Bismillaah بسم الله… In the name of God
Assalaamu ‘alaikum السّلام عليكم… Peace be with you
Hiya Readers :),
How’s it going? I’ve been putting off the writing of this blogpost for years now, simply because, some days I don’t have the zeal to write about my country. Today, you’re in luck though, because I’d like to share some slang words, from the vernacular of English which I adore speaking daily, and that is, Trinidadian English (TE). Enjoy!!!
Trinidad is the sister isle of the picturesque Tobago. It is part of an amazing archipelago, which is situated in the Southern Caribbean, adjacent to Venezuela—the northernmost country of South America. Trinidad—the fifth largest island of the West Indies—is a cultural stew of Africans, East Indians, Chinese, Middle Easterners (Syrians and Lebanese), Europeans, Amerindians (Caribs and Arawaks), Venezuelans, Multiracials, et cetera. The island is approximately 80 km long and 65 km wide. Unlike its other half Tobago, which is known for tourism, Trinidad is a hub for business in the Caribbean. Both of these scenically beautiful Caribbean islands are uniquely charming in their own little way! The official language of the inhabitants of T&T is English, but the islanders take pleasure in speaking their local dialect, Trinibagianese—a very colourful (colorful) creole language. Port-of-Spain, is the capital and largest city of Trinidad and Tobago on the west coast of the island of Trinidad. It is also one of the most vibrant commercial centres (centers) in the Caribbean!
The source of the following information, is the Wikipedia article: “Trinidadian English”…
“Trinidadian English (TE) or Trinidad and Tobago Standard English is a dialect of English used in Trinidad and Tobago. TE co-exists with both non-standard varieties of English as well as other dialects, namely Trinidadian Creole in Trinidad and Tobagonian Creole in Tobago.
Trinidadian English was originally based on a standard of British English. Located in the Americas, TE now uses many Americanisms, including “apartment” and “trunk” (of a car). It is understandable by speakers of international Standard English, although it uses a number of terms that are unique to it (perhaps coming from Trinidadian Creole), such as "to lime”, meaning “to hang out”. Speech in Trinidad (and, to some degree, in Tobago) may vary by location and circ*mstance and is often remarked for its so-called “sing-song” (i.e. a rising and falling inflection) intonation.“
Trinidadian Creole has a primarily English-derived vocabulary, but it is influenced by French, Spanish, West African languages, Chinese, and Bhojpuri.
Adapted from:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trinidadian_Creole
Maracas Bay, Trinidad (Wikimedia Commons)
Fact:
"Creole languages of the Caribbean are the product of contact between, in the first instance, speakers of West African languages and European languages. The bulk of the vocabulary of Caribbean Creole languages comes from the European language involved in contact at the time of formation of the particular Creole language. Thus, there are French Creole, English Creole, Spanish/Portuguese Creole and Dutch Creole languages. The European label simply refers to the source from which these languages took most of their vocabulary.”
Source:
http://www.mona.uwi.edu/dllp/linguistics/creole.htm
The following are 15 of my best-loved Trinidadian slang words:
- Ax- This is a Trinidadian’s way of saying “ask”. E.g. Ax de boy wey he going= Ask the boy where he is going.
- Bacchanal- This is a popular word in Trinidad. It means: “confusion”, “arguments”; “scandal”; “loud quarreling/quarrelling”, etc. E.g. Ah hear it ha’ plenty bacchanal in town= I heard there’s a lot of confusion happening in the area.
- Back Chat- This is what we call an insolent answer especially from a kid to a grownup. It’s also an argumentative and cheeky (offensively bold) response. If you’re a Trini, probably your parents, or teachers used to tell you this when you gave them trouble as a child, “Doh gimme no back chat dey eh!”.
- Boof (Buff)- A Trinidadian slang verb meaning, “to scold”. E.g. Ah boof dat young man dey!= I scolded that young man.
- Broughtupsy- A Trinidadian slang word that means: “upbringing”; “conduct”; “character”; “manners”, etc. E.g. We famlee doh know nothing 'bout he broughtupsy= Our family doesn’t know anything about his upbringing.
- Buss it- This is more of a Trinidadian slang expression. It means, “to leave”. E.g. Ah bussing it from here, yes!= I’m definitely leaving this place.
- Commesse- A Trinidadian slang noun associated with the word, “bacchanal”. It relates to the confusion, controversy and bacchanal associated with arguments and gossip. E.g. Dah is commesse, oui!- That is a controversy, yes!
