Another question....Dialect

[destinie21]

I need opinions as to wether patois or really patois-like dialect would detract from a story. Please vote and give your opinions. Thanks

 

[minsue]

Dammit! I missed! Stupid touchpad mouse. I meant to vote 'Yes, use it' not 'What the hell is patois'.

See, this is what happens when you let Democrats vote...

 

[destinie21]

Dammit! I missed! Stupid touchpad mouse. I meant to vote 'Yes, use it' not 'What the hell is patois'.

See, this is what happens when you let Democrats vote...

well it wasn't your fault you didn't understand what you were voting for

 

[Colleen Thomas]

Oh Des,

If you can write a story with a good patios flare do it! It has to be one of the three sexiest dialects/accents on earth

Just please let me know when it's done!

-Colly

 

[lucky-E-leven]

sounds great.

put me on the list after Colly, eh?

~lucky

What are the other two Colly?

 

[minsue]

well it wasn't your fault you didn't understand what you were voting for

LOL I'm sober & I still can't vote right. In all seriousness, I enjoy stories with patois when they're done well. I have read some, though, where it seemed extraordinarily forced and I would have preferred the authors of those stories stuck with dialogue they were comfortable with. When it flows and seems natural I love it.

- Mindy, wishy-washy. Maybe that's my problem

 

[Just_John1]

Dialects

are probably the hardest thing to do right. I subtle inflection takes less away from the story particularly for people like me that struggle with dialects to begin with. I find it makes it more difficult to read, but some subtle inflection will get me thinking in the dialect. I guess there's a really fine balance that you;d have to walk. I am interested in seeing how it comes out though!

JJ1

 

[destinie21]

Oh Des,

If you can write a story with a good patios flare do it! It has to be one of the three sexiest dialects/accents on earth

Just please let me know when it's done!

-Colly

lol I can use patois although it mostly tends to flare up something awful when I get mad. (or drunk or aroused) Go figure.

 

[Colleen Thomas]

lol I can use patois although it mostly tends to flare up something awful when I get mad. (or drunk or aroused) Go figure.

If it comes out when you are aroused I envy the Mrs even more...assuming that's possible

-Colly

 

[destinie21]

If it comes out when you are aroused I envy the Mrs even more...assuming that's possible

-Colly

lol well don't envy her tonight she's on a business trip
I'm in a bad way for that woman. When She's home everything seems Fit ‘n frock


when she's away mi always inna crosses

suppose I'll just keep hittin the bottle

 

[Colleen Thomas]

lol well don't envy her tonight she's on a business trip
I'm in a bad way for that woman. When She's home everything seems Fit ‘n frock


when she's away mi always inna crosses

suppose I'll just keep hittin the bottle

There or on buissiness she still has you so there is still plenty to envy on both your parts

Wish I could send more relief than just a "I know how ya feel"

-Colly

 

[damppanties]

Okay, WT...H is patois? Give me an example.

 

[lucky-E-leven]

Okay, WT...H is patois? Give me an example.

English is the foundation of the Patois speech, but it is the distinctness of the Jamaican accent that was so unique and will draw attention to the Jamaican island forever. Patois has African, Spanish, and various European influences.

These aren't the best examples, but they were some of the first that I found.

ex.) USA: It's been a long time since I have seen you, girl.
JA: Gal yuh noh dead yet?

USA: Lord, we have lost electricity again!
JA: Lawd Gad, current lack aff again!

USA: Where did you buy that awful bracelet, Cindy?
JA: A weh yuh buy dat deh big ole ugly bangle deh, missus?

USA: I think something is wrong with Susan, she might have the flu.
JA: Lawd Gad, breeze tek up Suzie!

USA: Oh my gosh, I just broke Mom's expensive plate.
JA: Lawd mi Gad, mi bruk up Mama stoosh crackry.

~lucky

Des put one in tiny silver print in a reply to Colly. More like that.

 

[damppanties]

English is the foundation of the Patois speech, but it is the distinctness of the Jamaican accent that was so unique and will draw attention to the Jamaican island forever. Patois has African, Spanish, and various European influences.

Thanks L. Made up my mind on the vote. Yes, do it.

 

[destinie21]

Okay, WT...H is patois? Give me an example.

lol

patios is a jamaican/rasta/west indan (I think) dialect. an example would be: tek smadi mek poppy-show

 

[The_old_man]

Having supervised several Jamaks for three years, I can just barely understand it. As with any language, to fully understand the idium, you must live in it for several years.

Many on this board will be, at least minimaly, acuainted with patois. Few will be fluent.

Since this site is international, go fer.

 

[snooper]

No. Do not even try.

Instead try to write in English instead of the continental US patois. You lot can't even use the word patois correctly.

The Oxford English Dictionary defines patois as:
A dialect (orig. in France) of the common people in a particular area, differing fundamentally from the literary language; any non-standard local dialect.

Creole is the patois specific to the English-speaking Caribbean, especially Jamaica.

It was our language before the USA even existed, before Bill Gates was even a gleam in his father's eye. The least the revolting colonies can do is to use the language properly.

There, that should get them going nicely!

 

[Guest]

 

[dr_mabeuse]

patios is a jamaican/rasta/west indan (I think) dialect. an example would be: tek smadi mek poppy-show

I think "patois" refers to any regional dialect, though it's usually used for languages that are based on French, since it's a French word.

You might be able to get away with using a pidgin English, but I would stay away from having them talk in phonetic dialect. There's nothing more irritating than wading through constant apostrophes for dropped final g's and stuff. I wrote a story with a Scottish hero and tried to do it in phonetic dialect and had to drop it. It gets silly after a while. "Aye, lass! Now gie ye a wee pull o' my cock..."

John O'Hara wrote brilliant dialogue, and did several very good stories entirely in dialogue. He had a trick he used, which was to present a character's first few lines in phonetic dialect so that you got the idea, then reverted to more conventional speech. And Lady Chatterly's Lover spoke in a Scots brogue, but that was D.H. Lawrence, and the man was supposed to be rather inarticulate.

---dr.M.

 

[gothgodess]

I think it depends on who you are trying to aim your story at as not everyone can understand the dialect so it may detract too much from the action.
I think the same goes for any dialect. I can remember the first time i told by Hubbie his mum was on the dog and bone hes only from yorkshire but he couldn't understand me.