The Official language of Jamaica is English. However most Jamaican speak what is a Patois, pronounced Pa-Twah, It is rooted in the English language, with a mixture of Portuguese, African, Rastafarian, slang, and Spanish.
Glossary of Language
A
to as in go a shop, from Spanish
A Go
going to do, as in "Me a go tell him"
A Door
outdoors
Ackee
African food tree introduced about 1778. From Twiankye or
Kru akee
Agony
the sensations felt during sex
An
and
Babylon
the corrupt establishment, the "system",
Baby Mother
A young woman with child
Bad
good, great
Bag-o-Wire
a betrayer
Bakra
white slavemaster, or member of the ruling class in colonial
days. Popular etymology: "back raw" (which he bestowed with
a whip.)
Bald-Head
a straight person; one without dreadlocks; one who works
for babylon
Bammy
a pancake made out of cassava, after it has been grated and
squeezed to remove the bitter juice.
Bandulu
bandit, criminal, one living by guile (1) a Bandulu Biznessis
a racket, a swindle.
Bangarang
uproar, disorder, disturbance.
Bat
butterfly or moth. English bat, the flying rodent, is a rat-bat.
Bashment
The works, the ulimate, wherther applied to a
sound system session or a woman pasing on the street
Batty
bottom; backside; anus.
Batty Boy
a gay person
Batty Rider
A skipy pair of shorts
Beast
a policeman
Beenie
Small
Bex
vex (verb), or vexed (adjective).
Bhuttu
an uncouth, out of fashion, uncultured person Use: Wey yu
a go inna dem deh cloze? Yu fayva buttu (12)
Bissy
cola nut.
Bly
chance, "must get a bly", "must get a chance".
Boasie
adj. proud, conceited, ostentatious
Bobo
fool.
Braa
from Brenna brother.
Braata
a little extra; like the 13th cookie in a baker's dozen;or
an extra helping of food.
Bredren
one's fellow male Rastas
Brindle
to be angry
Brinks
title given to a man who is supplying a woman with money
Browning
A light complexioned woman
Bubu
fool.
Bucky or one Pop
home-made gun
Bufu-Bufu
fat, swollen, blubbery; too big; clumsy or lumbering.
Buguyaga
a sloppy, dirty person, like a bum or tramp.
Bull Bucka
a bully
Bulla
a comon sugar and flour cookie or small round cake.
To get Bun
to have one's spouse or girl/boy-friend cheat on oneself.
Bumba Clot
curse words
Ras Clot
curse words
Blood clot
curse words
Bumbo
bottom; backside. A common curse word, especially
in combination with CLOT (cloth),
Bunks
to knock or bump against, from "to bounce",
Bupps
Sugar daddy, Man who provides for women financially.
Usually a woman uses a bupps.
The Cat
a woman's genitals
Cards
to fool someone
Cease and Sekkle
stop everything and relax!
Chaka-Chaka
messy, disorderly, untidy.
Chalice or Chillum
a pipe for smoking herb, usually made from coconut
shell
Cheap
just as cheap, just as well.
Chimmy
chamber pot.
Cho
very common, mild explanation expressing impatience, vexation
or disappointment.
Clap
hit, break, stride
Clot
cloth, an essential part of most Jamaican bad
words, such as bumbo clot, rass clot, blood clot.
Coil
money
Come Dung
come down, get ready (as to prepare to play a
tune)
Come Een Like
to seem as if; to resemble.
Control
to be in charge of, responsible for, to own;
to take
Coo Pon
(origin unclear) Look upon!
Cool
Runnings
a greeting; things are going smoothly
Coolie
the traditional Jamaican epithet for East Indians.
Usually in the form coolie-man or coolie-oman.
Cork Up
jammed, filled, crowded
Corn
money or a bullet
Cotch
verb (cotch up), to support something else, as
with a forked stick; to balance something or place it temporarily;
to beg someone a cotch, can be a place on a crowded bus seat
or bench; or it may mean to cotch a while, to stay somewhere
temporarily.
