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wmmmm I Onu of the things which most distinguishes Lumbee people from folks living in this region is language. Their particular dialect of English has been the source of botli study and speculation for many years, at least since the 1890s when Stephen Weeks argued that their dialect illustrated a connection to John While's Lost Colony. More recent publications have sought not so much to trace the origins of the dialect as to appreciate its distinctiveness (i.c., the particularly ’’ 1 compiled by Michael and Kathy - Wilkins entitled Do You Speak iha A^loitg the Robeson Trail by Dr. Stan Knick, Director PSU Native American Resource Cent^ Pai>e J-Curolina Indian Voice-Thursilav, August S, 1996 Innovative learning humorous booklet Umbee?). We just received another recent ivork which continues the discussion: . dialect Dictionary of Lumbee '.nglish by Hayes Alan Locklear, ;ii^ataIieSchilling-Eslcs,WcdtWolfiam mi .|nd Clare Dannenberg (June 1996 edition; NC Language and Life Project, ” NC State University). In it the authors tu'C quick to point out that even [hough Lumbee Hnglish has an unusual set of pronunciations and jsages, it “...shares the vast majority of its dialect features with other Southern English dialects, particularly Appalachian. In many ways, it is the distinct set of features rather than unique features that distinguishes this dialect from other dialects of English emphasis added], “Perhaps die most noticeable of all dilTcrcnccs that separate Lumbee English from other dialects we hear in Robeson County is the vocabulary. Some of die interesting words Lumbees use are unique to their dialect, while oUiers are found elsewhere in North Carolina or perhaps some other region of the country even though they may not be found in some of the surrounding dialects of Robeson County. In addition to ‘unusual’ words like/w/)i7/juc^ (whichmcans‘amess’), e//icA:(‘acupof coffee’) andyur/:£r(‘a mischievous child’), the language of the Lumbees is also filled with more well-known words that are part of the general American Southern dialect. Thus, we can say that words like fucin' to, tote, and cut on/off (the light) arc Lumbee dialect words, even though they’re also dialect words for Southern African Americans and Southern Whites from all over the Soudi.,.’’ Then the authors provide an alphabetized list of words belonging, Uiough not necessarily exclusively, to the Lumbee English dialect. Some of tJicsc words are easy (for a non- Lumbee) to interpret: for example, the verb heist (as in the sentence “She hcisied the window because it was too warm in the room.”), or lightbread (“Mama got us some lightbread at the store.”). Other words seem to result from the human tendency to bond two or more words in to a new, single word: for example, the adverb likeia (as in “I likeia froze to death.”), or the tendency to shorten or contract words in conversation (i.e.. I’m, used for “I have” as in the sentence “Tm got four young’uns.”). Some other words seem more remote from ordinary English, having indeterminate origins. A good example of this is headnes ’ (used as an adjective meaning “worst” as in the sentence “She had the headnes’ mess in her house.”). Another is the adjective jubous, as in “I heard that noise outside, and I started feeling jubous” [strange, eerie]. It is important to realize that differences in dialect do not mean that one dialect is than another. The rose and the lily are different, but each has its own beauty. Development of dialects is merely what happens to language when groups of people are isolated for a lime from other groups who speak the same language. In modern limes with enhanced communications between and among the various groups and dialects, the differences usually begin to fade out. AsLumbee young people increasingly go to school with people from diverse backgrounds, many of the distinctive words and pronunciations used by Lumbee elders fifty years ago may disappear. For more information, visit the Native American Resource Center in Old Main Building, on the campus of The University of North Carolina at Pembroke. program concludes Rape Crisis Center for Yard Sale at Oxendine School rtMHROKl- -An inno\;i(i\c learning piograni for elen)cnl;ir\ school children wa.s coinplelcd :il ONcndinc F.lcnicularv School in Wakulla. The ■ families Learning Togclhcr' project was joinll\ conducted b> the Uni\crsit> of North Carolina at Pembroke's Dr Robert Rcising and ONcndine B'lcmentarv School s Jennifer Freeman Rcising. a professor of Comimmicaiiv e Arts, said the project sob)ccti\cswcrclo impro\c the literaev skills and attitudes of 20 fourth giade siiidcnis and their parents ‘The project w ill produce published materials that can model possibilities for combining scliool liler.'icx and adult lilerac\ in other sellings It will also idcnlifs what is possible if school lileracw is merged with adult litcracv According to Rcising. man\ parents in hisloricalL disad\ani.tgcd communities bcliev c (hat lhc\ cannot assist their childrenediiciilioniilh ''Families l.cai niiig'T ogolher'' is designed to a.ssisi both groups and llius improx e (he school'sefreclixeness with the children At Oxendine Elcmcniarx School, the parents and their cliildrcn met exerx other week for 90 minutes for ten sessions According to Rcising. “Whal emerged was a model of Familx Lileraex of uncommon promise. I t is expected that the model w ill be replicated i n o( her sciiools in which sludcntsandadultscanboth benefit from litcracx instruction." The project was funded bx the North Carolina English Teachers Association. Oxendine Elcmentarx School and UNCP were recipients of the first gram for research and iiilerxcniion exer proxided b\ NCFTA The (cam working on the piojecl. inehidiiig Mr Thomas Oxendine. school principal, and Ms. Pollx Cmmingham. Litcracx Volunteer from Robeson Clmrcji and Coinmiinitx Center will present their findingsand rcietions at the 1996 Annual State Conference ofNCFTA Tlic Rape ( nsis Center of Robeson Coimix will be holding a ■Vard .Sale on August 10 l99o from 9 10 am - 1 00 pm. Items for sale include small include small office supplies and equipment such as adding machine and (xpewnter will) word pi oces.sor xarici x ofehnirs for home or offit.-e use desks and computer centers Prieesarc ncgoliabicand bin ci s need to make arrangements to (ranspori purchases thcmsclxcs. There arc some excellent bargains -perfect for llic small or home business Coiiiaei Margaret ( rites. 719- (>27S for more infonnalion. Say you read it in Carolina Indian Voice. To subscribe call 521-2826 '5^ Savings & Service Worth the T; ii OLDS BUICK GMir HIGHWAY 211, EAST. RED SPHINGS, N.C. 28377 Loan $100. Get $1000 back! Loans will be used to startup a new beverage marketing business. Limits lime offer. Limital number of persons can participate. Cali or write for a brochure. Raefoi* Bed Sf S/b-JbUe i'..,- 843 ?141 NELSON DIAL ■ 80')-84'.4 34 . 483-5000 •. 738-3800 ■umbee Home Beverage Services rage r-ox 3187, Pembroke, NC 28372 910-521-1270 IndianSummer Group, Robeson County’s only Native American Performing Artist and Actors Association presents, John Niehardl’s critically acclaimed “BLACK ELK SPEAKS” Saturday nights, August 24 and August 31, 1996 at the Adolph Dial Amphitheatre on the site of the NC Indian Cultural Center, Terry Sanford Drive off US Hwy 74 west of Pembroke. Performance begins at 7.30 p.m. Tickets are only $5 00 General Admission. For More Information: Call (910) 521-1861 from -9a.m. - 5 p in Credit Rebuilders NEED CREDIT HELP BUYING A CAR! CREDIT APPROVED • Bankruptcy ‘No Credit Repossession Bad Credit Slow Credit Divorce No I Applications I Refused! Well Help You Re-Establish Your Credit Dobb's Motor Company West 5th Street Lumberton, NC (910) 738-3738 il M U
The Carolina Indian Voice (Pembroke, N.C.)
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Aug. 8, 1996, edition 1
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