English creole language test
Okay boys and girls, today we are going to have a test! Not the pass or fail kind, and you don’t need your #2 pencils. This is a language test to see how well you can read.
Nicaraguan Creole English is a real language that, as you can see from the graphic below, has its own grammar and spelling. It is a form of Caribbean English, and if you can pronounce the creole words out loud, you will find yourself speaking with a pretty good accent!
So here is the test: try your best to translate one or more of the seven boxes. Write your answers in the comments and I will respond with a grade!
To get you started… the title says, “Water with filter…Good water for drink…every day”
And the girl says, “Follow the step them good for the use of the filter.”
This is a timed test…after a couple of weeks I am going to get bored and move on to the next thing..
Wow, reading that out loud is a riot! I will try the first two. 1: Wash your hand ? good. 2:Wash the bucket and then cover them good with ? water (? ? water) and soap.
Oh man, it is even harder to type! How did I do?
Getting there!
1. Wash your hands them good
2. Wash the bucket and the cover them good with Clorox water (or boiled water) and soap.
I give you a B+ !
Wat dis maan sey!!!?????
1) Wash your big hand with your smaller hand.
2) Keep your eyes closed while I wipe the semen off this frisbee.
3) Pottery is a nice hobby. Watch out! This bowl could fly off the potter’s wheel!
4) Super glue is not recommended.
5) That’s one way to piss off a cat!
6) Buy a margarita machine.
7) Relax and have a drink. You’ve had a long day.
Hmmm…I will try to retranslate your comments as best I can.
1. Kleen ya big han wit ya smal han wat yu hav.
2. Kloz ya ayes dem wen I kleen de spence ofa de frizby
3. Potree iz wun good ting fa do. Mind! Dat bowl wat yu hav can jump off de potree weel!
4. Soopa glew no good.
5. Do dis if ya did want vex deh cat!
6. Go buy wan mashin fah mek marga-reetas
7. Relax mon and cool ya chroat. Ya dun hav a long die.
Spence? Really? I wonder what the etymology of that is.
Was ‘Spencer for Hire’ a popular show down there?
In Pearl Lagoon they used to have a dance hall called “Bucket of Spence”.
That placed closed down and later reopened as “Stiff Cock”.
Serious.
The Show is called : Livin hear!!! (Survivor for all you other folks )
Once in a past incarnation I lived there. Now I am in India. I have an affinity to this creole because I spoke it once in the past. Give more examples.
hey this is awesome! I went to Little Corn Island a few years ago and had to ask the guys there to speak to me in Spanish, even though at that time my espanol wasn’t that great, I certainly couldn’t understand the creole at all! I really envy you on the right side especially the richness of the culture and the mixing of the languages and peoples. Over here on the left side it is more of a monoculture, linguistically at least.
Interesting though, I was in the Mercado Mayoreo yesterday and a young man asked me if I speak English, I said I did and he introduced himself to me as being from Bluefields. He spoke perfect English with nary an accent. Anyway, nice site, congratulations! I’ll add you to my blog post on http://www.elportonverde.com/2011/12/05/the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly-nicaragua-travel-and-retirement-websites/
Yes mahn! Dei cos peepl dem sei dem is dei mos frendlies peepl wat ien Nicaragua an it dei trut, ent? But it takes a trained ear to understand what they are telling you! The fella you met probably had worked on cruise ships or lived in Miami at some point and was putting on an American accent to be better understood. You should come out to this side and visit; it truly is a whole ‘nother Nicaragua!
Thanks for the link!
Casey
1. Wash your hands them good
2. Wash the bucket and the cover them good with Clorox water (or boiled water) and soap
3. Wash the filter with a brush and rinse it off with clean water
4. Set the filter on top of the bucket
5. Set a cloth on top of the bucket and throw (pour) water until it’s full ( As you done take off the cloth….”When you are done, take off the cloth”
6. Put on the cover (Keep it full and covered up)
7. You must wash your hands and the glass what you’re going to drink the water out of
Reccomendation:
You must wash the bucket and the filter one time a month or if the water no passing through the filter (isn’t going through)
For the first time you must pass the water through three times through the filter before you drink it for it take one ugly taste.
The filter you could change every year and a half; the bucket you could keep on using.
I LOVE the Kriol language! It is so fun to me and interesting. At first it was harder for me than Spanish but now I am learning. I think my favorite is what they say for “cry”…. “eye waters drop” or I guess you would spell it ” ai waata draap” or something like that
Similar to the kriol in Belize but…very different. Good stuff.
Similar but different indeed. Creole stretches down into Panama believe it or not!
You must wash the bucket and the filter one time a month or if the wáter is not passing through the filter
The first time you must pass the water 3 times through the filter before you drink it so that it takes out the ugly taste.
The filter you could clean it every year and an half, the bucket you could keep using it.
great Casey! where did you find this water filter image? did you make it with Cindy? did you find a next grammar as the one I gave you (from Arja from Uraccan?) I miss it so much. I have hear but are not so much practising writing it, just oral!!!
is your brochure printed?
Cheers,
Hi Maite,
I found this in Kahkabila a while back. This is an official poster from the ministry of health written in the creole that they teach in Pearl Lagoon. You did a perfect job at translating…I give you 100% passing grade!
1.Wash your hands good
2.Wash the bucket and the cover good with clorox (or boiled water) and soap
3.wash the filter with a brush and rinse it off with clean water
4.Set the filter on top of the bucket
5.Set a cloth on top of the bucket and throw water until it full (as soon as your finish take of the cloth)
6.Put on the cover (Keep it full and covered up)
7.You must wash your hands and the glass you’ll use to drink the water
Whoa. I am impressed! Someone has spent some time on the coast!