Jumiekan Langwij Yuunit
Dipaatment a Langwij, Linggwistik & Filasafi
Yuniversiti a di Wes Indiz
JAMAICAN LANGUAGE UNIT
Department of Language, Linguistics & Philosophy
University of the West Indies

Bak Ansa
hAnlain gruup fi promuot di langwij
Online group to promote the language

Jumieka 2K

Sasayati fi Kiaribiyan Linggwistik
Society for Caribbean Linguistics

Langwij Varayati
Yuniversiti a Nyuu hIngglant
LANGUAGE VARIETIES
University of New England

Updated

hOpdiet

Wa Jumiekandem taak

Di habrij Jumiekan di taak wa dehn taak dehn kaali patwa, dehn kaali kriol, ar iivn bad hIngglish, askaadn tu ou dehn fiil proud ar kaanful. Jumiekan dem uona hatityuud divaid uoba di langwij di wuol a dem taak di muos, likl muos aal di taim. Alduo hIngglish a di hofishal langwij a di konchri, ahn dehn aal ab wa dehn kaal Jumiekan hIngglish, a muosli bakra ahn tapanaaris yu yie widi ina hofishal sorkl, anles smadi wahn himpres wid piiki-puoki. Kaman yuusij rienj frahn Jumiekan hIngglish tu braad patwa wid bout chrii digrii a separieshan, noftaim ina 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 sebntiin sentri hIngglish 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. Kansda 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 hIngglish frahn dehn British uona, uobasior, hadvenchara, ahn mishaneridem.

Korant stietos

Potenshal, faib milian piipl, di papiulieshan a Jumieka hinkluudn di dayaspora, taak Jumiekan ina wan faam ar di hada. Laik eni hada libn langwij, ichienj ahn kantiniu chienj uoba taim. Mosa honggl fiuu huol-taima baka bush a konchri ar aisoliet ina Brixtan ar Bruklin frahn waa gwaan kiahn kot di braad patwa, ar wa wi wi kom fi nuo haz hAakiek ar Klasikal Jumiekan (Si hAatagrafi, Jumiekan3). Di majariti taakin wi faal somwe ina di migl a di spekchrom. Dehn haalzwie a mekop niuu wod laka aatikal ahn tapanaaris, ar chruu di hiiz a hintanashinal chrabl ahn hilekchranik komiunikieshan, baara dem frahn elswe, laka bling-bling frahn ip-ap. Di langwij wi chienj bot inaa ded fari tek iin eni nyuu wod ahn Jumiekanaiz dem. So langx az Jumiekan dem piich patan no chienj, dehn wi kantiniu tek di siem hIngglish and toni ina dehn uona langwij. No kia umuch dehn wahn sopresi, a hit Jumieka piipl wi haalzwie 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.

Playwright Trevor Rhone dies

KINGSTON, Jamaica - Trevor Rhone, a Jamaican playwright who co-wrote the reggae film classic “The Harder They Come” and helped introduce the island’s pop culture to the world, died Tuesday. He was 69.

Rhone died after a heart attack at a hospital in Jamaica’s capital, Kingston, according to his brother, Neville, and playwright Barbara Gloudon, a longtime friend and colleague.

Born in 1940, Rhone wrote more than a dozen plays, including his two-character comedy, “Two Can Play,” about a Jamaican couple who leave poverty-torn Kingston for an unexpectedly complicated new life in the United States.

But Rhone is best known for co-writing “The Harder They Come,” Jamaica’s first feature film, in the early 1970s with Perry Henzell, a filmmaker who died in 2006.

Starring reggae singer Jimmy Cliff, the film became an international success, and its pulsing soundtrack, which featured reggae performers including Toots and the Maytals and Desmond Dekker, became a worldwide top-seller.
More ...

Ode to 'Miss Lou'

Louise 'Miss Lou' Bennett-Coverley championed the use of Jamaican dialect through diverse mediums.

Louise Simone Bennett-Coverley would have turned 90 today. Miss Lou, as she was affectionately known, was many things to Jamaica: a folklorist, the first lady of comedy and our linguistic mother. Through her expressive poetry, engaging storytelling and natural good humour, Miss Lou conveyed the passion and vivacity of Jamaicans and their language. In the process, she engrained a sense of identity in a fledgling nation. Three years after her death in Canada, Miss Lou still profoundly epitomises the indigenous Jamaican genius, as has been seen in other areas such as music and sports.
Full story
- Jamaica Gleaner, 2009/09/07

2009/10 is designated "Year of Recognition for Caribbean Languages"

Learning Links International and Jamaica 2K seeking recognition for the languages spoken in the Caribbean.

Fifty Years On: Respect for Caribbean Languages Today
The first Conference on Caribbean Languages was held at the Mona Campus of the University of the West Indies just 50 years ago. The University of the West Indies has taken the lead for the last 50 years into the investigation of the range of languages spoken across the Caribbean. Many of these languages were created during the centuries when European countries engaged in the trading triangle that involved enslaving and shipping millions of Africans to work in the harshest conditions in South America, the Caribbean islands and the Southern States of the US. However due respect has still not been accorded to these languages which are spoken by millions of people across the globe today and little recognition is given for the bilingual skills of people with Caribbean heritage.

The languages of the Caribbean are amongst the most modern languages in the world and bring grammatical features from languages in Western and Central Africa, with vocabulary from the European sailors, enslavers and plantation overseers mixed with local Caribbean and African words. It is essential that as some of the most modern languages in the world and languages which had such traumatic origins, that these languages are now recognised, respected and studied.

