Di habrij Jumiekan di taak wa dehn taak dehn kaali patwa, dehn kaali kriol, ar
iivn bad hInglish, askaadn tu ou dehn fiil proud ar kaanful. Jumiekan dem uona
hatitiuud divaid uoba di langwij di huol a dem taak di muos, likl muos
aal di taim. Alduo hInglish a di hofishal langwij a di konchri, ahn dehn
aal ab wa dehn kaal Jumiekan hInglish, a muosli bakra ahn tapanaaris yu hie widi
iina hofishal serkl, anles smadi waahn himpres wid piiki-puoki. Kaman
yuusij rienj frahn Jumiekan hInglish to braad patwa wid bout chrii digrii a
separieshan, aafn iina di wan piika siem wan kanvasieshan.
hArijin a Jumieka Taak
Linggwis dem aidentifai "pior" Jumiekan, fain muosli a konchri, wid riijanal difrans,
laka wahn mixcho a sebntiint sentri hInglish ahn Wes Afrikan, muosli Shwi,
kanschrokshan ahn vokiabileri, wid som Panish ahn Puotigiis iin de tu fi a gud mixop. Di
haxent ahn kiedens kohn frahn Sikatish ahn hAirish. Kansidarin di ischri
a Jumieka, dis shudn sopraizn sens di bolk a di papiulieshan dem a disendant frahn slieb
kiaa kom frahn Wes Afrika, fos bai di Panish, den dem laan hInglish frahn dem
British uona, uobasier, hadvenchara, ahn mishaneri dem.
Korant stietos
Potenshal, faib milian piipl, di papiulieshan a Jumieka hinkluudn di daiaspora,
taak Jumiekan iina wan faam ar di hada. Laik eni hada livn langwij,
ichienj ahn kantiniu chienj uoba taim. Mosa hongl fiuu huol-taima baka
bush a konchri ar aisoliet iina Brixtan ar Bruklin frahn waa gwaan kiahn kot di braad patwa,
ar wa wi wi kom fi nuo haz hArkiek ar Klasikal Jumiekan (Si
hAatagrafi, Jumiekan3). Di majariti taakin wi faal
somwe iina di migl a di spekchrom. Dehn haalwiez a mek op niu wod laik aatikal
ahn tapanaaris, ar chruu di hiiz a hintanashinal chrabl ahn
hilekchranik komiunikieshan, baara dem frahn elswe, laik bling-bling frahn
ip-ap. Di langwij wi chienj bot inaa ded fari tek iin eni niu wod ahn Jumiekanaiz dem. So
langx az Jumiekan dem piich patan no chienj, dehn wi kantiniu tek di siem hInglish
and toni iina dehn uona lanwij. No kia umuch dehn wahn sopresi, a hit Jumieka
piipl wi haalwiez taak. Idon du aredi. A dehn langwij muo dahn heniting
hels we set dem apaat az wahn piipl.
Jak Manduora, mi no chuuz non.
The speech of the average Jamaican is variously described as a patois or creole, or
even as bad English, depending on the degree of pride or disdain of the describer.
Jamaicans' attitudes themselves are very divided over the language they all speak most,
if not all, of the time. Although English is the official language of the country, and a
variant known as Jamaican English is acknowledged, it is mostly heard only in formal
situations, unless one wants to impress with "speaky-spoky." Common usage ranges
from Jamaican English to broad patois with about three degrees of separation, often
within a single speaker's conversation.
Origins of Jamaican speech
Linguists have identified "pure" Jamaican, now spoken mostly in rural areas, with
regional differences, as an amalgam of seventeenth century English and West African, mostly
Twi, constructions and vocabulary, with some Spanish and Portuguese thrown in for good measure.
The accents and cadences have been derived from Scottish and Irish. Considering the history
of Jamaica, this should not be surprising as the bulk of the population are descendants of
slaves brought from West Africa, first by the Spanish, then taught English by their British
owners, overseers, adventurers, and missionaries.
Current status
Potentially, five million people, the population of Jamaica including the diaspora, speak
Jamaican in one form or the other. Like any other living language, it changes and continues
to change over time. It must be only a few old-timers in the bush of the countryside or
isolated in Brixton or Brooklyn who can still speak broad patois, or what will come to be
known as Archaic or Classical Jamaican (see hAatagrafi,
Jumiekan3). The majority speech will fall somewhere in the middle of the spectrum. New words
are always being created, like haatikal and tapanaaris, or through the ease
of international travel and electronic communication, borrowed from elsewhere, like
bling-bling from hip-hop. The language will change but it will never die for it
absorbs new words and Jamaicanizes them. As long as Jamaicans' speech patterns do
not change, they will continue to take English and turn it into their own language.
No matter how much it is suppressed, this is what Jamaicans will always speak. It is so
already. It is their language more than anything else that sets them apart as a people.
Jack Mandora, I choose none.
