- The Jamaican everyday talk is usually mixed with a lot of Jamaican creole. It’s called patwah. The language is very colorful and full of proverbs, phrases, expressions, words and street talk. It is a very old part of the Jamaican traditions (mi mean sey it deh bout fram when salt fish a shingle roof). The body language compliment the meaning of things said when speaking Jamaican. For example, it is impossible for one not to understand the meaning of “ataclaps” said with the right inflection, intonation, pitch and, most of all, body language “eyes wide and protruding, skin of forehead pulled back to meet the hairline, nostrils slightly flaring, and maybe accompanied with hand akimbo. Now you can see that the patwah is also visual and physical.
Let’s look at some popular Jamaican words in patwah, phrases and expression and there meaning. These words are listed in alphabetical order:
- A
- – (Short ‘a’ as in bat) Used to represent are, it is. Also used before words such as; where or what. Example, ‘A whe him a guh?’ (where is he going), A where ounu a cum fram? (where are you all coming from?)
- Bad
- – mind: covetous, envious
- Batta-Batta
- – badly squeezed, serious struggle, bruised, much struggle
- Bawl
- – (with the ‘a’ stressed) to cry. Example, ‘Nuh badda bawl fi him (don’t bother to cry for him)
- Bex
- – to be upset or vexed
- Bwoy
- – boy
- Bredda
- – Brother, Example, ‘Mi bredda older dan mi’ (my brother is older than I am)
- Claffy
- – A silly person, Example, ‘Dem bouy deh a claffy’ (those boys are silly)
- Coil
- – A wad of money
- Craven
- – Greedy, insatiable
- Dem-deh
- – Those
- Dash weh belly
- -An abortion. Example, ‘dem gal de dash weh belly’ (Those girls have had abortions)
- Dem ya
- – These
- Dutty
- – dirty, unclean
- Ease-off
- – Keep your distance
- Everything is everyt’ing
- – Everything is O.K.
- Extra
- – Ostentatious, show-off, Example, ‘yu too extra’ (you are too show-off)
- Fa’as
- – to be inquisitive, example, ‘dem people deh too fa’as’ (those people are very inquisitive)
- Flex
- – to keep company; hang out with
- Gyal/Gal
- – Girl
- Ganja
- – Marijuana
- Gimmi
- – give
- Ginnal
- – Con-man, trickster
- Green
- – unpleasant underarm odor. Example,’Di man ina di bus smell green’ (The man in the bus has an unpleasant odor)
- Grudgeful
- – Envious
- (H)arbour-shak
- – A greedy person
- (H)eavy
- – Armed, untouchable, influential
- Herb
- – Marijuana (depending on usage), example, ‘you smoke de herb?’ (Do you smoke marijuana?)
- (H)ol it dung
- – play it cool, keep it a secret
- (H)ol tight
- – be good
- Ilaloo
- – calaloo (a green leafy vegetable)
- Irie
- – Good, great, super, example, ‘ Ina Jamaica yu wi find irie hotels an beaches’ (You will find great hotels and beaches in Jamaica)
- Ital
- – Salt-free food mostly eaten by Rastafarians
- J.A.
- – Jamaica
- Jah-know
- – An oath, same as (God knows)
- Jam
- – Capacity crowd, A party or to party, example, ‘Mi sey ina di city Jam wid people’ (In the city is crowded with people)
- Jamdung
- – slang for Jamaica
- Jim-screechy
- – Sneaky, clandestine
- Jugglin
- – Hustling
- Jukey-jukey
- – Anything with thorns or prickles
- Ketch
- – to catch something
- Kirr-out
- – Clear off (mild expletive)
- Kotch
- – to stay temporarily a someone’s home, to perch self on a ledge, to hold open a door with a heavy object etc. Example, ‘Kotch di door fi mi’ (put and object to stop the door from closing)
- Kuh/kuh deh
- – Look there!
- Labba-labba
- – to talk or gossip excessively. Example, ‘She too labba-labba’ (She talks too much)
- Lang-gut
- – (long gut) gluttonous
- Let-off
- – to give something – money, food, sex
- Lick
- – hit or a blow to person or object. Example, ’Di driver mistakenly lick dung de pickney wid him bus’ (The driver accidentally hit down the child with his car.
- Lick-out
- – to speak out against
- Licky-licky
- – A freeloader, parasite, hanger on, very greedy
- Livity
- – A way of living, whether positively or negatively
- Maas
- – Mask, conceal, hide, to put away. Example, ‘Go maas yu face under peanut thrash’ (Hide your face under peanut thrash)
- Macca
- – Thorns or prickles
- Madda
- – Clairvoyant usually of the pocomania churches.
- Labba-labba
- – to talk or gossip excessively. Example, ‘She too labba-labba’ (She talks too much)
- Lang-gut
- – (long gut) gluttonous
- Let-off
- – to give something – money, food, sex
- Lick
- – hit or a blow to person or object. Example, ’Di driver mistakenly lick dung de pickney wid him bus’ (The driver accidentally hit down the child with his car.
