The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1886-09-03
DIALECT OF THE RICE FIELDS.
Darky Talk and Darky Melody in the
Swamps of South Carolina.

D4EAy Aaih ana Darky MekOdy IN the
swamps of South Carolina.
One of the most peculiar dialects in
the world is that of the rice field negroes
of the lower counties of South Carolina
and Georgia. 1t is mixture of two or
three languages, the words being pro-
nounced with characteristic intonation.
The majority of these words is a cor
ruption of the English. Many come from
various African dialects, while others
sound very much as if they came from
the German. All persons conversant in
any degree with the language of the
Fatherland know that there are certain
words in our language which are pre-
cisely like the German, with the excep-
tion of a letter or two; take, for in
stance, many words like this, that,
father, etc.; these are precisely like the
German, except that every tn in these
words is d in the old tongue. Now,
the low-county negroes have these words
exactly as they originally were.
But it is not these negroes alone who
use these words. Were you to accuse
the most accomplished gentleman in
Charleston of saying dis-a-way and dat
away he would Indignantly deny it, but
few minutes conversation would show
that he uses these expressions on all occa-
sions. 1t is simply impossible to repro
duce the negro lingo in print. Joel
Chandler Harris, Uncle Remus," has
made himself famous by attempting it,
and it must be said of him that he sue
ceeds better than any other writer of
the present day, but to reproduce it per-
fectly is simply impossible. How, for
example, can the negros pronunciation
of the word young be written? 1t can
only be explained, and fear then that
it can not be made Ineligible; it is thus:
ne-young. The ne or sound is pro-
nounced very rapidly, being run into y
sound as closely as possible.
It would repay any one to make 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 over
seers, they never see white face from
one years end to the other. I can con-
ceive 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 peculiar cry, which
is only used at evening when they are
returning from their work, and will
venture the assertion that with all the
parts combined no sweeter music can be
made anywhere. 1t sounds something
like this: Hoo-hoo-la, hoo-la, hoo-la-hoo.
This is repeated over and over in differ
ent tones of voice, and when heard in
the distance or through the swamps, the
effect is simply grand. I have never seen
a white man who could initiate this cry;
it seems to be peculiar to the negro race
alone, and | have no doubt but what this
wild melody is sung by the rice field
aarkies just as it 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 it is
is more than | am able to say.
Everybody is familiar with Uncle Re-
mus" famous stories Of "Brer Rabbit"
"Brer Wolf, etc. 1t may not be gener-
ally known that these tales are mere
collection of negro fables, and not the
work of Harris own brain. He has only
made study of the negro lore, and has
written up in his inimitable style. Any
of 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 ne
groes, and this fact makes them all the
more interesting. Sumter IS. c. Cor.
Chicago Herald. 9