Language and Jamaica

The official language of Jamaica is English, spoken in proper fashion with a uniquely Jamaican accent.

However the language of the streets is patois. This musical dialect is a combination of English, Spanish, Portuguese, African phrases and a good dose of Jamaican slang. With patois, “You get more mileage out of your tongue,” one Jamaican explained to us.

It is not necessary for travelers to learn patois because all interactions can be accomplished in English,
but you might enjoy taking a lesson.

What is Patois?

Jamaica’s patois is composed of words from many different African languages. Most are believed to come from the Twi language and other Gold Coast (not Ghana) languages. Other influences include the language of Mendi, Igbo, Efik, Yoruba, Kongo, Kimbundu, Ewe, Mandinka and, possibly Swahili.

INTERESTING FACT: Patois uses many repeated words, such as bo-bo (silly person) and was-was (wasp). Scholars believe this pattern came from West African speech.

Patois Phrases & Words
Here’s an example of some patois you might hear on the streets:

a go foreign--to leave Jamaica
baby father--father of one’s child
baby mother--mother of one’s child
bakra--a white slavemaster
bankra--a large basket
batty--bottom
bendung maaket--a sidewalk market, a place where you would bend down or “bendung” to shop
boonoonunus--wonderful, beautiful
bratta--something extra
bredda--brother
chaka-chaka--messy
chalice--pipe used for smoking ganja
chimmy--chamber pot
cool runnings--a greeting that means things are going well
cotta-- cloth roll to cushion the head when carrying loads
craven--greedy
cuss-cuss--argument with cursing
dege-dege-- skinny
duppy--ghost
dutchy--dutch cooking pot
ganja--marijuana
herb--marijuana
irie (eye-ree)-- all’s well, good
jackass rope-- homegrown tobacco
janga--crayfish
kiss teet--sucking teeth in disapproval
ku-- look
kyaan-- can’t
laba-laba --gossip
labrish -- gossip
lilly bit -- tiny, small
mash up -- destroy, wreck
natty dread-- dreadlocks or person with dreadlocks
nyam-- eat
oht fi--about to
pikny--child
rass-- backside (a common curse)
ratchet--switchblade
sindung-- sit down
sipple--slippery
skin your teeth--smile
teif-- thief
wa mek?-- why?
wagga-wagga  -- bountiful
winjy-- sickly
yard--home