How Much Scots Do They Speak in the Bahamas? Robin Sabino & Mary Stephens Diamond Auburn University SECOL XLIII April 6-8, 2000
Overview San Salvador Farquharson History: Clan, Family, & Personal Farquharson’s Dialect Current Dialect of San Salvador
San Salvador, Bahamas
San Salvador Map adapted from Gail Saunders Bahamian Loyalists and Their Slaves. London: MacMillian Caribbean.
Farquharson - Clan History Farquharson clan recognized 1697 Renowned for military prowess Renowned for loyalty to Scotland Clan motto, “Fide et Fotitudine” Ancestral home in Aberdeenshire
Farquharson - Family History Know all men by these Presents we Charles Farquharson of the Parish of Kirriemuir and County of Forfar Francis Farquharson of Mill(t)on of Bruickly in the Parish of Glenmuick and County of Aberdeen Murray Farquharson late Captain in His Majesty’s First West India Regiment of Foot residing at Redclock and Ian Farquharson and Catherine Farquharson both of Store Haven in Parish of Fetteresso and County of Kincardine.
Ian & Catherine Farquharson
Francis Farquharson
Charles Farquharson
Farquharson’s Personal History 1760 born in county Forfar 1789 acquired four 40 acre grants on Long Island 1795 purchased 60 acres on Watlings Island (San Sal) from Duncan Taylor 1803 received a grant of 200 additional acres Served as Justice of the Peace of San Salvador Farquharson’s journal of estate activities Died 1835
Farquharson’s Dialect /I/
Italics = Linguistic Atlas of Scotland/I/ Non-italics = The English Dialect Grammar F’s Journal English Abd. Kcd. Frf. San Sal chist > chest = [ e s(t)] drisiling > drizzling = [drIzIlIn] ~ [drIzlI õ ] minites > minutes = [mInIts ] pigon > pigeon = [pI ® In] prity > pretty = [I] [prIti] shiped > shipped = [I] ~ [ e ] [I] ~ [ e ] [šIp(t)] skined > skinned = [I] [skIn(d)] strick > strike = [straik] striped > stripped = [strIp(t)] triming > trimming = [trImIn] ~ [trImI õ ]
Farquharson’s Dialect /E/
Italics = Linguistic Atlas of Scotland/E/ Non-italics = The English Dialect Grammar F’s Journal English Abd. Kcd Frf. San Sal bests > beasts = [i] ~ [e] [e] ~ [e] [bis]~[bist] felling‘falling’ [a] [f lI õ ] ~ [f lIn] reff ‘reef’ [rif] repeted > repeated = [ripit e d] repeted > repeated = [ripit e d] shep ‘sheep = [i] [šip] ventor > venture = [v e n ] ~ [w e n ] wemon > women = [Z] [Z] [womæm] whewls > wheels = [i] [vilz] ~ [wilz]
Italics = Linguistic Atlas of Scotland /E/ Non-italics = The English Dialect Grammar F = s Journal English Abd. Kcd Frf San Sal leat > late = [e] [e] [let] leatly > lately = [letli] mearly > merely = [ m e rli] pease > pea = [e] ~ [i] [ piz ] seain > seine = not used
Farquharson’s Dialect /A/
Italics = Linguistic Atlas of Scotland/A/ Non-italics = The English Dialect Grammar F’s Journal English Abd. Kcd Frf. San Sal anckle > ankle = [æ õ kl] ~ [a i õ kl] bracking > breaking = [a] ~ [a] [brekI õ ] fadom > fathom = [a] [f e d m] ~ [fæd m] faverable > favorable = [fevrIbl] ~ [f e vrIbl] F a rquharson > Ferguson = Harcules > Hercules = [h rk liz] ~ [h e rkuliz]
Italics = Linguistic Atlas of Scotland/A/ Non-italics = The English Dialect Grammar F = s Journal English Abd. Kcd Frf. San Sal pomato > palmetto = [palmato] ~ [pa(l)m e to] p a stor/p a stor > pasture’ [past ] ~ [pæst ] rack > rake = [r i ek] rack > rock = [r k] shad > shed = [š e d] vassel > vessel = [v e sl] wrack > wreck = [a] [a] ~ [ e ] --
Farquharson’s Dialect /O/
Italics = Linguistic Atlas of Scotland/O/ Non-italics = The English Dialect Grammar F’s Journal English Abd. Kcd Frf. San Sal altho > although = [aldo]~[ ldo]~[al o] bon bon > bone = [i] [b n] brock > broke = [U] [ ] ] ~ [U] [brok] foll > foal = [o] [o] ~ [o] [f l] ~ [fol] gon gon > gone = [e] ~ [ ] ] [g ] n] of of > off = [ ] ] ~ [a] []] []] [ f]
Italics = Linguistic Atlas of Scotland /O/ Non-italics = The English Dialect Grammar F’s Journal English Abd. Kcd. Frf. San Sal pomato > palmetto = [palmato] ~ [pa(l)m e to] rowe > row = [rau] spock ‘spoke(n)’ []] []] [spok] showing ‘showing’ [o] [o] [o] [šowin] ~ [šowi õ ] throw ‘through’ [ ru]~[tru] threw ‘through’ [ ru]~[tru]
Farquharson’s Dialect /U/
Italics = Linguistic Atlas of Scotland/U/ Non-italics = The English Dialect Grammar F = s Journal English Abd. Kcd. Frf. San Sal bruse > bruise’ [I] ~ [i] ~ [u] [i] [ø] ~ [I] ~ [œ] [bruz] ~ [brus] crue > crew = [u] [kru] foules > fowls = [U] ~ [u] [iu]~ [(j)u] [U] ~ [u] [fauls] shours > showers’ = [u] [u] [šau w z]
Farquharson’s Dialect /^/
Italics = Linguistic Atlas of Scotland/ ^ / Non-italics = The English Dialect Grammar F = s Journal English Abd. Kcd Frf. San Sal cups > coops = [k b]~[k p] cuting > cutting = [] [] [k tI õ ] duble > double = [d bl] dum dum > dumb = [d m] futer > future = [fju ] ~ [fju r] super > supper = [] [] [s p ] ~ [s p r] enterupted > interrupte d = [Int r p] ~ [Int r pt e d]
Bibliography Craton, Michael and Saunders, Gail Islanders in the Stream: A History of the Bahamian People, Volume I. Athens: University of Georgia Press On Slavery’s Margins: The Farquharson Estate, San Salvador, Bahamas. Slavery and Abolition 12:2: Farquharson, Charles; McDonald, Ormond (ed.) A Relic of Slavery: Farquharson’s Journal for Nassau: The Deans Peggs Research Fund. Gerace, Kathy “Three Loyalist Plantations.” Florida Anthropologist 35:4: Holm, John and Shilling, Allison Dictionary of Bahamian English. Cold Springs, NY: Lexik House. Holm, John “African Features in White Bahamian English.” English World-Wide 1: On the Relationship of Gullah and Bahamian. American Speech 58.4: Saunders, Gail Bahamian Loyalists and Their Slaves. London: Mcmillan Publishers. Mather, J. H. and Speitel, H. H The Linguistic Atlas of Scotland, Volume III. London: Croom Helm. Warrack, Alexander Scots Dictionary: Serving as a Glossary for Ramsay, Fergusson, Burns, Scott, Galt, minor poets, kailyard novelists, and a host of other writers of the Scottish tongue. University of Alabama Press. Wright, Joseph The English Dialect Grammar. Oxford: University of Oxford Press.