Tag Archives: Patois

Jamaican Slang in British Youth Culture

Posted on by
Reply

shankOn Friday night I watched a fantastic British Film called Shank. As I started to watch the movie, I noticed the massive contribution Jamaican slang continues to have on British Youth Culture, especially in London. From there, I decided to watch two additional British Films, KiDULTHOOD and AdULTHOOD. And once again, they were full of Jamaican slang. Now, all of these movies had people of West Indian (Caribbean) descent in them, but it wasn’t just the West Indians that were “chatting” in a rich Jamaican Patois vocabulary. Everybody was speaking with a hint of Jamaican slang.

England has long been connected to Jamaica and all of the other countries in the British West Indies. In the mid 20th century, people workers from the Caribbean started to flood England seeking better opportunities. Many West Indians worked in all kinds of fields and professions, but a good amount of the less educated West Indians ended up on the Estates (government housing). The West Indian influence and especially the Jamaican influence infiltrated all aspects of British Society, especially the music. Genres like Ska and Garage clearly have Jamaican musical elements. The lyrics of the music helped to instill Jamaican slang into the vocabulary of young Britons, but so did the contact with the increasing number of West Indians in everyday society.

kidulthood1

Now, you can go to any part of London and hear someone who is not Jamaican and has no ties to West Indies refer to someone as a Rudeboy or a Gyal. For example, in the three movies I watched over the past three days, here is a rough list of the Jamaican slang words and expressions I heard:

  • Gyal
  • Rudeboy (Rudebwoy)
  • Chat (Chat bout)
  • Likkle
  • Yaad (Yard)
  • Yuh Dun Noh (You Already Know)
  • Tings (Things)
  • Batty Bwoy
  • Badman
  • Shotta
  • Mash Her Up
  • Yout (Youth)
  • Wha gwaan?
  • Wha ya deal?

There were many more, including some that are better of not mentioned here. And although, the language and music were the most apparent aspects of Jamaica’s influence in British Youth Culture, there were other things such as body language that contains hints of Jamaican culture.

So, if you live in England, you can easily get started mastering Jamaican Patois and if you are visiting England after learning some patois, you can get some proper practice in. Finally, make sure you watch the films, they are really interesting and a good break from the Hollywood blockbusters.

Understanding Jamaican Patois Grammar – Third Person Plural

Posted on by
Reply

In order to speak Jamaican Patois properly, you have to disregard some of the rules of standard English. One of the main differences between standard English and Jamaican Patois is the practice of using the third person plural pronoun after a noun  to indicate the plural. Huh?? Okay, here is an example

Standard English:  The boys are coming.

Jamaican Patois: Di bwoy dem a come.

Notice how it isn’t “di bwoys a come”. Basically, you need to add a “dem” after each singular noun to make the noun plural. Here are few additional examples to make this even clearer.

1) Di ooman dem call im Charles. = The women call him Charles.

2) Di yout dem a wuk wit mi bredda. = The youth work with my brother.

3) Yuh see dem pickney? = Did you see those kids?

In example three “dem” was placed in front of pickney which implies the plural. Basically, you need to remember to use “dem” in front or after a singular noun. And remember, there are no official rules to Jamaican Patois, but if you are striving for the most authentic patois, this will be essential. Likkle more!

Back A Yaad and Feelin’Poetic

Posted on by
Reply

We were on a little holiday for a few days, so you probably noticed a slow down in posts. Despite the time away, we are back and feeling poetic. Speaking of back and poetry, I thought it would be a good idea to post a poem about returning to Africa. For those of you in the know, repatriation (returning to Africa) is a big deal in the Rastafari movement, but is it really the best thing for people of African descent brough over in slavery. The famous Jamaican author Louise Bennett aka Miss Lou contemplates the idea of returning to Africa in the poem ‘Back to Africa‘. By the way, this poem is in Jamaican Patois, so you really get an idea of the grammar and maybe some Jamaican Slang.

Back to Africa, Miss Mattie?
You no know wha you dah seh?
You haf fe come from somewhe fus
Before you go back deh!