In the UK Jamaican has gained official recognition from the Chartered Institute of Linguists and an accredited Practical Language course was offered by the Awarding Body Consortium, this is now the time to fully recognise, respect and accept these languages. A range of activities is planned during 2009/10 to develop understanding about and recognition for Caribbean Languages in the communities, schools, colleges, universities and other public services across UK.

A series of conferences and events is planned to start in June 2009 to enable the current status of these languages to be reviewed from a range of perspectives: from linguists, from educationalists, from speakers of Caribbean languages, from students of Caribbean languages and from the Caribbean communities living around the world.

This series will showcase the work of the Jamaican Language Unit at UWI, the Bilingual Project and their latest publications, and the achievements of the "Jamaica 2K" Team in the UK who supported Jamaican to be recognised by the Chartered Institute of Linguists and to be accredited by the Awarding Body Consortium.

One of the outcomes of the series is planned to be a publication "Respect for Caribbean Languages – the most modern languages in the world today" (working title) which will feature papers from the events and additional information, with CD/DVD materials and trainer support.

Range of areas to be covered during the series

• Outline of the development and range of languages in the Caribbean
• The implications of developing bi-lingual skills with a continuum between the new language developed and the European language which was combined with African languages to create the languages used by peoples from the Caribbean today.
• Examples of use of bilingual teaching in schools (Jamaica)
• Requirement in UK National Strategy for recognition of Caribbean Languages: see "Excellence and Enjoyment"
• The development of English Language Support for Caribbean Language Speakers (UK)
• Translation and interpretation requirements in legal and health services
• Exploration of self esteem and mental health issues in the UK’s Caribbean Community, related to disrespect and misunderstanding of the "heart languages" spoken by the community.

An additional range of activities will also provide the Caribbean communities with opportunities to celebrate these languages and the vibrant culture they are part of.

Special Language Colleges will also be actively engages to support their aim to raise standards of achievement and the quality of teaching and learning in languages for all pupils, using this as a catalyst for whole school improvement. This new focus provides the ideal opportunity to recognise and value Caribbean Languages.

We are establishing both an Advisory Group (with wider membership) and a Steering Group (of activists) and inviting the following people and others:

From UK:
• Professor Gus John, Supporter of the campaign to get recognition and respect for Caribbean Languages
• Professor Peter Patrick, Linguist and Supporter of the campaign to get recognition and respect for Caribbean Languages
• Natalie Fagan, Lead Tutor on the UK’s first Jamaican Language and Culture course
• John McAnuff, UK Senior Learner of the Year NIACE
• Macka B, Reggae Artiste and promoter of Patwa
• Liz Millman, Co-ordinator of Jamaica 2K, Director of Learning Links International and campaigner for recognition and respect for Caribbean Languages
• Morgan Delphinis, author of Caribbean and African Languages
• Garfield Robinson, "Promoting our Heritage"
• Barbara Ledgister, Jamaican Attorney-at-Law and co-founder of Patois Personnel

From Jamaica:
• Professor Hubert Devonish, Karen Carpenter and members of the JLU
• Yasus Afari, Performance Poet, promoter of Patwa, and "Ambassador for Jamaican Language and Rastafari"
• Joan Andrea Hutchinson, Performer, Poet and "Ambassador for Jamaican Language"
• Dr Caroline Cooper, Campaigner for recognition and respect for Caribbean Languages
• Oliver Samuels, Actor and Personality "Ambassador for Jamaican Language"
• Laura Tanner, Author and "Ambassador for Jamaican Language"

For more information contact:
Liz Millman, Learning Links International / Jamaica 2K
lizmillman@yahoo.co.uk

UWI Jamaican Language Unit launches book
Writing Jamaican the Jamaican Way/Ou Fi Rait Jamiekan is the title of the first commercial publication that was released by the Jamaican Language Unit (JLU), UWI, Mona on Wednesday June 1 2009 at 6 pm at the Philip Sherlock Centre for the Creative Arts, UWI, Mona.

The launch featured a combination of digital and live performances, including budding dancehall artiste, Nickesha Dawkins, aka Gem Stone. She performed the specially writen dancehall song titled, "Writing Jamaican the Jamaican Way." It was hosted by animated personality, Emcee Jamtik.
See video clip.

Wikipedia Jumiekan langwij sait
Sens Disemba 2008, Wikipedia a tesout wahn websait fi Jumieka langwij. Efi wokout dehn wi meki pormanent. Wail piipl a yaad a gi out gens tiich patwa, di langwij gaan abraad aal a mek insaiklopiidia. Maitbi afta dehn si se iaksep a farin, dehn wi tekiop sens dehn no siim fi ana eniting dehn ab tel smadi els rekanaizi.
Go yaso fi siit.
Buot Lari Chang ahn Javed Jaghai kanek tu LangwiJumieka a di mien kanchribiuta.

Since December 2008, Wikipedia has been testing a Jamaican language website. If it is successful, it will be made permanent. While people at home are against teaching patois, the language has been accepted abroad for an encyclopedia. Now that it is gaining international acceptance, maybe they will take to it since they seem unable to honor anything without prior external recognition.
Go here to see it.
Both Larry Chang and Javed Jaghai of LangwiJumieka are major contributors.

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.

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 iyuusful az refrans. Beg yu nuot se muos a di pelin fala miizolek aatagrafi, wa wi wuda kaal fala-fashin Ingglish 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.