Gullah-language Bible now on audio CDs

[stillwatersc]

ST. HELENA ISLAND, S.C. --
More than three decades after translators began putting the words of the New Testament into Gullah, everyone can now hear those words in the creole language spoken by slaves and their descendants along the sea islands of the nation's Southeast coast.
....
"Those of us involved in this project are overwhelmingly of the culture. Heretofore it has always been outsiders coming in recording us, sometimes reluctantly on our part," he said. "This was done willingly by us."


http://www2.scnow.com/news/2011/nov/25/gullah-language-bible-now-audio-cds-ar-2754642/

http://www.penncenter.com/

 

[gitana1]

Wow. That is super cool and very fascinating! I'm intrigued with American subcultures and American dialects/languages. I spend time listening to audio of different accents, languages, etc. Here's a link to interviews with people speaking Gullah. It is quite cool:
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/collections/voices/title.html

Having their language preserved in a bible translation is incredible.

 

[belimom]

I'm just now seeing this. I spent quite some time on St Helena Island growing up and recall my dad carrying on conversations in Gullah with people. I loved listening to it...

Growing up in rural Georgia and also working in DC public schools, I can hear the same patterns and similar sounds/words in Ebonics. I know that it is a touchy subject, but I think it's an important one. It's part of a culture. Hope this makes sense. Here's a link about some research linking the two (Gullah/Ebonics):

http://www.cal.org/topics/dialects/aae/bibliography/origins.html

Thanks for sharing. And Gitana I love the recordings...!

 

[Ada]

I used to love stopping to talk with the ladies selling baskets on the side of the road. Do they still do that?

 

[Gardenlady]

How cool! I'm also a nerd for accents and dialects, so I enjoyed this, and hearing the loc recordings that gitana linked.

I also loved hearing about Ron and Natalie Daise in the SCNow link in the op. My older kids and I used to love watching Gullah Gullah Island when they were little! Loved the music, and how warm and and encouraging those two were on the show. I SO wish that there was still quality, quieter programming on Nick, or any station, for kids, like Gullah Gullah was (or Little Bear, which was also quiet and low key too, from the same years). There is nothing on now for my younger two that I'd let them watch, everything is so frenzied and loud and extreme (or maybe I'm getting older, lol...)!

Anyway, great links, thanks for sharing this story!