NIUUZ
Chek hAARKAIV fi huola haitem
NEWS
See ARCHIVES for older posts
Olimpix Rivyuu
Olympics Review
AKSHAN TAAK, is a Jamaican Language company (JLC) production done in association
with the Jamaican Language Unit. It is a news commentary program done solely in Jamaican
(More commonly referred to as Patwa or Jamaican Creole), which reports on how the media
covers the news relevant to Jamaica and Jamaicans in general.
This inaugural episode looks at the recently held 2008 Olympic games and the different
angles from which various media centers covered the phenomenal performance of the Jamaican
athletic team.
Jamaican Language Unit to train interpreters
The Jamaican Language Unit (JLU) at the University of the West Indies (UWI) is to train
interpreters to assist Jamaicans, local and abroad, who go before the courts and have
difficulty communicating using the English language, according to Dr Karen Carpenter,
researcher at the JLU.
Although English is the official language of Jamaica, some people find it difficult to
converse using this language. Patois or Jamaican, as linguists call it, is the language
that is used and understood by most Jamaicans.
There is a growing need for interpreting skills in the United Kingdom (UK), especially
in health and education and legal sectors, where there are misunderstandings when
speakers of Jamaican are not understood. Carpenter said Jamaicans in the UK who struggle
with the English language are assigned court interpreters when they go before the courts.
More ...
- Jamaica Gleaner, 2008/07/14
Learning in Jamaican and English
"Nuh ton hova di piepa til mi tell yuh we fi du," a teacher at the Hope Valley Experimental
School, St Andrew, told her students before the beginning of an examination.
Under other circumstances, this reporter would have been taken aback because it is
not supposed to be the norm for classroom teachers to speak to children in Creole.
However, this was the norm in some sessions for this grade-four class, which is
part of the Jamaican Language Unit (JLU) at the University of the West Indies Bilingual
Education Project, which started in 2004 and is scheduled to end this year.
The project is aimed at determining the most effective means of encouraging full
bilingualism for primary-level students at grades one to four in Jamaican Creole and
Standard Jamaican English.
It is designed to meet the needs of the large numbers of students who are native
speakers of Jamaican Creole. These students enter grade one without attaining mastery
in three out of four key areas of readiness to begin instruction at the level demanded
by the grade-one national curriculum.
More ...
- Jamaica Gleaner, 2008/07/14
Bible Translation Sparks Far-Reaching Debate
Kingston, Jamaica (AP) - Plans to translate the Bible into patois —
Jamaica's unofficial language — have ignited a fiery debate that
stretches beyond the shores of this island nation.
Some Jamaicans object to the project because they say patois is
an obscure dialect that dilutes the sanctity of Scripture. Others view
the translation as an empowering statement that affirms their heritage.
The debate continues as a Caribbean-based religious group searches for
translators to help with the $1 million project.
Religious leaders say the audio translation would make the Bible
accessible to average churchgoers and to those who might not read it
otherwise.
More ...
- Christian Post, 2008/07/06
'Luke's gospel in patois by year-end'
Despite the firestorm of criticism, the organisation responsible for
the translation of the Bible into the Jamaican dialect, patois, is
forging ahead with the $60-million project, saying a pilot of the New
Testament book of Luke in audio form should be ready by year-end.
More ...
- Jamaica Observer, 2008/07/04
CVM experiment to broadcast news in patois
Janella Precius, the CVM
journalist who is spearheading the initiative, told the Observer
Wednesday that the station would be experimenting with a section of the
newscast in patois.
"It's an experiment," Precius had said. She pointed to the challenges
of appropriate translation, the
adaptability of news anchors and the reluctance of the Jamaican public
to embrace the use of patois in an otherwise formal domain.
"This week we're working on
whether Jamaicans are ready to accept patois and whether the
legislative framework to formalise it is in place," she added.
More ...
- Jamaica Observer, 2008/06/27
Patois Bible debate rages
Debate continued to rage yesterday over a controversial
project to translate the Bible from English to Jamaican dialect.
Jamaicans, both here and abroad, have voiced opinions for and
against the Bible Society of the West Indies project which the Observer
revealed on June 16 in a front page lead story.
Since then, the Observer has been receiving a flood of e-mail from
readers commenting on the $60-million project. According
to Rev Courtney Stewart, general-secretary of the United Bible
Societies, the parent body of the Bible Society of the West Indies, 40
per cent of the New Testament had already been translated into Jamaican
patois, and a portion of that translation, the Gospel of Luke, was now
being reviewed by language specialists at the University of the West
Indies Language Unit.
More ...
- Jamaica Observer, 2008/06/24
Controversy heightens over planned patois Bible
Predictably an Observer lead story last Monday titled "Patois Bible" has set off a raging
controversy, never far below the surface, over the usefulness of recognising the Jamaican
dialect or patois as a formal language.
The plan by the Bible Society of the West Indies to publish a patois version of the Bible,
that will cost $60 million and take 12 years to complete, sparked a flood of letters to the
editor from Jamaicans at home and abroad and occupied large chunks of talk show air time last
week.
