Are you wondering what Patois is??? Here is some information and some words for you to try it out for yourself! Its amazing to hear the staff talk to each other! I will try to get a video of it later....but for now you can read up on it!
Love, The Hesters
Jamaican patois evolved, in Jamaica, over hundreds of years during which time the language was influenced by loanwords introduced by African slaves, and it was also heavily influenced by English words, from the British, who colonized the island. Therefore, it should not be surprising that many words in patois lean towards a British pronunciation; although no similar word may exist in standard English.
Some say that Jamaica patois is an accent. It is more than an accent. Some say that patois is a language. Suffice it to say that patois has its own pronunciation rules, word order is important and correct usage and placement of verbs are important. Moreover, Jamaican patois incorporates new words from other languages and from other cultures on a continual basis.
The language is constantly changing. Much of the change is due to new words being "coined" or borrowed from other languages. Youth culture also drives and promotes change in the language. One of these ways youth culture affects patois is through the use of the Internet.
Jamaican is a spoken language and was hardly written, except in folk poetry and folk stories, but now patois is frequently being written in Internet chat rooms where spelling is gaining standardization and new word are being coined.
Jamaican patois is the 'lingua franca' spoken in Jamaica. It is a vibrant, expressive and lively language. If you've ever listened to or heard dance hall reggae music you've had a taste of what the language sounds like.
If you know a few words of patois, Jamaicans will be delighted to hear you speak them but it's not necessary because Jamaicans can understand standard English perfectly well!
The following are a few examples of Jamaican words.
Popular Words for Greeting People:
yes eyeyah = yes sir (used as a very informal greeting)
wah gwan = what's going on
nutten nah gwan = nothing is going on
suh wah pun = so what's up
Showing Location:
eh deh = it is
nuh deh = it is not
deh deh = to be
she deh deh = she is there (at home etc)
Pronouns:
mi = I/my
yuh = you
unno = you(plural)
wi = we
dem = they
Common Verbs:
lef = to leave
dem lef = they left
gi = to give
dem gi eh = they gave it
Words and Expressions:
cho = an exclamation
cho nuh dweet = don't do it (exclamation)
cris = pretty, looks good
chaparita = wrist bracelet
boops = someone with money
No comments:
Post a Comment