The Gullah Language
Gullah is a unique linguistic contribution of the African-American people to our American heritage. The only English-derived creolized language used in the United States, Gullah was influenced by various creoles spoken by natives of the West Indies, and by English dialects used by plantation overseers in the American colonies. Gullah sounds like English, but has a flavor of the West African coast in its intonation and stress. The Gullah vocabulary is mostly English, with just a few African words. Gullah is recognized by linguists as a distinct language rather than a dialect.
| Gullah Word |
English Definition/Usage (African Origin) |
| Bene |
sesame/benne or benny (Wolof) |
| bidibidi |
small bird or chicken/biddy (Kongo) |
| buckra |
white man (Ibibio) |
| guba |
peanut/goober (Angola) |
| gumbo |
okra (Zaire) |
| jiga |
insect/chigger (Wolof) |
| jogal |
to rise, to cause to rise as in joggling board or seesaw (Wolof) |
| jug (juk) |
infamous or disorderly as in juke box (Wolof) |
| na, nana |
grandparent or elderly woman (Twi) |
Information From "Gullah for You!" by Virginia Mixson Geraty
