Liberian English

It will not come as a surprise to all to learn that Liberians have their own version of English. From my time here so far, I have learned to incorporate this into my everyday vocabulary—especially when performing assessments at the hospital.

Small small; this word is used to indicate a very small amount. I find great humor in this phrase and use it in a serious manner to others while amusing myself. For example: I ask, “Are you eating?” If the answer if yes, I ask, “small small?” Oddly enough, the word tiny is thrown around every now and then, but small small is the popular choice.

Pass water: this phrase means so much more than filling a glass with water from the faucet and passing it to someone else. Passing water in Liberia is a euphemism for public urination. My first encounter with public urination was the day after I arrived in Monrovia. I was taking pictures of a street to get a view of the city, and when I looked at it afterwards, I noticed that I also captured a man urinating on the street. (Note man near bushes in picture)
The first time I heard “pass water” was that same day when we were driving back to Phebe from Monrovia. The car pulled over on the side of the rode and the driver explained that he had to pass water. Someone in the car informed me at that time that passing water means urinating—usually in public.

It is clear that public urination is a problem all over Liberia, especially when there are huge signs declaring, “No peepee, No poopoo here, only dogs.”

Running stomach: now, this term is self-explanatory but, again, is another word that I have incorporated in order to perform assessments. And, when people here are frequently diagnosed with dysentery, usually from bacteria in the drinking water, it is helpful to know if they have running stomach.

Palay is the native tongue of the county in which I am living. It is a difficult language to learn and I have not made much progress beyond simple greetings.