Me know say dat you great great great
Granma was African,
But Mattie, doan you great great great
Granpa was Englishman?

Den you great granmader fader
By you fader side was Jew?
An you granpa by you mader side
Was Frenchie parlez-vous?

But de balance a you family,
You whole generation,
Oonoo all barn dung a Bun Grung-
Oonoo all is Jamaican!

Den is weh you gwine, Miss Mattie?
Oh, you view de countenance,
An between you an de Africans
Is great resemblance!

Ascorden to dat, all dem blue-yeye
White American
Who-fa great granpa was Englishman
Mus go back a Englan!

What a debil of a bump-an-bore,
Rig-jig an palam-pam
Ef de whole worl start fe go back
Whe dem great granpa come from!

Ef a hard time you dah run from
Tek you chance! But Mattie, do
Sure a whe you come from so you got
Somewhe fe come back to!

Go a foreign, seek you fortune,
But no tell nobody say
You dah go fe seek you homelan,
For a right deh so you deh!

Source: Black Woman Thinks…

So, should we go back to Africa? I’d love to hear your feedback on this, since it is such a big deal in the Rastafari movement. More Time.

Does Jah Cure Really Have The Universal Cure? (Jamaican-Slang Album Review)

Posted on by
1

jahcureuniversalcurecover1

So it is finally here, a new album from Jah Cure (born Siccature Alcock, 11 October 1978, Hanover, Jamaica), the rising reggae star who was sentenced to 15 years in prison for allegedly raping a woman in Jamaica. If you are just learning about Jah Cure, you should know, this guy is talented. Before going to jail, Jah Cure was leading the conscious reggae  renaissance with artists like Gyptian, I Wayne, Perfect, and Richie Spice. Jah Cure’s unique voice blessed many classic riddims and kept fans waiting for anything new from the Cure, but fans were shocked when he caught the robbery and rape charges. Despite, going to jail, Jah Cure still recorded music of equal quality from prison. If you haven’t heard the Jah Cure song, Conga Man, please please please download it or do what you have to in order to get your hands on it. It is a perfect example of the quality that he put out behind bars and it is over an amazing riddim. Anyway, I digress. So, in 2007 Jah Cure was released on parole, serving only 7 years of a 15 year sentence, but the world was waiting for the next Jah Cure album.

The Universal Cure is the latest Jah Cure album and the only album he has put out since leaving prison in 2007.  The Universal Cure starts off with “Sticky”, a song that has been out for a while (it was on Reggae Gold 2007 just to give you an idea), but it is definitely a classic Jah Cure song. Sticky is an up beat happy tune made to enjoy while on the beach in Jamaica. Sticky is followed by “Hot Long Time”, a song featuring Mavado, Junior Reid, Flo-Rida, and it is a great forum to hear Mavado’s special voice alongside Jah Cure’s unique voice. The song is Fyah and is definitely a cross-over song. The next major hit on the album is “Reflections” which is a magical Jah Cure song. It almost seems like the riddim was made for him because he just poured his heart out on this song. This song can be a bit confusing for people that followed his sentencing because it almost seems like he is confessing to the charges even though he has maintained his innocence. “Soon Come”, the next song, is just alright. Nothing really special in this song. “Burning & Looting” should be soundtrack music. This song could be the opening song for many socially conscious movies and is another solid track put out by Jah Cure. “My Life” is another song that is just alright. The song just does not standout on the album, but “Mr.Jailer”, the next song is a different song. “Mr. Jailer” featuring Phyllisia is the lead song from the album and is right up there with “Hot Long Time” for crossover appeal. This song isn’t really the traditional reggae song, but who cares, it definitely has potential to be bumped in cars all over the world, by both gyal and bwoy. “Freedom” is pretty self explanitory and is a solid track. “Freedom” is definitely a Jah Cure song because his voice shines on this song and spills his heart about being out of Jail. “Sufferation” is definitely held down by the riddim. Its one of those songs that gets on a riddim where everyone shines.  “Sufferation” is followed by “Journey”, another track that Jah Cure does his thing. I really like this track for the riddim and the content of the song. “Forever” is an upbeat song, but it is the same thing over again and it is just alrght. “U Believe in Me” is the last song that is just alright. The remaining three songs are all good songs and worth checking out. “Green Grass” the last song is fyah, largely because of the Mission Riddim (Mavado’s On The Rock Riddim).  This riddim just makes it easy for artists to make classic tracks. “Call Me” featuring Keisha Cole is a type of song that you have heard many times if you listen to reggae at all, but ou never get tired of that modern day lover’s rock sound.

