Without too much of a history lesson, a Geechee or Geechie (not Geechy) person is someone of a Gullah descent. Gullah is the mixture of the English and African languages, that was spoken by slaves who were required to learn english, but still didn't want the masters to know exactly what they were saying. However, unlike the Gullah link indicates, Gullah was actually widespread along the coast. It may have
originated in Charleston, but there are many gullah civilizations located right in Beaufort, SC. The Geechee
language is the
derivative of Gullah, that has a creole, southern, and carribean twang to it. It still chops up the
English language like Gullah, allowing someone to say more with less words, or eliminate excessive mouth movement.
The Geechee language plays a large part in the culture, which is better left for a
definition to itself. The largest, active Geechee culture is located in Charleston, SC and it's surrounding areas, and proudly celebrated through such festivals as Moja Arts and Spoleto. There is also a booth in Northwoods Mall, N. Charleston, that sells the clothing line, Geechee Gear. Such history can be
discovered with a simple Google search. Although there's not enough people to make it a noticeable presence, the Geechee culture does stretch down the southern coast, touching Beaufort, SC, Savannah, GA, and other cities/towns down into Florida.
The most similar relation to a Charleston accent is that of the Caribbeans (though not nearly as strong) or New Orleans.
Geechy, should be Geechee/ie
I is normally used instead of I'm:
I'm about to
go to the store = "I gointoda sto", which doesn't require any mouth movement whatsoever.
e = he/she/it/his/her
Ex. I ain know where e gone at.
Ex. That girl still sleep wit e thumb in e mout.
yah/chea = here
chern = children
The letter "i" is often pronounced as "u":
fifty cents becomes "fufty cent"
The
pronounciation of the letter "a" is stressed:
"Boy go ahead" sounds like, "Boy go heaaaad, boy!"
"Get out my face" sounds like, "Get out my fay-ace, now!"