Crab
aside from it's usual meaning, it is a verb meaning
to scratch or claw.
Craven
greedy
Cris
crisp; popularly used for anything brand-new, slick-looking.
Crissars
crisp, brand-new
Crosses
problems, vexations, trials; bad luck, misfortunes.
Culture
reflecting or pertaining to the roots values and traditions
highly respected by the Rastas
Cuss-Cuss
a quarrel or fracas, with lots of cursing.
Cut Yai
to cut your eye at somebody is a very common means of expressing
scorn or contempt, for example; one catches the other person's
eye, then deliberatly turns one's own eyes as an insult.
Cutchie
pipe for communal smoking.
Cyaan
cannot, can't
D.J.
a person who sings or scats along with dub music, sometimes
called "toasting"
Dada
father
Dally
executive zig-zag movements on wheels or on foot (6) to
ride a bicycle or motorbike with a weaving motion, as when ones
weaves around potholes.
Dan Dada
the highest of Don's
Dan
than
Darkers
sunglasses
Dasheen
a big soft yam-like root, often slightly greyish when cooked.
It is related to the coco, but one eats the "head" instead of
the tubers.
Dawta
a girl, woman, "sister," girlfriend
Deaders
meat, meat by-products
Deestant
decent.
Deh
there (place)
Di
the
Dis or Dis ya
this
Diss
To show disrespect
Dogheart
a person who is especially cold and cruel
Dooly
executive zig-zag movements on wheels
Don
one who is respected, master of a situation
Donkya
from "don't care"; careless, sloppy, lacking ambition, etc.
Doondoos
an albino.
Downpressor
someone who oppresses you
To Draw Card
the act of fooling someone
Dreadlocks
hair that is neither combed nor cut 2. a person with dreadlocks
Dready
a friendly term for a fellow dread
Dub
a roots electronic music, created by skillful, artistic re-engineering
of recorded tracks
Dungle
n. legendary West Kingston slum surrounding a garbage dump,
now cleared. From English dunghill
Duns,Dunsa
money
Duppy
a ghost
Dutchy
dutch cooking pot, low round-bottomed heavy pot.
Ease-Up
to forgive, to lighten up
Everything Cook and Curry
all is well, all is taken care of
Fas
to be fast with, meaning to be rude, impertinent, to meddle
with sombody's business, to be forward, etc.
Fassy
eczema-like scratchy sores on the skin; also
a verb meaning to cause oneself to be covered with fassy by
scratching.
Fayva
to favour, resemble, or look like; "fayva like"
also means "it seems as if".
Fe
the infinitive "to" as in "Have fe go"
Feel no way
don't take offense, don't be sorry, don't worry
Fenky-Fenky
(from finicky) choosy, proud, stuck-up.
Fi
possessive. "fi me"-"mine"
Fiesty
impudent, rude, out of order, cheeky.
First Light
tomorrow
(Him a) Fish
a gay person
Fit
when used of fruits and vegetables, it means
ready to pick, full grown.
Forward
to go, move on, set out 2. in the future
Fullness, To the
Fullness
completely, absolutely, totally
Funds
Money
Gaan to Bed
an adverbial phrase; following a verb of liking
or loving, it has a superlative meaning; Can be used in any
context, such as "I love hafu yam gaan to bed!".
Ganja, Weed
herb, marijuana
GANSEY Gansey
t-shirt, any knit shirt
(To) Get Salt
to be thwarted, to encounter misfortune
Gates
home, yard
General
cool operator
Gig
spinning top.
Ginnal
n. trickster, con-man, an Amnancy figure as in
"Sunday Ginnal"-a preacher or clergyman
Glamity
a woman's genitals
Don Gorgon
a person who is respected
Gravalicious
greedy, avaricious.