Overall, The Universal Cure is a good album, but it is not a great album because many of the songs have been out for years. It serves its purpose in reintroducing the world to Jah Cure, but its not ground breaking. It is definitely worth picking up. If you are looking to learn Jamaican Patois/Jamaican Slang, this is not the album to buy. Its more about the content of the songs than how they are said.

Jah Cure – Hot Long Time

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Jah Cure – Green Grass

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Top 5 Biggest Reggae Feuds (Wars)

Posted on by
Reply

Reggae, especially dancehall reggae, is highly competitive and territorial. Similar to hip-hop and sports, there are rivalries. Most of the rivalries develop out of something small and then blow up, but there are definitely some people like Bounty Killer and Vybz Kartel that attract drama all of the time. With the Vybz Kartel and Mavado beef continuing to escalate like Ja Rule and 50 Cent or Nas and Jay-Z, I thought it was time to shed some light on some classic dancehall beefs. Here is Jamaican Slang’s interpretation of Complex Magazine’s list of the Ten Biggest Reggae Beefs. We have reduced it to the five best, zeen!?:

Beenie Man vs. Bounty Killer Back in the day

#1 – Beenie Man vs. Bounty Killer :

This one is the grandfather, king, and still champion of feuds inna di dance. They’re both legends, and they’ve found more things to squabble about over the past 15 years than a long-married couple. Whether it’s Beenie kissing RuPaul on an American talk show, Bounty appearing in a No Doubt video with a naked man, or most recently Beenie marrying Bounty’s longtime girlfriend D’Angel, they’re the Hulk Hogan and Andre the Giant of reggae (except they’re both alive and neither of them has a she-male for a daughter). Their dysfunctional relationship is the defining thread of modern dancehall, even going so far as to entangle their younger protégés (the beef between Bounty’s protege Mavado and Vybz Kartel intensified when Kartel attended Beenie’s wedding).

Vybz Kartel vs.Mavado

#2 – Vybz Kartel vs. Mavado :

This feud started back in 2006 when Vybz left The Alliance, an unofficial group of artists (with Mavado, Busy Signal, Wayne Marshall, and a few dozen other DJs) started by Bounty Killer. At the time of his departure, Vybz Kartel was a member of the Alliance along with Mavado. Once separated from The Alliance, in typical Vybz Kartel style, Vybz started to diss members of The Alliance and it was the rising star Mavado that responded. There are dozens of diss tracks recorded by both artists and although, the beef take a breather in 2007, the heat was on again in 2008 with Sting 2008 as the battle of all battles to decide who would win. Four months later and people are still debating who won on stage at Sting 2008. This beef is pretty personal because both know each other well.

Beenie Man vs. Capleton

#3 – Beenie Man vs. Capelton:

This feud made it to the top because it’s like the Crusades. You have the Bobo Ashanti Fire Starter vs. The King of the Dancehall. Two ideologies against each other. Truthfully, this stems from Beenie calling out Capelton’s Bobo Ashanti rhetoric on the song “Hypocrites”. Capleton fires back with a CLASSIC track called “Who Dem.”

Assassin & Spragga Benz

#4 – Vybz Kartel vs. Assassin & Spragga Benz:

Kartel and Assassin clashed first as a friendly rivalry, but then things got heated. Eventually, Assassin’s big homie Spragga Benz (pon di ends) had to get involved for the feud’s climax over the “Stepz” riddim. This one turned out like 50 vs Game: both landed stinging shots, but both also lived to fight another day. It just seems like Kartel is looking for fights!