While some persons see the move as brilliant, and a big step in championing the cause of
the Jamaican language, critics have denounced it as a waste of time, effort and money. In any
event, they argue, a patois version of the Bible would not be taken seriously and would
somehow undermine the sacredness of the holy Scriptures. More ...
- Jamaica Observer, 2008/06/22
Why they want a Patois Bible
The people at the Bible Society of the West Indies and Wycliffe Bible Translators Caribbean
have been beside themselves with glee. Why? They have never had it so good. Their Patois
Bible project is getting a lot of publicity in the news media. That's publicity these
faith-based organisations could never pay for.
The Patois Bible project began in the early 1990s. It was spearheaded by the Bible
Society of the West Indies. Partners in the project included Wycliffe Bible Translators
Caribbean and the University of the West Indies.
To date, the project has produced two audio recordings in compact disc format.
The first is 'A Who Run Tings' - a selection of readings from the gospels. The second is 'De Kristmos Story' - a selection of readings related to the birth of Jesus Christ. The project hopes to have the gospel of Luke available in both print and audio format by year-end. More ...
- Jamaica Gleaner, 2008/06/21
Patois Bible
Controversial $60-million project needs 12 years to complete
A controversial project to translate the Bible from English to
Jamaican patois will cost $60 million and take 12 years to complete,
the organisers of the project said.
But the Kingston-based Bible Society of the West Indies (BSWI) was
upbeat about the project, based on a commitment from its parent body,
the United Bible Societies (UBS), to contribute a significant portion
of the necessary funding.
The UBS's general secretary, Rev Courtney Stewart, was unable to say
how much money the parent body would put in, but said it would be in
the millions of dollars.
Stewart said the Bible Society had already translated some 40 per cent
of the New Testament into Jamaican patois, and a portion of that
translation, the Gospel of Luke, was now being reviewed by language
specialists at the University of the West Indies Language Unit.
more
- Jamaica Observer, 2008/06/16
'No Lickle Twang' at UWI
The significance and depth of Louise Bennett-Coverley's contribution to
Jamaican culture is underscored by the number of areas the conference
surrounding her at the University of the West Indies (UWI) this week will
encompass.
Starting on Wednesday, January 9, and going through to Saturday,
January 12, 'No Lickle Twang: Louise Bennett-Coverley, the Legend and the Legacy'
will examine her work in and effect on theatre, language, cultural studies
and literature.
As such, a number of departments at the UWI have combined their efforts to stage the
conference, among them the Department of Literatures in English. Its
head, Anthea Morrison, describes the four-day event as part
celebration, part remembrance and an examination of how the legacy
continues.
Valorise language
Morrison also points out that it comes at the beginning of the UWI's
60th anniversary celebrations.
"There is a wide range of issues, but at the centre is how Miss
Lou taught us to valorise our own language," she says.
As such, it is significant that when the invitation for papers to be
submitted for 'No Lickle Twang' was issued in English and Jamaican.
And, considering Miss Lou's tremendous impact on the performing arts,
it is appropriate that "we have a combination of panels and
performance". Jamaica Gleaner, 2008/01/06
O-Love
On the street, the hottest word is that no one wants to hear about
Oh-Eight (as in 2008). Through as how we're experts at "hadding
haitches", Oh-Eight would've ended up as "Ho-Hate". Well, the word from
now on, we've been told, is to be "Ho-Love". Yuh tink we easy, nuh!
Barbara Gloudon, in Jamaica Observer, 2008/01/04
Note: We encourage English speakers to read Barbara Gloudon's column Fridays in Jamaica Observer. She
infuses many Jamaicanisms into her writing, having introduced patois into her Star column "Stella Seh" as
early as the 1960s. "Through as how" are separately perfectly normal English words but combined they
produce a Jamaicanism that translates as "since." The limitations of anglicized othography are clearly
evident here:
yuh and nuh have differing vowel sounds but are spelt here as if they sound the same.
yuh has the same sound as put and the vowel in nuh is similar to that in
but. Cassidy-LePage orthography would render it as yu tingk wi hiizi no?
which would differentiate correctly the two sounds and more faithfully represent actual speech.
Jumiekan iina Webster's Online dictionary
No nuo frahn wen bot Jumiekan meki iina
Webster's Online Dictionary . Dem ab a gudli lis a wod ahn hexpreshan wid
definishan; yu nuo se a no nuo baan Jumiekan a kompaili far bikaazn se som a dem no kwait
kech di riek, bot i yuusful az refrans. Beg yu nuot se muos a di pelin fala miizolek
aatagrafi, wa wi wuda kaal fala-fashin Inglish pelin wa no riili gi di dairek soun, so
kieful ou yu fala dem.
We are unsure when, but Jamaican has made it into Webster's Online Dictionary.
There is an extensive list of words and expressions with definitions; you can tell it was
not compiled by a native Jamaican since some of them are a little off, but it is useful
as reference. Please note that most of the spelling follows mesolectal orthography, or
English-based approximations, which do not represent the true sounds, so be careful in
adopting them.
