Jamaican Patois (NOT English!)

Summary

This video delves into the history and features of Jamaican Patois, a distinct creole language that evolved in the 17th and 18th centuries through contact between African slaves and English-speaking slave owners in Jamaica. It explains the language's vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation, highlighting its roots in English and African languages. The video also explores the social context of Patois, contrasting it with standard English and its use in everyday life. With examples and explanations, it showcases how Patois remains an integral part of Jamaican culture and identity.

Takeaways

• 😀 Jamaican Patois is an English-based Creole language that developed in the 17th and 18th centuries through contact between African slaves and English-speaking slave owners in Jamaica.
• 😀 The word 'patois' is derived from French and generally refers to any non-standard language, though Jamaicans specifically use it to refer to their Creole language.
• 😀 Jamaican Patois shares roots with West African languages and has influences from Akan, especially in the vocabulary, such as words like 'dopey' for ghost and 'Anansi' for spider.
• 😀 Patois developed as a simplified form of English, with African slaves learning English quickly under harsh conditions, resulting in a pidgin language that eventually became a full Creole.
• 😀 There is no standard written form of Patois, and its phonetic spelling often differs from Standard English to reflect the spoken pronunciation.
• 😀 Patois and Standard Jamaican English exist on a continuum, with speakers shifting between the two depending on context, from formal English to casual Patois.
• 😀 Patois features its own distinct phonology, grammar, and vocabulary. It lacks verb conjugations and uses markers like 'ah' for the present progressive and 'ben' for the past progressive.
• 😀 The grammar of Jamaican Patois follows a subject-verb-object (SVO) word order similar to Standard English but includes unique features like the use of 'wah' for relative clauses and 'dem' for plural markers.
• 😀 Patois includes many borrowed words from African languages and some from other languages like Portuguese, as seen in words like 'Pitney' (child) from the Portuguese 'pequeno'.
• 😀 Jamaican Patois varies regionally, with different communities and plantations developing their own local dialects due to geographic isolation and the variety of English dialects spoken by slave owners.
• 😀 While Patois is sometimes viewed as improper English, it is a legitimate language in its own right, with complex linguistic features and a rich cultural history in Jamaica.

Q & A

What is Jamaican Patois, and where does it originate from?

Jamaican Patois is a creole language that developed in Jamaica through the interaction between African slaves and English-speaking slave owners. It has its roots in the 17th and 18th centuries when Africans were brought to Jamaica by the British, forming a pidgin language which evolved into a fully developed creole.

How did Jamaican Patois develop as a distinct language?

Jamaican Patois developed as a pidgin language formed by African slaves who adopted English vocabulary and simplified grammar from their native languages. Over time, children of these slaves learned the pidgin as their native language, which evolved into a fully functioning creole with its own grammatical features.

What does the term 'Patois' mean, and where does it come from?

The term 'Patois' comes from French and generally refers to any non-standard dialect. In the Jamaican context, it specifically refers to the creole language spoken in Jamaica. It is often used to distinguish Jamaican Creole from standard English.

How does Jamaican Patois differ from standard English?

Jamaican Patois differs from standard English in several ways, including its phonology (pronunciation), grammar, and vocabulary. It has unique sounds not found in English, simplified verb conjugation, and different ways of expressing tenses, negations, and questions.

What is the significance of the 'continuum' between Jamaican Patois and standard English?

The continuum refers to the range of ways Jamaican speakers use language, from standard Jamaican English (closer to formal English) to pure Jamaican Patois (closer to creole). Some speakers mix the two depending on the social context, with Patois being used in informal settings and English in formal situations.

What are the main features of Jamaican Patois pronunciation?

Jamaican Patois pronunciation differs from English in that it lacks the 'th' sound, replacing it with 't' or 'd'. Words are often phonetically spelled, and consonant clusters are simplified. For example, 'somebody' becomes 'somebody', and 'respect' becomes 'respec'.

How does Jamaican Patois grammar differ from English grammar?

Jamaican Patois has no verb conjugation except for the verb 'to be', which has different forms. Tenses are expressed with markers like 'did' for past tense and 'ah' for the present progressive. Patois also uses simpler word order and has different pronouns and possessive structures.

What are some examples of vocabulary in Jamaican Patois that come from African languages?

Examples include 'yum' (eat), 'dopey' (ghost), and 'Anansi' (spider), all of which come from West African languages like Akan. These words are used in everyday conversation and highlight the African influence on the language.

What is the role of Crow Monty or deep Patois in Jamaican culture?

Crow Monty or deep Patois is a variant of Jamaican Patois used by the Maroons, descendants of escaped slaves. It is more influenced by the Akan language and is now primarily used in ritual contexts within Maroon communities, rather than as a daily spoken language.

How do pronouns in Jamaican Patois differ from English pronouns?

In Jamaican Patois, pronouns are not differentiated by subject or object forms. For example, 'me' can mean both 'I' and 'me'. There is also no distinction between possessive adjectives and possessive pronouns, as both are formed by placing the same pronoun before a noun.