f Paria - Ins and Outs of Trinidad & Tobago 2013

It’s a
Trini Thing
Talk de Talk
Illustration by Keith Anderson
by Sheldon Waithe
“Dis man mamaguy me and cause one set of bacchanal, leaving me
feeling like a real cunumunu!” To the uninitiated, this statement looks
like a few bits of English mixed with excerpts from another language;
to those accustomed to such language, it still appears strange when
seen in print. This departure from the standard English language is
our T&T dialect. One of the beauties of the Caribbean is the stark
differences that exist between islands in such proximity and this very
much applies to the vernacular of each island—the colloquialisms
form the culture of each nation, more striking than the landscape,
food and music. Mix in the various accents and it’s enough to confuse
even the locals!
Trinidad and Tobago’s dialect is derived from its rich and varied
history, incorporating the Spanish, French and English colonial
influences and it goes against anything taught in school regarding
singular mixed with plural, past versus present tense and a host of
other grammar parameters.
Where else would two separate languages of French and English
be combined to emphasise a simple “yes” with the commonly used
reply, “Yeah Oui” However, not everything is expanded or duplicated,
Trinbagonians usually take the shortcut option in their dialect, opting
for one word that could sum up a whole sentence. Thus, a vaps
explains someone suddenly behaving in a manner different to the
norm. The description that one is involved in ting insinuates that
the person is involved in any number of questionable activities but
perhaps gets the accuser off the hook for slander.
While the latter at least provides some comprehension as to
what is meant, most of the slang in T&T can be a complete disparity
between the words and their meaning, in short, not so much dialect
as a language of its own—a jook is a poke which can be part of the
courting process where a boy likes a girl and will constantly touch her
for attention. If the girl resists his advances leaving him melancholy,
this results in a tabanca often used among friends to “wild” or ridicule
the victim…the act of giving picong. Picong is vital as it is a mainstay
of most groups of friends and family in T&T; the ability to take picong
dished out daily in all manner of dialect is a core value for the Trini,
you have to be able to laugh at yourself or you will be accused of
being “thin skin.”
But it is in the delivery of the T&T dialect where the most emphasis
occurs. An already expressive parlance is further accentuated by
our insistence on “speaking with the hands.” A good story laden
with slang is useless unless matched with enough gesticulations
that makes one appear to be guiding a plane on an airport tarmac.
A snap, flick of the wrist, allayed to sound effects like pow (a shot)
bradam (crash) and whistles, paints as clear a picture as any movie…
even if typically, the story changes with each telling. The easier slangs
are derived from the simple substitution of letters, thus most people
have their favourite Tanty, a much more affectionate term than Aunty.
This Tanty will regale you with stories of all manner of local folklore,
which in itself is a language within the dialect comprising Douens,
Soucouyants and Papa Bois; a clear indication of the heavy French
influence upon the way we speak.
Confused As with any language, it is best that you immerse
yourself into the society for the best grasp of the T&T dialect, though
have no fear, you will grasp it sooner than you think. And in case
you’re wondering, that opening sentence roughly translated is, “The
man tricked me and caused a lot of confusion, leaving me feeling like
a fool.” Sounds better in T&T dialect, no
38
The Ins & Outs of Trinidad and Tobago