Served in a bowl covered with clear water broth, or squeezed into a ball and dipped into palm oil soup. They loved the melegueta pepper from Liberia, and called the pepper the “grain of paradise,” later referring to Liberia as “The Grain Coast.” Spanish, Dutch, English, and French traders also visited the area.The American Colonization Society (established in 1816) returned freed American slaves to the West African coast in 1820. : palaver; problems. Probably came into use in 1940s when African-American troops were stationed at Robertsfield airport.] There were many different tribes living in the area when the Portuguese arrived in 1461. Capital: Monrovia (named after US president James Monroe; see history below) Counties: 15 Language: English; Liberian Kreyol; 20+ local languages “That child is getting dry.” Also a coolquialism for being without money-broke. “He got plenty fuss.” (He is very worried; he has problems.) “Th” is often pronounced like a “T”, and so “think” becomes “tink”, and “Thank You” becomes “tank you”. : still; yet, already. It is the common attire for women when wrpped about the waist and tucked in as a long skirt. “She is here again” (She is still here.) “I cannot lie.” (I do not lie. “I will chunk you.” (I will hit you.) “A snake burned him.” “He was burned by a bee.”: forest; secret society groves. ): getting along; so-so. “Belly in the tube” (Ectopic pregnancy).” (Typhoid fever—this term is thrown about very loosely here, and often refers to any serious or prolonged fever).” (Well which is closed and has a hand pump attached to it).” (serious). This post contains affiliate links. “That one not so fine.”: done; the end; stop; complete.
Kreyol is an English-based pidgin spoken in Liberia. Language official English others Kreyol (Liberian Pidgin English), Merico or Americo-Liberian, Manding, Kru and Mel languages and the divergent language Gola.
(or just “CCP”) – Refers to gossip. “Finish one time!” (Lay off immediately. The sisters talked about the terrible war that was being fought in their country, and how their parents had been killed. ): tribal or traditional. “Has she come again?” (Has she come yet? : a term used for any bad skin condition (often scabies). Pronunciation tends to drop the final consonant of words ending in consonants, so that “Jared” sounds just like “Jerry”. congosah: v. To gossip. Liberia Facts and Profile. Used in metaphor. Affected by mild mental derangement. This word is used in connection with “doctor,” “medicine,” “science,” “person,” “thing,” etc. Word order is often quite different as well, so that question sentences are phrased differently than in standard English. Standard Liberian English is spoken by less than 3% of the population. : a demonstration of good will and respect. This is dedicated to my 2 ESL students from Liberia.The Liberian begins in the coastal plains to the southwest, which are filled with mangroves and swamps on the flat coast. And feel free to ask lots of questions, most people are happy to help you learn to speak “goo English”. : very. “I have to be behind you all the time!” (I have to be after you constantly to make you do it.)
Does imply the word “bribe,” sometimes. ): pregnant. “He has good heart.” (He is a kind and sympathetic person. “She was here again” (She was here already.) “The hunter has gone into the bush.” (The hunter is in the forest.) And so, when a person with high blood pressure develops a headache, they will tell you “the pressure hurting my head”. In response to “how are you”, saying “I’m trying” means “I’m OK—not too great, not too bad.” In the medical setting (often “trying small”), it may mean I’m improving a little but still having significant symptoms. “His heart is bitter.” (He is angry.) : to throw away; discard. “He is running behind that woman” (He is chasing after that woman. Thousands of slaves eventually were sent and immigrated to live in a colony where Liberia is now; in fact Liberia means “land of the free.”In 1847 Liberia declared its independence as a republic under a constitution modeled after the U.S. It has also come to be applied to all “civilized” or urban people who dress and behave in a non-African manner. Other common forms of English spoken in Liberia are Kru Pidgin English and Liberian Kreyol English. Moving inland, the land rises from rolling hills covered with tropical rainforests, to a rolling plateau and finally low mountains in the northeast that contain deciduous forests.Oral tradition tells that the land that is now Liberia was originally inhabited by Pygmies. Liberian English is a term used to refer to the varieties of English spoken in Liberia. “I beg you” (Pleaded) “I begged him” (I pleaded with him.) : accident; involuntary mishap. Often used in reference to a palaver, or a special meeting involving important decisions. Liberian English is quite distinct from British or American usage. User Population. All rights reserved. In the end they said that they wanted people to know their country for more than the awful war that was raging at that time. “His skin was hot too much” (He had a very high fever).” (Having her period). © Kid World Citizen 2011. “I can’t do that again” (I don’t do that any more.) ): hoeing; preparing the ground for planting; weeding. “I hear Vai.” (I can understand Vai. “I can do that.” (I will do that.)