LUKUMI

Jamaican National Language, also referred to as Jamaican Patois (also Patwa or Patwah) and Jamaican Creole, developed during the slave trade that forcibly brought many Central and West Africans to Jamaica. It has its roots in English and West African languages (mainly Akan). It is the most commonly spoken language on the island, though Jamaica’s official language is Jamaican Standard English (essentially British English). Jamaican National Language is spoken around the world by Jamaican diaspora. You may have heard it in internationally popular reggae and dancehall music. This glossary translates some of the Jamaican National Language terms in Lukumi.

 

A guh (‘what it a guh tek’) - going to (‘what is it going to take’)

Callalou - A popular Caribbean dish originating in West Africa.  Served in different variants across the Caribbean. The main ingredient is a leaf vegetable, traditionally either amaranth, taro or xanthosoma

Cuff (‘mi cuff him’) – hit (I hit him’)

Cyan (‘cyan’t even find bread’) – can (‘can’t even find bread’)

Dat (‘call dat’) – that (‘call that’)

Deh deh (‘a who deh deh’) – there (‘who is there’)

Dem (‘dem drop di bomb’) – them (‘they dropped the bomb’)

Di (‘corroding di vein) – the (‘corroding the vein’)

Dis (‘war is cooking dis evening) - this (‘war is cooking this evening’)

Dis ya  (‘dis ya powah’) - this/this here (‘this power’)

Dutty (‘dutty garbage’) – dirty (‘dirty garbage’)

Fi (‘brewing fi drinking’) – for (‘brewing for drinking’)

Fyah - fire

Gwaan (‘him gwaan’) - going (‘he is going to’)

Inna (‘throw we inna jail’) – in (‘throw us in jail’)

Jussa (‘him jussa’) – just (‘he just’)

Mek (‘mek me tell yuh’) – make / let (‘let me tell you’)

Mi - me

Nuh (‘we nuh want’) – no (‘we do not want’)

Nuh nuttin (‘wi life a nuh nuttin’) – nothing (‘our life is nothing’)

Pon (‘stretch out pon’) - on/upon (‘stretched out upon’)

Seh - say

Satta (‘satta and watch’)  - sit (‘sit and watch’)

Si (‘when yuh si’) – see (‘when you see’)

Tek (‘tek it’) - take (‘take it’)

Tink (‘mi tink’) – think (‘I think’)

Waan (‘a you mi waan meet’) - want (‘you, I want to meet’)

Watah - water (similar ‘er’ to ‘ah’ ending: nevah, murdah, annodah, waitah, dawtah, moddah…)

Weh (‘seed weh yuh buy’ / ‘A whe she just say!’) - that/what (‘seed that you buy’ / ‘what did she just say!’)

Wi (‘wi life’) - we/us/our (‘our life’) 

Wid (‘pump wid bullet’) – with (‘pumped with bullets’)

Yah (‘come yah’) – here (‘come here’)

Yuh (‘whe yuh name’) – you (‘what is your name’)

Zeen - Affirms what is being said is understood (like ‘seen’)