Mavado vs. Beenie Man

#5 – Mavado vs. Beenie Man:

Mavado’s line in the song “How High” mentions “Baby Brian” (“give him some fat teflon fi try on/mek him madda cry ‘cause him die by my han’”)—and even though the song was released before Beenie’s half-brother Brian was murdered in 2006, Beenie understandably caught feelings. Based on the timing, it might be Mavado making a 50 Cent move going after the King of the Dancehall. For those that do not know, 50 Cent dissed Jay-Z well before Get Rich or Die Trying. Later on 50 admitted that by dissing Jay-Z he figured Jay would come back, which he did, thus helping 50 get on the map. The Alternative view is that Bounty Killer sent his new top soldier to go after the reigning (self-proclaimed) King of the Dancehall.

Here are some other honorable mention beefs in dancehall:

Ninja Man vs. Mad Cobra

Vybz Kartel vs. Bounty Killer

Ninja Man vs. Pretty Much Everyone to Step on Stage

Super Cat vs. Bounty Killer

Super Cat vs. Nitty Gritty

Deva Bratt vs. Munga

Merciless vs. Bounty Killer vs. Ninja Man vs. Beenie Man

To hear more of the songs associated with these beefs to learn more about them, visit the Complex Magazine Feature. Complex probably needed to link up with www.jamaican-slang.com to get better with the Jamaican Patois, zeen?!

Exclusive Audio of People Speaking Jah’s (God’s) Word…in Jamaican Patois

Posted on by
Reply

This is “irie”!!! The Bible Translation debate is the biggest issue related to Jamaican Patois and the Bible in Jamaica. I was able to come across these audio clips from the Bible Society of people reading select verses from the Bible in Patois. This is fantastic. Check the audio clips here!

6 Basic Steps to Speak Jamaican Patois Like Supermodel Kate Moss

Posted on by
1

Kate Moss_

Yah Mon, Supermodel Kate Moss is learning to speak Jamaican Patois with Jamaican Slang and all. Kate has been learning patois during her periodic visits to Jamaica. Now, if you have a bankroll as long as Kate Moss, then your best choice might be going to Jamaica to learn patois for a few months, but most of us are not able to do that for that long. The truth is that even Kate could use some basic pointers on learning Jamaican Patois and Jamaican Slang when she is not able to zip to Jamaica. Learning Jamaican Patois is like learning any other language, it is vital to take advantage of your time in the county where the language is spoken, but you also need to continue training when you are back home to retain the knowledge and increase fluency. So is a list of the 6 Basic Steps to Speak Jamaican like Kate Moss and many Jamaicans.

  1. Begin with the Jamaican idioms. The most noticeable aspect of Jamaican patois to a non-speaker is the heavy reliance on idioms. Idioms like “No one cyaan test,” which means no one can compete with a given person, use both the vernacular and the grammar of the patois. Learning a few of the idioms and their meanings will give you a context for advancing with the patois.
  2. Learn the patois’ pronouns. Jamaican uses a system of pronouns that is based on the English pronomial system but differs significantly enough that it needs to be learned. Switch personal pronouns, for example, so “I” becomes “mi” and “me” becomes “I,” and replace possessive pronouns like “mine” with “fi” to start speaking the patois like a Jamaican.
  3. Get the vocabulary. One of the most difficult parts of speaking Jamaican patois is the rich and dynamic vocabulary. Though infused with English, the system of Jamaican words is unique. You should learn Jamaican words and the many different grammatical uses that they have. The word “nuh,” for instance, means a general negative that includes “no,” “don’t” and “doesn’t.”
  4. Get the tenses and aspects. Perhaps the most difficult part of speaking Jamaican patois is learning how to properly conjugate verbs. Jamaican’s system of verb tenses and aspects is completely different from that of English. Most importantly, you should master Jamaican’s version of the English “to be,” which is frequently left out of sentences or is replaced with a copular “a” or “e,” such as “Mi a di speaker,” to mean “I am the speaker.”
  5. Explore inflection and pronunciation. Jamaican patois has a rhythm and lilt that comes from its blend of African roots and Spanish and French Romance languages. You can get a sense of the rhythms of Jamaican by listening to reggae lyrics. The spelling of Jamaican patois—”mon” for “man,” for example—reflects English words softened in pronunciation by Romance accents.
  6. Become familiar with Rasta culture. Many Jamaican terms are drawn from the practice of Rastafarianism, a unique Jamaican syncretic religion that combines themes from the Hebrew Bible with the veneration of Haile Selassie, a former Ethiopian ruler, as a messianic figure. Again, reggae music is a good starting point for tracing the influence of Rasta on Jamaican patois. The Jamaican word for “God,” for example, is “Jah,” drawn from the biblical Hebrew “Yahweh.”