- Lick-out
- – to speak out against
- Licky-licky
- – A freeloader, parasite, hanger on, very greedy
- Livity
- – A way of living, whether positively or negatively
- Maas
- – Mask, conceal, hide, to put away. Example, ‘Go maas yu face under peanut thrash’ (Hide your face under peanut thrash)
- Macca
- – Thorns or prickles
- Madda
- – Clairvoyant usually of the pocomania churches.
- Mampy
- – An overweight woman
- Mash-mout’
- – Having no teeth
- Nahsi
- – nasty
- Name-bran
- – Brand name clothing or shoes
- Naygah
- – Negro
- Niceness
- – Good times, a good feeling. A beautiful woman
- Nuff
- – plenty, a large amount
- Nyam
- – to eat. Example, ‘You nyam too much, dats why yu suh fat’ (You eat too much that’s why you’re so fat)
- Obeah
- – Jamaican black magic (witchcraft)
- Ole
- – Old
- Ole’ Dawg
- – men who date more than one woman
- Ol’bruk/Ole’ bruk
- – Hand me downs, used clothes or things
- Ol’ foot
- – An older person (Irreverent way to term someone older)
- Ounu
- – number of persons, group of persons. Also see ‘unu’
- Palaav
- – To be at leisure (usually idly)
- Parro
- – Drunk (usually with ganja)
- Par
- – to par with, to hang out with
- Pawn
- – To grab, take up or pick-up
- Politricks
- – Politics, implying dishonesty
- Pon
- – on, upon (preposition)
- Pop-style
- – To affect airs, to show-off
- Puppa
- – Papa, father figure, daddy
- Quaabs
- – Equals. Of the same ilk
- Quashie
- – A simpleton/low class person
- Quips
- – A very small amount. Example, Mi sey di woman mean, him gimmi one likkle quips a food. (The woman is unkind. She gave me a very small amount of food)
- Quaabs
- – Equals. Of the same ilk
- Race up
- – A proper tongue-lashing, vocal reprimand, cause embarrassm
- Ragamuffin
- – Thug (usually in a good way)
- Ram
- – Filled to capacity (with people). Example, ‘Di Deejay ram di party la’as nite’
- Raw
- – A smell like that of uncooked fish or seafood, or extreme hunger. Example,‘Gimme some food deh, mi raw bad.’ (May I have some food? I am very hungry)
- Red
- – High, stoned or drunk. A bad state of affairs
- Red-eye
- – Jealous, spiteful, or envious.
- Respect
- – (A greeting) Example, ‘respect sir’, ‘nuff respect to ounu’ (plenty respect to you all)
- Saaf drinks
- – Soft drinks (Aerated/Carbonated sodas)
- Samfie
- – To pull a trick on someone, a trickster
- Saps
- – An emotional softie, a weakling
- Screechy
- – Furtiveness, covert movements
- Seh
- – Say, said or that. Example,’yu hear whe the man seh?’ (Did you hear what the man said?)
- Seh-seh
- – Hearsy, idle talk, gossip
- Shub
- – To push. Example, ‘Mi shub dung di ting ina di bag’ (I push down the things into the bag)
- Si
- – see
- So-so
- – only
- Stush
- – sophisticated
- Talla-wah
- – stronger, more energetic, superior
- Tan
- – Stay (here, there). Example, ‘Tan deh till mi come’ (Stay there until I return)
- Tegehreg
- – A virago
- Trace
- – To curse someone, to abuse verbally
- Tyad
- – 1. (derogatory) Old, overused. Example, ‘Don’t wear di ugly tyad red shirt’ (Don’t wear the ugly old red shirt)2. Tired
- Unu
- – All of you, everyone
- Up-front
- – In the open, be truthful
- Vibes
- – A feeling or aura which can either be negative or positive
- Vibes-out
- – To put oneself in a mood.
- Wack
- – A large amount. Example,’Mi seh di bwoy suddung ova a wack a food’(The boy sat in front of an enormous plate of food.)
- Wha-day
- – The other day (recently)
- Wanga-gut
- – greedy, gluttonous
- Weh
- – what or where
- What-lef
- – Whatever is left over
- Wuk
- – work
- X-amount
- – A lot, uncountable
- Yagga-yagga
- – Behaving in an unbecoming way (of person), crude or vulgar
- Yahso/Yah-so
- – Right here. Example,’ A yasso she did siddung’ (She was sitting right here)
- Yardie
- – Term used by Jamaicans to identify each other in foreign countries.
- Yahso/Yah-so
- – Right here. Example,’ A yasso she did siddung’ (She was sitting right here)
- Y’eye
- – Eye
- Zutupeck
- – A very unattractive person.