Patwah in Jamaica: speaking patois

30 April 201326 March 2018 About Jamaica

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.

(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)

One thought on “Patwah in Jamaica: speaking patois”