Here are some words and phrases to ease you into Ghanaian Pidgin. New words emerge and catch on rather quickly than the frequency of words added to the dictionary. Ghanaian Pidgin like other West African Pidgin is very adaptive. Likewise, Nigerians do same with Ghanaian music and movies. Nigerians find it difficult sometimes comprehending Ghanaian Pidgin but there are similar words that cut across.Īlso, some Ghanaians have watched enough Nollywood movies and the influx of Nigerian Afrobeat music also makes it easier for Ghanaians to understand Nigerian Pidgin. Ghanaian Pidgin is a mixture of English and the local dialects like Akan and Ga. It is an essential language for transacting businesses in the markets and it makes commuting around the country relatively easier as that is the language for bargaining in the markets and with drivers. Nonetheless, anyone who speaks pidgin easily identifies with other speakers and it breaks down protocols. I wouldn’t suggest trying to speak this way to locals, as you’ll probably sound more like you don’t know what you’re talking about, but add a few of these words to your regular way of speaking, and you’ll get an idea of how fun it really is to live in Hawaii.Also, women in Ghana rarely speak Pidgin and in conversations where there are both genders, those present resort to speaking Standard English. A small but hopefully helpful example of Hawaii pidgin. I stay going (oxymorons are always fun with pidgin) over there bumbai (tomorrow) so I’ll tell him.” “Shoots brah, he can fix em up garens ballbarens (guaranteed solid as ball barrings), and he’s way akamai” (akamai-re: very knowledgable, proper). I never fix um yet.” Hawaiian, “My other brother’s cousin’s uncle is the da kine you know.” JF, “da kine what?” “Mechanic”, says the Hawaiian. “I was out Kanaio (rugged mountain area of Upcountry Maui), and now the front end is all kapakai. (kapakai – re: in disarray, broken, disorganized). Example: Hawaiian guy, “Hey brah, you still get da kine truck?” (the word da kine is often followed by a “da kine what?” Since it is used for everything, it really describes nothing.) Japanese Filipino guy, “Oh, you mean the Toyota? Yeah, I still get um, but the thing all buss up” (busted up, broken). Now the next level of pidgin can get complicated because of the addition of Hawaiian words. If no can, no can”, which means, if I get to it, great, if not, no big deal. There is also pidgin philosophy, an example of which is “if can, can. You may have heard them before, like “da kine” and “howsit” (greeting- “how you doing”). Now of course there are the tried and true pidgin words known by locals and visitors alike. They both start laughing and the Japanese Filipino guy says “true that.” His cousins came and wen (re: they went and) throw him in the back of the truck. Also, adding “guys” to the end of any name means friends and family included) “Aw naah”, says the local Japanese Filipino guy, (by the way, everybody in Hawaii describes each other by their ethnic background) “I’m over south side now” “I stay cruzin the beach with Jimmy Boy guys” (if “Boy” is at the end of a name, it usually means that person is at least 2nd oldest in the family) “Aw Naaah” the Hawaiian guy loudly exclaims, “Jimmy Boy over there? Ho bra, that guys nutz! Last time I seen him he was all jagalag(drunk) and was pass out cold in the bushes. You still over with your mother guys?”(re: living with your mom. So this big local Hawaiian guy sees an old friend in a parking lot and says “Ho bruddah, howzit!” (they smash a handshake between their chests with a hug and a slap on the back) “I never see you plenty long time. I’ll substitute regular English so it’s more readable, but keep in mind it’s pronounced differently than spelled. Choke What does choke mean In Hawaiian pidgin, choke means to have a lot of something. How do you pronounce choke Exactly like how it is pronounced in English. This pidgin word means to be frugal or have a tight wallet, aka cheap. (remember those?)Īnyway, I’ll attempt to give some examples of everyday pidgin in case you visit and have a chance to overhear some locals on the beach or in the stores. This pidgin word means to be frugal or have a tight wallet, aka cheap. I know this because when my pidgin-speaking friends post on Facebook in pidgin, it reads like a badly broken typewriter. Using examples from local Pidgin literature, Sakoda and Siegel illustrate. The translation of it is somewhat difficult though. Pidgin Grammar: An Introduction to the Creole Language of Hawaii (English and. When a local Hawaiian is speaking pidgin it usually is with a loud, high-pitched laugh. The different ethnic groups speak it differently also, so it’s a constantly evolving thing. Another 7 to pick up all the slang and another couple for all the jokes.
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