Phrases are often used in Jamaican Patois. The exact meaning of a phrase is dependent on the situation in which it is used, or on the speaker's intonation. We'll take a look at some generally used Jamaican phrases and, when applicable, we'll give an alternate meaning for some of these phrases.
The following are some generally used phrases in Jamaica and their translation.
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Wha Gwan
The phrase 'wha gwan' is used as a greeting in Jamaica. Let's break this phrase into its private words. The word 'wha' means 'what' and the word 'gwan' means 'going on.' Therefore, the Jamaican speaker is request 'what's going on.' This a very tasteless phrase and it is frequently used as a greeting in Jamaican Patois. You'll hear it often so it's worth remembering.
Yuh Cris
The phrase 'yuh cris' means 'are you okay' if the speaker's intonation has a questioning tone. 'Yuh cris' is also frequently used to greet people. The phrase 'yuh cris' can also have an alternate meaning depending on the intonation. An alternate meaning of 'yuh cris' is 'you look good.' Therefore, the speaker could be telling someone that he or she is good looking.
The phrase 'yuh cris' can have yet someone else meaning and, as previously stated, it depends on the situation and on the intonation. For example, when someone enters a business in an English speaking country, an laborer might greet them at the door and ask 'do you need anything' or the laborer might ask 'can I help you with something?' The phrase 'yuh cris' could also be used in this situation to ask someone 'do you need anything' or 'can I help you with something?' Here, we see that 'yuh cris' is being used to ask if the someone is in need of assistance; however, in patois, there are other more formal ways of request someone if they need assistance. The use of 'yuh cris' in this situation would be carefully informal and would more likely be used among population of the same age group.
Sihdung Deh
The phrase 'sihdung deh' nothing else but means 'sit down there.' The phrase can be used to give instructions to someone. However, depending on the intonation or on the situation, the phrase can have an alternate meaning. For example, if someone is in a serious situation then the phrase "sihdung deh" could be used sarcastically to mean "remain seated there and do nothing." In other words, the someone is not taking the needful operation so the speaker is uses phrase sarcastically to address him. The phrase 'sihdung deh' can be used as a statement, at the chance of a statement or at the ending of a statement. The usage of the phrase, in such situations is sarcastic but it could also be used to motivate the someone into taking action.
Awl an Pull up
"Awl and pull up" is the corporal act of lifting a report off a turntable, in order to stop the music. Although the use of turntables has declined dramatically, this expression is still frequently used in Jamaica. It can be used in just about any situation when you want to say "stop."
In this report we looked at the ubiquitous Jamaican phrase 'wha gwan' and further phrases generally used in Jamaican Patois dialect. We gave alternate meanings for some of these phrases.
Translations of Some base Jamaican Phrases
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