Jumiekan Langwij Yuunit
Dipaatment a Langwij, Linggwistik & Filasafi
Yuniversiti a di Wes Hindiz
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

Sasaiati fi Kiaribiian Linggwistik
Society for Caribbean Linguistics

Lanwij Varaiati
Yuniversiti a Niuu hInglant
Language Varieties
University of New England

UsingEnglish.com
hInglish Langwij Laanin hAnlain
English Language Learning Online
ESL / EFL / TESL / TEFL / TESOL / ESOL

Updated

Opdiet

hAborijinal dedlef
Di fos inabitant a di hailant wi nuo bout wena di Taino dem uu taak Arawak langwij. Dehn get waip out likl afta di Paniad dem kech a di hailant iina dehn saach fi Kiatie, di lan a guol a di hIis. So dehn no de bout lang anof fi hinfluens di divelopment a Jumiekan. Di fiuu wod we dehn dedlef gi wi a laik orikien, kasaava, Liganii, amok, kalalu ahn guaava.

hAibiirian Toch
Di Panish dem dehnself nehn lef moch muo dan fiu wod laik pasiero frahn pasajero ahn eskobiich frahn escabechar. Plies-niem laik Sivil, Huocho Raias, Raia Kuoba, Raia Biuuno ahn Puoto Siiko maak dehn paas. Aalduo di Puotigiis neba ruul Jumieka, dehn wehn aal bout Afrika ahn di Kiaribiian chruu di Migl Pachiz a chried sliev. Fi dem wod pequeno a di harijin fi pikanini ahn aal verjan a i we fain iina Kriol ahn pijin langwijdem. Wi get gizaada frahn guisado ahn palaava frahn palavra. Buot Panish ahn Puotigiis Juu dem flai kom a Jumieka fi hexkiep di hIngkwizishan ahn som kom frahn Suurinam ahn hada hels paat a di Kiaribiian tu. Dehn gi wi niem laka Lindo, Liivi, Dacasta, Giaasha ahn Agilar.

Di British Tamp
Chruu dehn nehna du so wel fi kanchruol di Niuu Werl gens di Panishdem, sohn hInglish admiral disaid se dem a go tekwe Jumieka fi hAliva Kramwel no tuu bex wid dem. Di Panishdem nehn hexpek fi get atak so dehn nehn pripier ahn nof a dem ron we go a Kiuuba. Som a dehn sliev tek di hapachuuniti fi hexkiep iina di ildem ahn jain di Maruundem. Frahn da taim ya hInglish tek ruut, tiich bai di suoja ahn sieladem, ahn lieta bai di sekladem wid dehn uovasia, buk-kipa, hindencha saabant ahn mishineridem. Som a demaya taak difrahn riijanal British daialek ou koms wi get di Skatish ahn Hairish influens.

Aboriginal legacy
The first inhabitants of the island we know about were the Tainos who spoke the Arawak language. They were exterminated shortly after the Spaniards arrived on the island in their search for Cathay, the land of gold in the East. So they were not around long enough to influence the development of Jamaican. The few words they have left us include hurricane, cassava, Liguanea, hammock, callaloo and guava.

Iberian Touch
The Spanish themselves did not bequeath much more than a few words like pasiero from pasajero and eskobiich from escabechar. Place-names like Seville, Ocho Rios, Rio Cobre, Rio Bueno and Puerto Seco mark their path. Although the Portuguese never ruled Jamaica, they were all about Africa and the Caribbean through the Middle Passage trading slaves. Their word pequeno is the origin of pikanini and all versions of it found in Creole and pidgin languages. We got gizaada from guisado and palaava from palavra. Both Spanish and Portuguese Jews fled to Jamaica to escape the Inquisition and some came from Suriname as well. They gave us names like Lindo, Levy, Dacosta, Garcia and Aguilar.

The British Stamp
Since they were not very successful in wresting control of the New World from the Spanish, some English admirals decided to seize Jamaica to palliate Oliver Cromwell. The Spanish were not expecting an attack so were not prepared, forcing many of them to seek refuge in Cuba. Some of their slaves took the opportunity to escape into the hills to join the Maroons. From this time on English would take root taught by the soldiers and sailors, and later by the settlers with their overseers, book-keepers, indentured servants and missionaries. Some of these spoke different regional British dialects which is how we got the Scottish and Irish influences.

hAfrikan Ruut
Wails di British put dehn hanmistiekabl tamp pahn di langwij wid a muosli hInglish-bies lexikan, enibadi we hie Jumiekan a taak wi shuor se a som Afrikan langwij. No ongl di soun bot som a di vokiabileri, sintax ahn kanschrokshan kiahn chries rait bak a Wes Afrika tu di dairek chraib we i kom fram.

African Roots
While the British put their unmistakable stamp on the language with a mostly English-based lexicon, anyone who hears Jamaican being spoken will be sure that it is some African language. Not only the sound but also some of the vocabulary, syntax and construction can be traced right back to specific West African linguistic groups.

Riflek bak
Siek a Yuuropiian kalanizieshan iina hAfrika ahn di Kiaribiian, ebriwe dehn go, dehn langwij mixop wid di luocal piipl dem taakin fi gi haadaz ahn lou chried fi gwaan. Out a dis, wahn huola faambli a langwij divelop dehn kaal Pijin ar Kriol. Nof a dem ab nof tings in kaman far dem shier simila lingwistik harijin. Pan tap a dat, Jumieka Kriol, ton roun influens ada plies az Jumiekan mishineri ahn werka dem go aal bout. Siek a dat, som a di langwij dem we dehn taak a Kamaruun ahn Siera Leuon a siem Jumieka taakin. Den Jumiekan dem maigriet go luk wok aal a Panama, Andiuras ahn Kiuuba, ahn lieta aan tu Landan, Bruklin ahn Taranto, a kiaa dehn langwij wid dem. Aal nou, di Jumiekan maigrant jinarieshan a Limon, Kasta Riika, taak wa dehn kaal Mekatelyu. Yu siit duo.

Reflecting back
Because of European colonization in Africa and the Caribbean, everywhere they went, their language blended with the local tongue for giving orders and allowing trade to be conducted. Out of this, an entire family of languages developed known as Pidgin or Creole. They have many things in common for they share similar linguistic origins. On top of that, Jamaican Creole, in turn influenced other places as Jamaican missionaries and workers spread abroad. Because of that, some of the language heard in Cameroon and Sierra Leone are identical to Jamaica talk. As Jamaicans migrated to seek work in Panama, Honduras and Cuba, and later to London, Brooklyn and Toronto, they took their language with them. Even now, the descendants of Jamaican migrants to Limon, Costa Rica speak what they call Mekatelyu. There you have it.

Tide ahn tumaara
Chruu di hintanashinal papiulariti a Jumiekan miuuzik ahn Jumieka ai-op pruofail fii saiz, hinchres iina Jumiekan langwij neba nof so yet. Frahn taim wen piipl yuus fi luk dong pahn bad-piikin patwa ahn kriol spiika, nof smadi, hespeshal di yuut dem we baan a hInglant ahn Merka wid Jumiekan pierans ar grampierans, a kilop dehnself now fi taaki. Aal uu no riili ab no Jumiekan ruut a chrai kechi tu. Wi uop da sait wi elp dem likl bit.

Today and tomorrow
Through the international popularity of Jamaican music and Jamaica's inordinately high profile for its size, interest in the Jamaican language has never been as great. From the time when bad-talking patois and creole speakers were looked down on, many, especially youngsters born in England or America with Jamaican antecedents, are now falling over themselves to speak it. Even those without Jamaican connections are trying to master it. We hope this site will help a bit.