I don't think English can truly express the deep emotions of our Jamaican people. When we are really passionate about something "wi draw fi di the patwa"(we speak Patois). Patois is Jamaican creole and it is a hybrid of the African and the English language, essentially resulting from slavery. Slaves and indentured workers brought to the island, carried with them their native tongue and, mixed with the language of the colonizers resulted in the hybrid Patois. Patois has been made popular world wide by persons such as Miss Lou, and various Reggae, Dancehall artistes
Here are some basic Patois to English translations:
Here are some basic Patois to English translations:
Patois
English
Sentence
mi
me, I
mi waan go (I want to go)
yuh
you
yuh nuh hear? (dont you hear?)
dem
them, they, forms all plurals
call dem (call them)
car dem (the cars)
wi
we
wi want justice (we want justice)
cyan
cant
mi cyan bodda (I cant be bothered)
deh
there
go out deh (go out there)
a go
am going to
mi ago a dung deh ( I am going down there)
a fe
its for
a fe him own (it is his)
outa doh
outside
go outa doh nuh (go outside)
inna
in
she inna di house (she is in the house)
madda
mother
mi madda a call yuh (my mother is calling you)
fada
father
mi fada a go come now (my father is on his way)
pickney
child
pickney stop nuh (child, stop)
mek
make
mek me set (let me see it)
di
the
di man cyan come now (the man cannot ocme now)
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