What is your attitude towards Pidgin?

[acousticlady]

Re: What is your attitude towards Pidgin?

I actually picked it up from my son - who picked it up in school Horrors! And yes, he can still speak standard English. Although I don't speak it, I understand it well. I think there is a time and a place for it. It tends to join people together - to have something that sets you apart from all the tourists. On the island I grew up on we also had our own language, though we didn't call it anything in particular. But there were definitely words and phrases used only by the locals. I've seen it used as a test of sorts. Some locals I know will speak Pidgin on purpose to see what kind of reaction they get.

Disturbing story........ this past summer we were really busy working on this project and could only get to Kihei for a week this year. Since our apartment was rented out we decided to stay in this condo complex across the street from our place. I ended up talking to the woman next door who was on vacation. I had mentioned I was working on this project with the education department. Her response was........ and I kid you not........."oh, why bother. I hear all those kids speak nothing but gibberish and that most of them are just slightly above special needs." I don't know what bothers me more - the fact that she heard that or the fact that she believed it!

[kani-lehua]

Re: What is your attitude towards Pidgin?

we weren't allowed to speak pidgin at all while at home it's only reserved for conversations amongst friends. well, that's what we were told by my mother who double majored in english and early education.

[timkona]

Re: What is your attitude towards Pidgin?

Been here 16 years now. Still speaking pidgin with malahine "training wheels". I seldom use it.

Daughter unit is not allowed to bring it home.
My retort is "I don't see feathers, so stop speaking pidgeon."

I cringe when I hear it spoken at her school by the teachers.

[GypsyLika]

Re: What is your attitude towards Pidgin?

I am proud to say dat Pidgin is my first language. I've learned that I speak old style plantation pidgin. Who knew? When I moved to da mainland I could not speak straight English fo'save my life. But now because of TOTAL IMMERSION, I can. Can turn'um on off, weave'um in and out any kind no sked, no shame. Lee Tonouchi is my hero!

I was FORCED to talk straight English cause everyone else around me did. They were not going to adjust to pidgin so I adjusted to talking like one Okie. I use to think I was da ONLY LOCAL in Oklahoma. I juss kinda immitated dem at first and learned that if I talk like dem den dey undastand. Den I came home and talked pidgin wit one Okie accent and my friends were all like, EH you NO stay Oklahoma. So I shift gears la dat.

My kids are all raised mainland and I raised dem talking Pidgin, so dey undastand basic Pidgin. Dey use to tell me I needed fo'increase my vocabulary to moe den "da kine." I was like why! you know exactly what I talking about so no ack.

The statement "talking Pidgin is low class" pisses me off because I am proud of my Pidgin English. If you tink I'm low class so be it; but to me its a beautiful thing. Pidgin English was created by our kupunas of all different backgrounds and they came together and learned to communicate with one another hence da pidgin. Ai. So to me fo'somebody to say Pidgin is low class as like disrespecting all the tutus. They taught themselves and one another to communicate. Isn't that what life is about, communication? To me communication among different ethnic peoples is a good thing. Even betta wen you undastand one another. You know we all learn da pilau words first andend da food; regardless of wot languages. Right?

Pidgin has its place, its purpose and its audience. Yes you have to learn standard English to get a job blah blah blah, BUT you don't have to be embarrassed and shamed out by dominate society for who you are and how you tawk. So wot if I know sound like you. Adjust. Our ancestors did.

Hooootah don't get me stahted.....
Come to da ohanalanai.com and us go type pidgin sommoe.
You can come go stay.... E kala mai fo'my portagee typing.

[Leo Lakio]

Re: What is your attitude towards Pidgin?

Aloha, Lika - nice to see you here again, and adding your valuable thoughts to this thread...



...li'dat.

[Johanna]

Re: What is your attitude towards Pidgin?

I

I had mentioned I was working on this project with the education department. Her response was........ and I kid you not........."oh, why bother. I hear all those kids speak nothing but gibberish and that most of them are just slightly above special needs." I don't know what bothers me more - the fact that she heard that or the fact that she believed it!

What kind of project? Something like the KEEP or AKAMAI projects?

[Johanna]

Re: What is your attitude towards Pidgin?

I
The statement "talking Pidgin is low class" pisses me off because I am proud of my Pidgin English. If you tink I'm low class so be it; but to me its a beautiful thing. Pidgin English was created by our kupunas of all different backgrounds and they came together and learned to communicate with one another hence da pidgin. Ai. So to me fo'somebody to say Pidgin is low class as like disrespecting all the tutus. They taught themselves and one another to communicate. Isn't that what life is about, communication? To me communication among different ethnic peoples is a good thing. Even betta wen you undastand one another. You know we all learn da pilau words first andend da food; regardless of wot languages. Right?

Pidgin has its place, its purpose and its audience. Yes you have to learn standard English to get a job blah blah blah, BUT you don't have to be embarrassed and shamed out by dominate society for who you are and how you tawk. So wot if I know sound like you. Adjust. Our ancestors did.

Hooootah don't get me stahted.....
Come to da ohanalanai.com and us go type pidgin sommoe.
You can come go stay.... E kala mai fo'my portagee typing.

hey, i got something for you! The linguistic credo of linguist Jack Chambers:
"No language or dialect is inherently better than any other as a medium for explanation, exposition, narration, phatic communion, or any other kind of communication. One of the tacit strategies of the elite is to install their own dialect as the "correct" one."
And the research I have been doing clearly shows a positive change-- more and more linguists argue in favor of pidgin. In Papua New Guinea, Tok Pisin (the local pidgin there) has even become a standard language and is taught in school. So no stop talking li'dat!

