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Re: Preserving Grenada’s Keyol Language…

French Creole Patois, spoken fluently among the elders in the French Quarters, particularly in my household by my Mother and her Brothers. It was always fascinating to hear them "paley" in what was their own creation of a French vernacular that survived well over two hundred years.

It was "the language of betrayal and two neck jook"that "did me in" as I hid inside my darling Godmother, Nen Grace's house listening to my Mother's inquire with her of my whereabouts. Needless to say, I had earned all the benefits of a good cut-hass for which my Mother was all prepard to swing that whip of hers like a Samuari Warrior on my tail.

I stood there in the corner as they greeted each other.

Hear dem!

My Mum.... "cu ma we aye, Nen Grace"

for which she replied,

"Muh la! Muh la!, while making two jooks with her neck. Then the Patois speaking began again.

The Samurai then stretched her bionic arm and grabbed me and well, the rest was History.

My Mum, her Brothers and Nen Grace, all have since passed, taking with them the last vestiges of a period and culture, defined by an era that depicted the survivability skills of our ancestors. They left behind only the "Francophoning..... sah say Selwyn" of their language, with a corrupted version of an English twang, just to fret the Queen.

Nice to see you bringing it forward but our English trained educators would see no room for this to be taught in our schools.

Monsieur Louison

Re: Preserving Grenada’s Keyol Language…

Monsieur Louison, your comments as always adds flavor to the pot!

I have to say, I was a bit disappointed to not see a Gouyavanite subject in this entire language project. After all, we still make claim as the heart and soul of the Afro-French Grenadian base.

Our Keyol language should be part of our school teaching from standard one to seven and beyond. That is the only way for this important part of our culture to survive. On my father side of the family my aunts spoke Keyol. Especially when it was something they did not want others outside their sisters and brothers to understand. Them speaking French Creole Patois later was confusing to me because they carried a British Surname by that time. It was not until much later – many years that I discovered they descended from Afro-French maternal ancestry.