Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1886-08-25
DIALECT OF THE RICE FIELDS.
Darky Talk and Darky Melody in the
Swamns of South Carolina.

One OF the most peculiar dialects in
the world Is that of the nee field ne
groes of the lower counties of South
Carolina and Georgia. 1t is a'mixture
of two or three languages, the words
being pronounced with characteristic
intenation. The majority of these
words is corruption of the English.
Many come from various African dia-
lects. while others sound very much AS
if they came from the German. All
persons converSant in any degree with
the language of the Fatheriand know
that there are certain words in our
language which are precisely like the
German, with the exception of letter
or two; take, for instance, many words
like this, that, father, etc., these Me
precisely like the German, except that
every In in these words is in the old
tongue. Now, the low-county negroes
have these words exactly as they origi
nally were.
But il IS not these negroes alone who
use these words. Were you to accuse
the most accomplished gentleman III
Charleston OF saying dis-a-way and
dat-a-way he would Indignantly deny
it, but a few minutes conversation
would show that he uses these express
sions on all occasions. 1t is simply
impossible to reproduce the negro lingo
In print. Joel Chandler Harris, "Un-
Gle Remus,n has made himself famous
by attempting it, and it must be said
of him that he succeeds better than any
other writer of the present day, but to
reproduce it perfectly is simply impos-
sible. How, for example, can the ne
groes pronunciation of the word young
be written? 1t can only be explained,
and i fear then that 1t cannot be made
lntelligible; It is thus: ne-young. The
ne or IL sound is pronounced very rap
idly, being run into y sound as closely
as possible.
1t would repay any one to make a
visit to these rice fields, If only TO study
the character and habits of the negroes.
They live IN their huts in the midst of
these vast tracts of half-inundated
lands, and, with the exception OF their
oyer-seers, they never see white face
from one years end to the other. |
can conceive of no difference between
these and the native African in the
JUNGLE, except that the southern negro Is
more cringing and cowardly, as a result
of recent slavery. Another thing about
these negroes that will bear study and
observation Is their songs and melodies.
The negroes have a peculiar cry, which
is only used at evening when they are
returning from their work, and L will
venture the assertion that with all the
parts combined no sweeter music can
be made anywhere. 1t sounds some
thing Ike this: "IIoo-hoo-la, hoo-la,
hoo-la-hOO. This IS repeated over and
over in different tones of voice, and
when heard in the distance through
the swamps, the effect is simply grand.
l have never seen a white man who
could initiate this cry; it seems to be
peculiar to the negro race alone, and 1
have no doubt but what this wild
melody is sung by the rice field darkies
just as 1t was hundreds of years ago by
their ancestors in the jungles of the
dark continent. The word hOo-la must
have some meaning, but what 1t is is
more than | am able to say.
Everybody is familiar with "Uncle |
Remus'" famous stories of "Brer Rab- !
bit, Z" ''Brer WOLF" etc. 1t may not be |
generally known that these tales are
mere collection of negro fables, and not |
the work of Harris own brain. lie |
has only made study Of the negro lore,
and has written it up in his inimItable |
style. Any old Mauma, who never
heard of Harris, can recite the fables \
by the hour, and never tire of repeating
them. There is no doubt but what |
these fables were brought directly from
Africa by the negroes, and this fact
makes them all the more interesting.