Grindsman
one who displays great prowess in bed
Ground
home, yard
Haffi
to have to...
Hail
a greeting
Hard
excellent, proficient, skillful, uncompromising
Hiez
ears.
Higgler
A sidewalk vendor.
Hitey-Titey
upper class, high tone, "stoosh".
Hood
penis.
Hortical (Don)
respected, acclaimed
Hot-Stepper
fugitive from jail or gun court
I-Man
I, me, mine
I-Ney
a greeting
I-Rey
1. a greeting 2. excellent, cool, highest
I-Tal
vital, organic, natural, wholesome; refers to
way of cooking and way of life
I
replaces "me", "you", "my"; replaces the first
syllable of seleted words (1) I and I, I&I: I, me, you and me,
we .
Iez-Haad
ears-hard, thick skulled, stubborn, unwilling
or unable to hear.
Iez
ears.
Ignorant
short-tempered, easy to vex, irate.
Inna Di Morrows
tomorrow
Inna
In the
Irie
adj. powerful and pleasing
Ja, Jam-down, the
Rock
Jamaica
Jah Know
Lord knows
Jah
God; Jah Ras Tafari, Haille Selassie, King of
Kings, Lord of Lords, conquering Lion of Judah; rastas revere
Haile Selassie as the personification of the Almighty
Jamdung
Jamaica, "Jam" to press down "dung" down. Ironic
reference to social and economic conditions of the masses
Jammin
to be having a good time, to be dancing calypso/soca
Jancro
literally John Crow, buzzard
Janga
shrimp, crayfish.
Jelly
a young coconut, full of jelly.
Joe Grind
The other man who visits a woman when her husband/regular
boyfriend is way
Jon Connu
:(John Canoe). Bands of elaborately masked
dancers appearing around Christmas. They ressemble the ancestral
dancers of West Africa, but the ety. of the word is unclear.
Jook
to pierce or stick, as with a thorn or a long
pointed stick.
Judgin'
: adjective, everyday or ordinary clothes or
shoes worn in the yard or in the bush, as in "judgin' boot".
Also as a verb, to judge, with a similar meaning.
Kallaloo or Callaloo
a dark, green leafy vegetable, very nutritious
and cheap.
Kass Kass
quarrel or contention. From combination of English
curse or cuss, and Twi kasa kasa-to dispute verbally
Kemps
a little bit, a tiny piece, from skimps.
Kiss Me Neck!
common exclamation of surprise.
Kiss Teet
to kiss one's teeth or to suck one's teeth is
to make the very common hissing noise of disappoval, dislike,
vexation or disappointment.
Kouchie
bowl of a chalice or chillum pipe
Ku Deh!
look there!
Ku Pan
look at.
Ku Ya!
:look here!
Ku
verb, look!
Kumina
Ecstatic dance for the purpose of communicating
with ancestors. From Twi akom-to be possessed and ana-by an
ancestor
KYaan
can't.
Kyai
to carry.
Kyan
can.
Laba-Laba
to chat, gab; gossip.
Labrish
gossip, chit-chat.
Large
respected
Leggo Beas'
wild, disorderly, like a let-go beast.
Licky-Licky
fawning, flattering, obsequious.
Lilly Bit
: little bit, tiny.
Lion
a righteous Dread (1) a great soul
Little More
see you later
(Too) Likky-Likky
title given to those who like to eat any food
they encounter , without discretion
Maama- Man
a gay person, an effeminate man, a weakling
Maca
thorn, prickle.
Madda
mother
Mafia
big-time criminals
Maga Dog
mongrel
Maga
thin
Mash it up
a huge success
Mash Up, Mash Down
destroy
Maas
from master or massa. Now freed from its class
origin; a respectful form of address to an older man.
