CHIL'

child

CHILLUN

children

CHIMBLY

chimney

CHRYCE

Christ

CHU'CH

church

CHU'CHYAA'D

churchyard

CHUESDAY

Tuesday

CHUNE

tune, tuning up

CHUNK

throw

CHUPID

stupid

CLAWT'

cloth

'CLA'TO GAWD

declare to God

COA'SE

coarse

COL '

cold

COLLUH

color

COME'YUH

come here

COONOO

canoe

CUNSAA'N

concern

CONTUHDIX

contradict

CO'T

court

CULLUD

colored, colored people, the dark race

CRACK ' E TEET

cracking his, her or their teeth, meaning opened her or his mouth to speak; 

CRACKUHDAY

cbreak of day

CRAP

crop

'CRAPE

scrape, scrapes, scraped, scraping

'CRATCH

scratch

CREDIK

credit

CREETUH

creature

CRIK

creek

CROOKETY

crooked, tricky, unreliable

CUMP'NY

company

CUMPOSHASHUN

conversation

CUNWEENYUNT

convenient

CUNWENSHUN

convention

CUSS

curse, curses, cursed

CUT'DOWN, or TEK'DOWN

dejected, chagrined

CUZ,N

cousin

CYA'

carry

CYAA'

car

CYAAF

calf

CYAAM

calm

CYAA'PENTUH

carpenter

CYAARIDGE

carriage

CYAA'T

cart

CYAN'

can't

CYAS'

cast

CYAS'NET

castnet used for taking shrimp and mullet from tidal creeks

CYA'UM

carry

CYO'

cure

DAT

that

DAA'K

dark

DAA'KY

darken

DAA'TUH

daughter

DA' DEY

that there

DAINJUS

dangerous

DAMIDGE

damage

DAYBRUK

daybreak

DAYCLEAN

broad daylight

DEBBLE'UB'UH

devil of a

DEEF

deaf

DEESTUNT

decent

DEM

them

DEM'OWN

theirs, their own

DEMSELF

them, they, themselves

DEN

then, than

'DENTICUL

identical

DESE

these

DESEYUH

these here

DISSO

just so

DE'T'

death

DEY

they,there

DEY DEY

there, there; right there

DIBE

dive

DIFFUNCE

differ, difference

DIMMYCRACK

Democrat

DIS'

this; just

DISGUS'

disgust

DISHYUH

this, this here

DISTRUS'

distrust, distrusts, distrusted, distrusting

DISTRUSS

distress

Do'

door,though, although

DON'

don't, doesn't

DONE DO' UM

did it, finished

DONE'UM

did it

DO'STEP

doorstep

DO'UM

do it, does it, did it, doing it

DRAP

drop

DREEN

drain

DRIBE

drives

DROBE

drove

DROWNDID

drown

DUB

dove

DUH

do, does; in, to,

DUNKYUH

don't care

DUNNO

don't know

DU'T

dirt

DU'TTY

dirty

'E

he, she, it

EART

earth, world,soil, ground

EBBUH

ever

EBBUHLASTIN'

everlasting

EBE

Eve, also eaves

EBENIN'

evening,  "good evening,"

EB'N

even

EB'NSO

even so

EB'RY

every

EB'RYT'ING

everything

EB'BYWEH

everywhere

ECKNOWLEDGE

knowledge, ability, understanding

EDDYCASHUN

education

EEDUH

either

EEDUHSO

either, else

EEGNUNT

ignorant

EEN

in

EENBITE (also eenwite)

invite, invites

EENFAWM

inform, informs

EENHABIT

inhabit, inhabits

EENJINE

engine

EENJY

enjoy, enjoys, experience

EENSIDE

inside

EENSULT

insult

EENTRUSS

interest

EF

if

EH, EH!

an exclamation

ENNY

any

ENT

ain't, isn't

EN' T'ING

and things, and everything

ENTY

ain't it, isn't it

ENT WUT'

itotally worthless, of no account

'ESE'F

himself, herself, itself

'E STAN'

it is so, it looks so

EXCEED

succeed

EXCUSIN'

excusing, excepting

EXWANCE

advance

EXWANTIDGE

advantage

EDWICE

advice

EDWISE

advise

FABUH

favor

'F'AID

afraid

FAIT'

faith

FAIT'FUL

faithful

FAMBLY

family

FANNUH

a wide, shallow basket used for winnowing beaten rice, or separating the corn husks from grist after grinding.