[Johanna]

Re: What is your attitude towards Pidgin?

Daughter unit is not allowed to bring it home.
My retort is "I don't see feathers, so stop speaking pidgeon."

I cringe when I hear it spoken at her school by the teachers.

Why? Are you worried it/they will have a bad influence on her? Or just because you don't like the way it sounds? I cringed when I first got to the US and heard people speak American English (cause what I learned in school was British), but then I got used to it and speak it myself.

[GypsyLika]

Re: What is your attitude towards Pidgin?

hey, i got something for you! The linguistic credo of linguist Jack Chambers:
"No language or dialect is inherently better than any other as a medium for explanation, exposition, narration, phatic communion, or any other kind of communication. One of the tacit strategies of the elite is to install their own dialect as the "correct" one."
And the research I have been doing clearly shows a positive change-- more and more linguists argue in favor of pidgin. In Papua New Guinea, Tok Pisin (the local pidgin there) has even become a standard language and is taught in school. So no stop talking li'dat!

Azwot I said, no shame us out us neva bodda you why you gotta humbug us.

Pidgin is cutshort. I said wot you said but moe fast less words hah? I can hear my kids now: MOM its short cut!
Yeah yeah yeah, wea my slippa..... \\000//

People from Oklahoma think I sound like I'm from NAWLINS. Funny cause me & my creole friend from NAWLINS undastand each ada moe den most around us.

[GypsyLika]

Re: What is your attitude towards Pidgin?

Why? Are you worried it/they will have a bad influence on her? Or just because you don't like the way it sounds? I cringed when I first got to the US and heard people speak American English (cause what I learned in school was British), but then I got used to it and speak it myself.

"American English" depends on wot part of America you stay yeah. I don't care where in United States you are; each area has its own distinct dialect and/or verbage stuff la dat. In some places you can tell what county people are from just by the way they speak.

I've lived among alot of people whose first language isn't English. What one Native Professor told me was dat she found that if a Native speaker was proficient in their own language like grammar wise then they would speak/learn English proficiently also. O'somting la dat.

So my tawt was: OH so as why I had hud time learning straight English cause my grammah (Grammer not Grandma ) was all hammajang in da first place.

From my experience around people whose 1st language isn't English, I think language is about listening. Except in my case THEY always think I'm one of THEM and I get scolding for not being able to speak to them. LOL

[Likeke]

Re: What is your attitude towards Pidgin?

Whoooie Auntey GypsyLika!!, you my idol, li'dat!! Hoe, do unreal's yah!

[Kalalau]

Re: What is your attitude towards Pidgin?

Friends gave me a New Testament in pidgin, Da Jesus Book, published by Wycliffe Bible Translators. They employed 26 local speakers of Hawaiian pidgin and translated directly from the Greek with assistance from Wycliffe translators, and from English editions. The company is dedicated to spreading the word of God to all in every tongue. A sample reading, Romans 6:1: So den, wat? You tink we goin say, "Mo bad kine stuffs we do, dat goin make God do some mo plenny good kine stuffs fo us bumbye." We goin say all dat? Eh, no way! Us guys no mo notting fo do with da bad kine stuff! Az jalike we mahke awready. Cuz you know, one mahke guy no can do notting bad. If we stay jalike we mahke, how we goin stay doing da bad kine stuff? Dass no good!

I have never attended a church service conducted in pidgin, it would be very interesting.

Some linguists are concerned that pidgin may be dying out. It would be a shame if it did.

[GypsyLika]

Re: What is your attitude towards Pidgin?

Whoooie Auntey GypsyLika!!, you my idol, li'dat!! Hoe, do unreal's yah!

Gunnfunnit ha'come you neva say someting first, neva mind wait fo'me. I know huh frikas

[1stwahine]

Re: What is your attitude towards Pidgin?

Tita Lika, Das you? How you girl friend! Pidgin Power!!

Auntie P.

[GypsyLika]

Re: What is your attitude towards Pidgin?

Friends gave me a New Testament in pidgin, Da Jesus Book, published by Wycliffe Bible Translators. They employed 26 local speakers of Hawaiian pidgin and translated directly from the Greek with assistance from Wycliffe translators, and from English editions. The company is dedicated to spreading the word of God to all in every tongue. A sample reading, Romans 6:1: So den, wat? You tink we goin say, "Mo bad kine stuffs we do, dat goin make God do some mo plenny good kine stuffs fo us bumbye." We goin say all dat? Eh, no way! Us guys no mo notting fo do with da bad kine stuff! Az jalike we mahke awready. Cuz you know, one mahke guy no can do notting bad. If we stay jalike we mahke, how we goin stay doing da bad kine stuff? Dass no good!

I have never attended a church service conducted in pidgin, it would be very interesting.

Some linguists are concerned that pidgin may be dying out. It would be a shame if it did.

I love dat book. Its a great reference and it makes me laugh and smile and want to read more. I enjoy comparing it to the standard one.

I think Pidgin has died out in da sense dat no moe plantations and dat da lifestyle is moe modern now, and get plenny TV, electonic games & computas fo'distraction.

Languague evolves with each generation. Be sad yeah doe if nobody stay walaau in pidgin. At least get dis book fo'perpetuate da Pidgin. O'and Lee Tonouchi - wea you stay?