Massive
respected , used with Large to add emphasis
Mampy
A fat woman
Matie
A man's mistress
Montell
The male version of a sketell, gigolo
More Time
see you later
Mr. T
the boss
My Baby Mother/Father
the mother/father of my child
Myal
a form of benign magic oposed to Obeah, hence
myalman. From Hursa maye-wizard, person of mystic power.
Nagah
pejorative for a black person
Nago
Yoruba person, practice or language. From Ewe
anago-Yoruba person
Nah
adv. will not. Emphatic as in "Me nah do that"
Nana
midwife; nanny or nurse.
Name Brand
in Fashion
Nash
female genatalia
Natty Dread
dreadlocks 2. a person with dreadlocks
Niyabinghi
East African warriors who resisted colonial domination,
referring to orthodox, traditional Rastas, a variety of drumming
No Kya
no matter, as in "no kya weh im tun", no matter where he
turns.
No True?
isn't it so?
Nuh
interrogative at end of sentence; literally, "Is it not
so?"
Nyam
to eat.
(Too) Nyami-Nyami :
title given to those who like to eat any food they encounter,
without discretion
Obeah
traditional African "science", relating to matters
of the spirit and spirits, spells, divinations, omens, extra-sensory
knowledge, etc.
Oht Fi
about to, on the verge of, as in "it oht fi rain",
it is about to rain, it looks like rain.
One Love
a parting phrase, expression of unity
one-one
adjective, one by one, thus any small amount.
Ongle
only.
Papaa
pawpaw, or papaya melon.
Patu
owl.
Peel -Head
bald-headed, usually certain chickens or vultures.
Peenywally
a kind of large fire fly, actually a type of
flyig beetle.
Peer
avocado pear.
Picky, Picky Head
brush haircut.
Picky-picky
1. finicky or choosy 2. Used of uncombed hair
just starting to turn into dreadlocks.
Pickney
pickaninny, child
Pocomania,
Poco
christian revival, distinct drum rhythm
Polytricker
politicians (by Peter Tosh)
Poppy-Show
from puppet show, it is used in the idiom, tek
smadi mek poppy-show, which means to make fun of someone or
shame them, making them look ridiculous.
Pum-Pum
a woman's genitals
Punanna or Punni
a woman's genitals
Puppalick
somersalt.
Puttin Away
:a preposition, meaning "except for", or "except".
Pyaa-Pyaa
sickly, weak; feeble, of no account.
Quashie
peasant, country bumpkin, coarse and stupid person;
racial pejorative generic term for blacks; originally Twi name
of a boy born on a Sunday
Raatid
a common mild expletive of surprise or vexation,
as in "to raatid!". It is likely a polite permutation of "ras",
a la "gosh" or "heck".
Ranking
highly respected
Ras or Rass
backside, rump; a common curse is to rass! or
rass clot! a title used by Rastafarians meaning "lord" or "head"
.
Rasta, Rastafarian
a follower of Marcus Garvey who worships the
Almighty in the person of haile Selassie
Rat Bat
bat, the night-flying rodent.
Ratchet
a switchblade knife popular in Jamaica
Red
very high on herb 2. mulatto color
Rahtid
expression of surprise, or to be enraged. From
biblical"wrothed"
Renk
foul-smelling, raw-smelling. 2. out of order,
impudent, as in a rank-imposter. "Yu too renk!".
Rhaatid
a curse-exclamation, similar to "what the hell"
Rhygin
adj. spirited, vigorous, lively, passionate with
great vitality and force; also sexually provocative and aggressive.
Probably a form of English raging.
Rizzla
brand of rolling paper.
Rockers
reggae music reggae music as it is played today,
the latest sound
Roots
derived from the experience of the common people,
natural indigenous 2. a greeting 3. name for a fellow Rasta
Roti
flat Indian pan breads.
Rube Boy
a criminal, a hard hearted person, a tough guy
Run-Dung
food cooked in coconut juice, obtained after
grating the dry coconut meat and squeezing it in water, thus
extracting the coconut cream.
