Patwah in Jamaica: speaking patois

jamaican patwah

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.

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