Da kine wurd/frayze/ turm uv da day: yu no wuz, but!
Remember “Fuzzy Wuzzy Wuz A Bear … ?” Well, besides substituting wuz for was, this column has absolutely nothing to do wit dat bolohed beyah buggah! (This column has nothing to do with that bald-headed bear!) It just kinda rhymes! LOL!
Today, while discussing the versatility of the base word wuz, we will also learn the difference between grammar (that stuff they tried to teach me at Hilo High) and grammah; as in: “Een da kine Peegen tok, no moah grammah, lah dat!” (when speaking Pidgin’ there is no grammar) (more about da uddah kine grammah later)
“Eh brah, wayah yu wuz?” reply: “Wot, yu get da kine maka pia pia eensai yur eye, oh wot?” “I wuz ry’t oh deyah, but!” (Yo dude, where were you? reply: You got goop in your eyes? I was right over there!) Wuz = was and were.
Now to change tenses, simply add no – as in: “Brah, I stay lookeen fo yu ohdeyah, but yu no wuz, but!” (I looked for you over there, but you were not there!) no wuz = were not/weren’t.
See? Pidgin’ grammar, simple! But, not to be confused with da udduh kine Peegen grammah – yur Muddah’s Muddah oh yur Fahdah’s Muddah! (not to be confused with your grandmothers!)
“Hoo, I no wuz goeen skool today, but my Muddah wen may’k me, lah dat!” (I wasn’t going to go to school today, but my Mom made me go!) no wuz = wasn’t.
See how versatile this little word is? And, also how simple Pidgin’ grammar is? No irregular verbs, no danglin’ or third party, past participles! (whatevah dat meenz?) Ha! When’s the last time you diagrammed a sentence? LOL!
No one learns Pidgin’. No one teaches you! It’s just there! You pick it up like I learned German; like a parrot learns to talk! Or, maybe it’s some kinda language osmosis? You just absorb it! And, Voila! – all of a sudden, you’re bilingual! Now, that’s a wun tree-dahlah wurd! An, no wuz cuz sumbuddy wen may’k yu lern’um, lah dat!” (and it’s not because someone made you learn it!)
“Eh weyah yu wuz today?” “Yu no wuz eensai da kine’s klass fo da tess!” reply: “I no wuz cuz I wen go Honolii; wuz reepeen, but!” (Hey, where were you today? You missed the test in da kine’s class! reply: I wasn’t there because I went surfing at Honolii; it was rippin’!) wuz = was, weren’t, and wasn’t See: duk soop, ah? LOL!
Pau fo nau. Nex wun: oh heah, oh deyah.
Wally Camp is a Big Island resident who writes a biweekly column, Pidgin’ on da Loose. He can be reached at hilowally@gmail.com