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Glossary of Language
The Official language of Jamaica is English. However most Jamaican speak what is a Patois, pronounced Pa-Twah, It is rooted in the English language, with a mixture of Portuguese, African, Rastafarian, slang, and Spanish
Jamaican Language
| A |
to as in go a shop, from Spanish |
| A Go |
going to do, as in "Me a go tell him" |
| A Door |
outdoors |
| Ackee |
African food tree introduced about 1778. From Twiankye or
Kru akee |
| Agony |
the sensations felt during sex |
| An |
and |
| Babylon |
the corrupt establishment, the "system" or a officer of the law |
| Baby Mother |
A young woman with child. your child mother |
| Bald-Head |
a straight person; one without dreadlocks; one who works
for babylon |
| Bammy |
a pancake made out of cassava, after it has been grated and
squeezed to remove the bitter juice. |
| Bandulu |
bandit, criminal, one living by guile (1) a Bandulu Biznessis
a racket, a swindle. |
| Batty |
bottom; backside; anus. |
| Batty Boy |
a gay person |
| Beenie |
Small |
| Bex |
vex (verb), or vexed (adjective). |
| Bissy |
cola nut. |
| Bly |
chance, "must get a bly", "must get a chance". |
| Braata |
a little extra; like the 13th cookie in a baker's dozen;or an extra helping of food. |
| Bredren |
one's fellow male Rastas |
| Brindle |
to be angry |
| Browning |
A light complexioned woman |
| Bubu |
fool. |
| Bulla |
a comon sugar and flour cookie or small round cake. |
| To get Bun |
to have one's spouse or girl/boy-friend cheat on oneself. |
| Bumba Clot |
curse words |
| Ras Clot |
curse words |
| Blood clot |
curse words |
| Bumbo |
bottom; backside. A common curse word, especially in combination with CLOT (cloth), |
| Cards |
to fool someone |
| Cho |
very common, mild explanation expressing impatience, vexation or disappointment. |
| Clot |
cloth, an essential part of most Jamaican bad words, such as bumbo clot, rass clot, blood clot. |
| Come Een Like |
to seem as if; to resemble. |
| Coo Pon |
(origin unclear) Look upon! |
| Cyaan |
cannot, can't |
| Dawta |
a girl, woman, "sister," girlfriend |
| Deh |
there (place) |
| Di |
the |
| Dis or Dis ya |
this |
| Diss |
To show disrespect |
| To Draw Card |
the act of fooling someone |
| Dungle |
legendary West Kingston slum surrounding a garbage dump, now cleared. From English dunghill |
| Duppy |
a ghost |
| Ease-Up |
to forgive, to lighten up |
| Fas |
to meddle with sombody's business, to be forward, etc. |
| Fayva |
to favour, resemble, or look like; "fayva like" also means "it seems as if" |
| Fe |
the infinitive "to" as in "Have fe go" |
| Feel no way |
don't take offense, don't be sorry, don't worry |
| Fi |
possessive. "fi me"-"mine" |
| Forward |
to go, move on, set out to, in the future |
| Ganja, Weed |
herb, marijuana |
| To) Get Salt |
to encounter misfortune |
| Gates |
home, yard |
| Haffi |
to have to |
| I-Man |
I, me, mine |
| I-Tal |
natural, wholesome; refers to way of cooking and way of life |
| I |
replaces "me", "you", "my"; replaces the first syllable of seleted words (1) I and I, I&I: I, me, you and me, we |
| Inna |
In the |
| Irie |
pleasing |
| J A, Jam-down, the Rock |
Jamaica |
| Jah Know |
Lord knows |
| Jah |
God; Jah Ras Tafari, Haille Selassie, King of Kings, Lord of Lords, conquering Lion of Judah; rastas revere Haile Selassie as the personification of the Almighty |
| Jamdung |
Jamaica, "Jam" to press down "dung" down. Ironic reference to social and economic conditions of the masses |
| Jelly |
a young coconut, full of jelly |
| Ku Deh! |
look there! |
| Ku Pan |
look at. |
| Ku Ya! |
look here! |
| Ku |
verb, look! |
| KYaan |
can't. |
| Kyai |
to carry |
| Kyan |
can |
| Madda |
mother |
| Maga |
thin |
| More Time |
see you later |
| Nah |
will not. as in "Me nah do that |
| Nyam |
to eat. |
| Obeah |
traditional African "science", relating to matters of the spirit and spirits, spells, divinations, omens, extra-sensory knowledge, etc. |
| Ongle |
only. |
| Pawpaw |
papaya |
| Peer |
avocado pear |
| Pickney |
A child :: pickaninny Children |
| Ras or Rass |
backside, rump; a common curse is to rass! or rass clot! a title used by Rastafarians meaning "lord" or "head" . |
| Roti |
flat Indian pan breads |
| Run-Dung |
food cooked in coconut juice, obtained after grating the dry coconut meat and squeezing it in water, thus extracting the coconut cream. |
| Yard |
home |
| Yardie |
applied to anyone from Jamaica |
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