# 856: bagay and stuff, mem or not : Blanchet asks (fwd)

[Robert Corbett <bcorbett@netcom.com>]

From: Max Blanchet <MaxBlanchet@worldnet.att.net>

Could bagay be from the French "bagage?"

>From the Petit Larousse, bagage means: "effets, objets 

qu'on emporte avec soi en voyage, en expédition;" also, 

figuratively, "ensembles des connaissances acquises."


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| 
| From: J. David Lyall <jdlyall@attglobal.net>
| 
| I found myself in Texas and Louisiana again in October, following
| my explorations in New Orleans during August.
| 
| I am doing labor union organizing among the lower proletariat.
| One guy in Houston is a cajun from southern Louisiana.
| I asked him if he pale any kreyol/creole. He said 'pas connais',
| it sounded different from Haitian kreyol, more french I suppose.
| I speak no french whatsoever.
| 
| I was curious about one thing  after having discussed kreyol words
| with brother Corbett while in St Louis over the summer.
| Bob says that Bagay, as in 'mem bagay'  (lo mismo?)
| is an african word, not french, and that he listens for it when
| eavesdropping of frenchie speakers.
| 
| So, to the point. This older gentleman, who understands creole
| a bit but doesn't speak it, knows 'mem bagay'. 
| This is interesting. I suppose it reflects the true atlantic character
| of caribbean creole/kreyol. Mostly white acadians use african words
| in their creole.
| 
| This will probably be no surprize to the many linguists on the list,
| but
| I was surprized by it, and pleased.
| J. David Lyall
| dlyall AT cruzio DOT com
| http://members.cruzio.com/~dlyall/
| 
| 
|