MovieChat Forums > Nell (1994) Discussion > Nell speak translations:

Nell speak translations:


There are a few holes, and maybe some misinterpretations. I tried to used the words Nell uses and translate from there. There are a few words, especially the Nell or twinspeak that I just didn't figure out. If anyone has, please share them. Thanks.

Nell Speak or May and Nell's twin speak:

Lilten Pogies
Lilten Dogies
Lilten Sees ~ Quiet your tears or eyes
Lilten Awes
Lilten Alo'lay ~ Quiet Everyone
Ressa
Chicka ~ loved
Chickabee ~ darling or loved one.
fearly ~ sickly or dying
missa ~ little or small
erna ~ big or large
Tata ~ bad or frightened or scared

T'ee an me ~ Tree and me.
T'ee ~ tree
Way ~ away.
Wi' ~ Wind
waw ~ walk
wi' ~ with
Maw ~ Ma or Mom
Fo ~ before
'tye ~ time
Law ~ Lord
wi'a ~ with the
tch ~ teach
done ~ done
Doana ~ Don't
Kee ~ cry
spee ~ speak
onakowna ~ on account of
bin ~ been
inna ~ in the
Nay ~ no
An ~ And
Caw ~ call or called
Less'a ~ listen
Lai' ~ Laden
Me ~ me
Peep'u ~ people
See' ~ seed
O' ~ of
Yow ~ yell
Skoo' ~ skewer
Smi' ~ Smite
Loo' ~ Look
Wan' ~ Want
Feliss ~ darkness or night
Tye ~ time
Aw ~ all
Mi'i ~ the twin sister May.
Ga 'inja ~ Guardian Angel
reckon ~ understand or do you agree or don't you think?

Missa chickabee ~ little darling or little girls or little dears

Yo'kay? ~ Are you okay?

Ah si'fu' naish ~ A sinful nation.

Ah peep'u lai wi' neek'ty. ~ A people laden with iniquity.

A see' o' eva'dur. An chil'un'a corra ~ The seed of evil doers, children that are corrupters.

An gonna eesa 'av a si'fu naish. ~ And going to have a sinful nation.

Tay ha' pok'a'law wen come. ~ They have provoked the Lord.

Nay, nay, be lilt, chickabee. ~ No, no, darling.

Ga'inja spee Nell. ~ Guardian angel speak to Nell.

Ga'inja spee wor'i'a law. ~ Guardian angel speak to Nell the word of the Lord.

Wor'i'a law! ~ Word of the Lord.

Wor'i'a lawgone way! ~ Word of the Lord gone away.

Fo 'tye Maw waw wi'a law. ~ Before the time Ma walked with the Lord.

An Maw a leess'a Nell. ~ And Ma says listen Nell.

Maw say, "Af'ah done go, ga 'ina come. ~ After I've gone, Guardian Angel will come. Or is gonna come.

Anna erna feliss, anna, anna lilten, lilten.

Nell erna feliss.

Je'y kine'ey ga'inja ~ Jerry kindly guardian angel.

T'ee inna way. ~ Tree in the wind.

Inna tye'a shie eva'dur done come. ~ In the shine; evil doer will come.

Eva'dur done go awa' inna tye'a feliss. ~ Evil doer done gone away in the

An Nell caw Mi'i. ~ And Nell called Mi'i

An Nell an Mi'i less'a, Nell an Mi'i go inna t'ee inna way. ~ And Nell and May listen, Nell and May go in the tree in the wind.

Af'ah eva'dur done go, Nell an Mi'i inna t'ee inna way. ~ After evil doers go away, Nell an Mi'i play trees in in the wind.

Eva'dur done go--Missa chickabee inna t'ee inna way. Yo'kay?

Evil doers done gone--little darlings play like trees in the wind.

Maw spee' Nell wor'i'a law fo' she come fearly. ~ Ma speak Nell before she come sickly. Guardian angel speak Nell.

Eva'dur done hol' inna rass. ~ Evildoers done hide in the grass.

An lilten, lilten, lilten, an haaai zzzslit! ~ and quiet, quiet, quiet, and then jump out or attack!

Skoo' inna belly. ~ Skewer in the belly.

Pau' Je'y missa pogie! ~ Paula, Jerry little

Pau', loo' missa pogie. Loo' ~ Paula, look little . Look.

Thou ar' beau'rul, o ma' love, as Tirzah. ~ Thou are as beautiful, o' my love, as Tirzah.

Mi'i inna missa feliss. ~ May in the little dark.

Chicka Mi'i, lilten, lilten aw tye. ~ Dear May, quiet, quiet all the time.

Mai'i waw wi'a law. ~ May walks with the Lord.

Mi'i inna feliss fo' aw tye, reckon? ~ May in the dark for all time, reckon?

Doana kee missa chickabee. ~ Don't cry little darling.

But J'ey feliss aw tye wi' Nell. ~ But Jerry dark all the time with Nell.

Fro' tye Maw waw wi'a law, ~ From the time Ma walked with the Lord,

Nell done come lone. ~ Nell has been alone.

Je'y spee' fo' Nell. ~ Jerry speak for Nell.

Nell bin tata. ~ Nell's been afraid.

Bu' alo'so tata, alo'lay. Anna kine'ey law, he. . . he lilten us kee, us'erna kee. ~ But everyone is frightened, everywhere. The sweet Lord soothes our tears, our many tears.

Yo' ha' erna t'ang. ~ You have big things.

Yo' kno'n erna t'ang. ~ You know big things.

Ma' yo' nay seen inna alo'sees. ~ But you don't look into each other's eyes.

Yo' aken af'a lilta-lilt. ~ Your aching after quietness.

Ah done pass'a missa lye. ~ I've lived a small life.

Ah know'n missa t'ang. ~ I known small things.

An ah known'n tha' alo'so done go. ~ And I known everyone goes.

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Pogies are fingers.
Ressa - stay. They're saying "Stay, stay, stay with me". Nell says "Ga'inja, ress'" when he attempts to leave the boat when he and Paula are fighting. (I love her "Pau'a, spea' Je'y!" while she knocks their heads together. It's perfectly obvious this how Violet made the girls stop arguing.)
T'ee and me -- Thee and me. You can hear Ruthie whisper it back to Nell at the very end.
Feliss is darkness or night, and also joy. The time of joy is the time you can go outside and be a tree in the wind.
Anna erna feliss, anna, anna lilten, lilten - And great joy, and, and peace, peace.
Pau', loo' missa pogie. Loo' - Paula, look, a little finger.
May inna feliss fo' aw tye, reckon? - could also be "May is happy forever, don't you think?"

You've got me?! Who's got you?!

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