FARRUH

father

FAU'T

fault

FAWK

fork

FAWWU'D

forward

FEDDUH

feather

FEED'UM

feed

'FEN'

fend, defend

FIBE

five

FLABUH

flavor

FLATFAWM

platform

FLO'

floor

FO'

four

'FO'

before

FO'CE

force

FORRUD

forehead

FREEHAN'

generous, liberal

FREEMALE

female

FR'EN'

friend

FRYBAKIN

fried bacon

FUDDUH

far, further

FUHGIT

forget

FUH HAB

for have

FUHR'EBBUH

forever, all the time

FUH'UM

for him, her, it

FSUTT'N

for certain, sure

FUH TRUE

in truth,it is so

FULL'UP

filled up

FLUN'RUL

funeral

FUS'

first

GABRULL

Angel Gabriel

'GAGE

engage

GAL

girl, used familiarly in addressing women

GAWD

God

GEDDUH

gather

G'EM

 giving him, her, it, them

'GEN

again

'GENSE

against

GIB' / GI

give,

GIMME

give me

GIN'NLLY

generallv, in general

GIN'UL

general

GIT

get

GITTA

get a

GITT'RU

get through, finish, finished

GITTUH

get a

GIT'WAY

get, got away

GI'WE

give us, gives us, gave us

'GLEC'

neglect

GLUB

 gloves

GONE'WAY

go away, gone away, went away

GOODFASHI'N

thoroughly

GRABBLE

gravelg

GRABE

grave

GRAFF

grab, grasp, seize

GRAMMA

grandmother

GRAN'

grandchild, or anyone in such relationships of "grand"

GRAN'MAAMY

grandmother

GRANNY

grandmother, but used for any old Negro woman, whether related or not

GRAN'PUH

grandfather

GREE

agree

GRUMMA

grandma

GRUNNUTS

groundnut, peanuts

GWINE

going

GWININ'

goings and goings on

GYAA'D

guard

GYAA'D'N

garden

GYAP

gap

HAA'BlS'

harvest

HAA'D

hard

HAA'KEE

hark you or ye, hear

HAANT

haunt,  apparition; ghost

H'AA'T

heart

H'AA'T'

hearth

HAB

have, has, had, having

HAFFUH

have to, had to

HAIR RIZ'

hair rose with fright

HARRICANE

hurricane

HATCHITCH

hatchet

HAWN

horn

HAWSS

horse

HEAD'UM

get,  getting ahead of him/ her, it, them

HEBBY

heavy

HE'LT'

health

HENDUH

hinder

HENG

hang

HENGKITCHUH

handkerchief

HICE

hoist

HIM'OWN

his, her's, his own, her own, its own

HIN'

hind, behind

HISTORICUSS

historic

HITCH

hitch,  marry

HOL'

hold

HOLLUH

hollow

HONGRY

hungry

HUCCOME

how come, how came

HUND'UD

hundred

HUNNUH

you

HU'T

hurt

INFLUMMASHUN

information

INGINE

engines

l'UN

iron, ironing

JALLUS

jealous

'JECK

reject,  object

JEDGE

judge,

JEDUS

Jesus

JESTUSS

justice

JINE

join

JINNYWERRY

January

JIS'

just

JISSO

just so

JOOK

jab

JOOKASS

jackass

JU'K

jerk

JUNTLEMUN

gentleman

'KACE

scarce

'KACELY

scarcely, hardly

KETCH

catch

KETCH'UM

catch, catching him, her, it

KIBBUH

cover

KIBBUH'UM

cover, covering him, her, it

KIN

can, kin, kindred, kind,

KYARRYSENE

kerosene

LAA'D

lard

LAA'N

learn

LAVUH

labor

LAWFULLY LADY

legally married wife

LEABE

leaf, leaves

LEABE

leave, leaves, left, permission

LEAN FUH

set out for with haste and speed

'LEB'N

eleven

LEDDOWN

lay, lying down

LEEK

lick

LEELY

little

LEETLE

little

LEF'

leave, left

LEF' HAN'

left hand or left-handed

LEF'UM

leave, leaves, left or leaving

LEGGO

let go

LEH

let, lets

LEH WE

let us

LE'M

let them

LEM'LONE

let alone

LEMME

let me

LEN' (V)

lend

LENGK

length

LIA

Lie liar, liars

LIB

live

LIBE

alive

LIBBUH

liver

'LIBBUH

deliver

LICK

a blow; to whip

LICK BACK

turn, turning back, while moving rapidly

LIGHT ON

light onmount, mounts, mounted, mounting

LIGHT'OOD

lightwood

LIGHT OUT

to start, start off, or away

'LIJUN

religion, listened, listening

LOCUS PASTUH

local pastor, or preacher

'LONG

along, along with

LONGIS'

longest

LONGMOUT'

surly or contemptuous

'LONGSIDE

alongside

'LONG'UM

along with

'LOW'UM

allow

LUB

love

LUK

like, alike

LUKKUH

like, resembling

LUK'UM

like or resembling him, her, it, them

MAA'CH

March

MAA'K

mark

MAAMY

mother

MAA'SH

marsh

MANNUS

manners

MANNUSSTUBBLE

Well-mannered

MARRI'D

married

MASS

master when used with a name

MASTUH

Master - used only for God

MED'SIN

medicine

MEDJUH

measure

MEDJUHR'UM

measure it

MEK

make

MEK'ACE

make haste

MEK ANSUH

make reply

MEK FUH

to go to, went to, going to

MEK YO MANNUS

mind your manners

'MEMBUH

remember, remind

'MEMB'UNCE

remembrance

MEN' 'E PACE

hurry, hurry up

MET'DlS'

Methodist

METSIDGE

message

MIDDLEDAY

midday , noon

MIDDLENIGHT

midnight

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