Remember, these are the basic steps to learning Jamaican Patois, but you have to practice, practice, pratice and study, study, study! To learn jamaican patois and slang visit www.jamaican-slang.com. SpeakJamaican.com is the home of the Rastaman Vibration, the definitive source on Jamaican Slang, Patois, Reggae and Rastafari…all essential to catching the Jamaican Vibe. To read the original article where these steps come from click here.

Jamaican Hooked On Phonics Lesson One….One,Two,Tree

Posted on by
Reply

029nyahbingi81negril.jpg

If you want to speak Jamaican Patois and master the Jamaican language, you are going to have to know the grammar. Just like any language there are some rules, but the cool thing is, the rules in Jamaican Patois are not like many other languages…so let’s get into it.

In the Jamaican language, the singular and plural are the same word, so here is an example:

one cat, two cat = one cat, two cats

one bwoy, two bwoy = one boy, two boys

“Member Dat!” or Remember that even things in the plural are spoken in the singular form, so you do not need to add the plural prefix -S like in our boring Standard English.

Often times there is a clear need to indicate a plural, the third person plural pronoun written as dem, is placed after the noun. Here are some examples:

Di bwoy dem = The boys

Gwaan chat wit di gyal dem = Go chat with the girls

Call di pickney dem = Call the children/kids

Okay yardies, hopefully you get the point that “S” in Jamaican Patois is just not necesary so save it for a conversation with your grandma (unless she is Jamaican!). You might want to know why the language evolved this way. Basically, according to L. Emilie Adams, the practice of using the third person plural pronoun (Dem=Them) after the noun (ie. bwoy, gyal) to indicate the plural is an African linguistc characteristic brought to Jamaica by the Africa Slaves. Most Jamaicans are the descendants of peoples speaking languages of the Niger-Congo family. This language family is the largest in Africa and are mostly known for adding the third person plural pronoun to indicate the plural.

There are so many things from Africa that Jamaica has preserved and also reinvented. It’s just so cool to see things often oppressed survive. There are so many other Africanism in Jamaican Patois, that I have to break it up. So stay tuned and … visit www.jamaican-slang.com to learn about Jamaican Patois.

More Time!

A Reading of di Bible in the Jamaican Language

Posted on by
Reply

I was so excited when I came across this video of a Bible passage being read in the Jamaican Language, Patois! Right now, one of the biggest debate going on in Jamaica is the translation of the Bible into Jamaican Patois. This issue has caused “nuff” controversy because English is the official language of Jamaica, but the masses speak Patois. Relish the beauty and uniqueness of Patois by Checking this out:

[YouTube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5H_JPMU2Ts]

Two New … Dirty…Words to Help You Speak Jamaican

Posted on by
Reply

Did you know?????

Sal and teli are Jamaican patois for female and male reproductive organs respectively.

Opps?!….Some of you might be turned off by this, some of you might be offended by this, but I feel that you have to know the lingo if you are going to speak Jamaican and speak “di real t’ing”. This is a quick entry, but valuable because we have two new words to add to our Jamaican Patois Vocabulary. This is definitely language you will hear in the dancehall scene. Okay, that’s it for now…soon come.

To read the source of this “knowledge”, visit: http://tak3action.livejournal.com/15610.html