- De, Dat (Dah), Dem, Dis- The 4 D’s of Trinidadian English… learn them well :). De, Dat (Dah), Dem, Dis= The, that, them, this
- Dotish- A Trinidadian slang adjective meaning, “silly” or “stupid”. E.g. Doh act dotish nah!= Don’t act sillily (silly)!
- Dougla- This is a common term which is used by some West Indians, to describe a person of mixed race, especially a person of African and East Indian ancestry. An example of a person of dougla descent, is Nicki Minaj.
- Eh- This is a Trini word or expression of African origin that can be used in multiple ways: 1: In place of “isn’t”- Dat eh right. 2: In place of “didn’t”- She eh come. 3: At the end of a plea or threat in place of “okay”- Bring some for meh, eh, or Watch out, eh. 4: On its own as a query to mean, “what was that?” or “what did you say?”
- Fass- This is a Trinidadian’s way of saying the adjective “nosy”. E.g. Ah met yuh cousin yesterday, she eh play she fass fuh days!= I met your cousin yesterday. She is very nosy!
- Lime- If you have Trini friends probably they’ve asked you to go on a lime with them before. As a Trinidadian slang noun, this word means, “get-together”. E.g. Leh we plan ah lime, nah!= Let’s plan a get-together. “Lime” as a Trini slang verb, means, “to hang out”.
- Maco (Macco, Macomere)- A very nice Trini word to describe someone who meddles in other people’s business (affairs), simply put, a “busybody”. “Maco”, is also a Trini slang verb, meaning “to spy on”. As you can see, it’s a very versatile word!
- Mamaguy- This word comes from the Spanish phrase, “mamar el gallo”. As a Caribbean slang verb, “mamaguy” means, “to falsely compliment someone with the hope of indirectly persuading them in your favour”, or “to deceive or tease, either in jest or by deceitful flattery”. In some cases, you could use it in place of “butter up”. “Mamaguy” in the noun sense means, “an instance of deception or flattery”. E.g. Yuh trying to mamaguy meh?= Are you trying to flatter, or trick me?
Voilà, so you guys got my 15 faves! Please feel free to use some or all of these when you are speaking with your Trinidadian family, or friends, InshaaAllahإن شاء الله (God willing). Trust me, they’ll be impressed that you are speaking like a true Trini! :) Do you plan on visiting our shores soon? If so, try them out on your visit to sweet TnT, InshaaAllah إن شاء الله! :)
Sources and Further Reading:
- Trini Dictionary- http://www6.miami.edu/studorgs/ttca/trinitalk.htm
- Trinidad and Tobago Dictionary for Visitors- http://www.amazing-trinidad-vacations.com/trinidad-and-tobago-dictionary.html
- Glossary of Trinidadian English (Wiktionary)- http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Appendix:Glossary_of_Trinidadian_English
- Trinidadian English | Wikipedia- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trinidadian_English
- Trinidadian Creole | Wikipedia- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trinidadian_Creole
- Caribbean Child: TnT Dictionary- http://berdina.tripod.com/tankalanka.htm
- The Skettionary: An Online Caribbean Dictionary- http://www.skettel.com/
- Definition of “Mamaguy” | Collins English Dictionary- http://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/mamaguy
- Slang You Should Learn before Visiting Trinidad and Tobago (Matador Network)- http://matadornetwork.com/life/slang-you-should-learn-before-visiting-trinidad-and-tobago-audio/
- Introduction to Trinidad | Frommer’s- http://www.frommers.com/destinations/trinidad/722279#sthash.PchBkYMW.dpbs
- Trinidad & Tobago Travel Guide | U.S. News Travel- http://travel.usnews.com/Trinidad-Tobago/
- Creole Languages of the Caribbean- http://www.mona.uwi.edu/dllp/linguistics/creole.htm
- Caribbean English- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caribbean_English
- In Defence of Creole: Loving our Dialect | Outlish Magazine- http://www.outlish.com/in-defence-of-creole-loving-our-dialect/
Okay guys, ah really hope dat you guys enjoyed dis post, InshaaAllah إن شاء الله. I was very glad to share a part of my culture with you all. Stay safe, Wassalaam 'alaikum و السّلام عليكم… and peace be with you :) :-h
Happy to be a Trinidadian girl…
Sam سام
