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  • list of common jamaican slang terms with their meaning

    • list of common jamaican slang terms with their meaning

    List of Common Jamaican Slang Terms with their Meaning

    Jamaica instantly reminds you of the blue sea; silver sand beaches; a green, black, yellow flag; dreadlocks; and of course Bob Marley and his reggae music. It also reminds you of the typical Jamaican English accent. The following are some commonly used Jamaican slang terms and their meanings.

    "All slang is a metaphor, and all metaphor is poetry."
    ―Gilbery K. Chesterton
    Jamaican English, being the national language of Jamaica, is not an easy language to follow. A history of invasion, colonization, and slave trade from Africa influenced the Jamaican patois (commonly used language). Once free from all the invaders, globalization further influenced the native language. The freedom struggle and Rastafari movement gave rise to new words and terms that still prevail in present times. The current language used is an amalgamation of a series of metaphors learned and passed on for generations, along with its rich history. Here's a list of Jamaican slang terms along with their meanings.
    INDEX
    A
    A
    A, to, is, it, the, will
    A door
    Outdoors, outside
    A go
    Will go
    A who you man?
    What are you up to?
    Aks
    Ask
    Aile
    Oil
    An
    And, than
    A lie
    You're lying
    All fruits ripe
    Everything is great
    Alright
    All right, sure, okay
    Amshouse
    Poorhouse
    Auntie
    Aunt, any woman
    Back to Index
    B
    Baan
    Born
    Baby madda
    Mother of a baby
    Babylon
    Rasta word for police/corrupt system
    Bada
    Brother
    Badmind
    Envious
    Bag juice
    Cheap fruit juice
    Bait
    Scoundrel
    Bald head
    Rasta term for someone caught up in the evil system
    Bandu
    A hair band worn by women
    Bare
    Only
    Barefoot!
    Expressing surprise
    Bash(y)
    Cool, awesome
    Batty
    Bottom
    Beg
    To ask
    Ben
    Upset/angry
    Big man ting
    Grown up business
    Big up
    Give respect
    Bill
    Jamaican $100 bill
    Bling
    Flashy/expensive chain
    Bloodfire
    Hell
    Bokkle
    Bottle
    Bout
    About
    Box
    Punch, fight
    Breathe easy
    Relax
    Breeda
    Brother
    Brinks
    Wealthy person
    Buck
    Accidentally bump into, meet unexpectedly
    Bruk
    Broke, broken, break
    Bud
    Bird
    Bulla
    Cake
    Bun
    To get cheated
    Bwoy/Boy
    Male or female
    Back to Index
    C
    Ca
    Because
    Card
    Fool someone
    Callalou
    Spinach stew
    Cepes
    Beard
    Cha! or Cho!
    An expression used to express impatience or disappointment
    Chant
    To sing, especially spiritual songs
    Cheddar
    Money
    Chi chi man
    Gay man
    Clap
    Break, hit
    Coco
    Potato-like vegetable
    Coil
    Money
    Coolie hair
    Straight hair
    Craven
    Greedy
    Crawb up
    Looking good, something good
    Cris
    Cool, in-style
    Crosses
    Problems, misfortune
    Cuss Cuss
    Shouting bad words
    Cutta
    Cutter; cutting tool
    Cyan
    Can
    Cyar
    Car
    Back to Index
    D
    Daddie
    Father figure
    Dat
    That
    Dat a shot/dat shot
    Fantastic, fabulous
    Dan
    Than
    Dawg
    Dog
    Dear
    Expensive
    Dehya
    There or here
    Des
    Desperate
    Di
    Did, the, was
    Dinki
    Type of dance common among school children
    Dis
    This
    Disya
    This right here
    Dogheart
    Cold and cruel person
    Don
    Well respected person
    Do road
    Go on an outing
    Downpress
    Rasta word for oppressed
    Do yu ting
    Go ahead
    Donkya
    Don't care, careless
    Doondoos
    Albino
    (To) Draw card
    Fooling someone
    Dread
    Person with dreadlocks, greeting to a friend
    Drop legs
    To dance
    Deadnut
    Rasta word for coconut
    Dun
    Done
    Duns/Dunsa
    Money
    Dung
    Down
    Dups/Doops
    Friend
    Duppy
    Ghost
    Dutty
    Dirty
    Dween
    Doing
    Dweet
    Do it
    Back to Index
    E
    Ease up
    Forgive, lighten up
    Eaz haad
    Stubborn
    Eff
    If
    Ends
    A place
    Eveling
    Evening
    Everting cook and curry
    All is well
    Back to Index
    F
    Fa
    For
    Faas
    Fast
    Fambly
    Family
    Faas
    Nosy
    Favor (r is silent- fa- va)
    Resemble, look like
    Feel no way
    Not taken personally
    Fiah
    Fire
    Fish
    Homosexual
    Fit
    When used with fruits or vegetables means good enough to be harvested
    First light
    Tomorrow
    Flex
    Chill out or hang out
    Fool-fool
    Stupid
    Foot
    Any part of the leg
    Forward
    Future
    Fren'
    Friend
    Frock
    Dress
    Fram
    From or since
    Fuckery
    Mal-justice, wrong or unfair
    Fullness
    Completely, absolutely, totally
    Funds
    Money
    Back to Index
    G
    Gaan
    Literally means gone
    Galang
    (To) go alone
    Get
    To have
    Gi
    Give
    Gig
    Spinning top
    Gill
    Unit of measure
    Gimme
    Give me
    Ginnal
    Con man - but when used with 'Sunday Ginnal' (clergy or preacher)
    Gordas
    Impeccably reputed woman
    Gorgon
    Well respected person
    Granma/granpa
    Grandparents, elderly person
    Greetings
    Opening greeting used commonly by Rastas
    Ground
    Yard or home
    Gwaan
    Go on
    Gweh
    Go away
    Gwine/Gween
    Going
    Back to Index
    H
    Hab
    Have
    Haffi
    Have to
    Happen
    Fabulous (yu dress a happen!)
    Har
    Her
    Hard
    Excellent. proficient. skillful
    Hard ears
    Stubborn, headstrong
    Hat
    Hurt
    Hiez
    Ears
    Higgla
    Street vendor
    Hitey-Titey
    Upper class
    Homely
    Comfortable
    Hush
    Sorry
    Back to Index
    I
    I-Man
    I, me, mine
    I ney
    Greeting
    Iez
    Ears
    Ig
    Upset
    Inna
    In the
    Inna di marrows
    Tomorrow
    Ises/Izes/Isis
    Praise
    Isire
    Rasta word for desire
    Irie
    Feeling good, everything is alright
    Iron bird
    Airplane
    Iwa
    Certain time around an hour
    Iwah
    Rasta word for hour
    Back to Index
    J
    Ja/Jam-Down/Jamrock
    Jamaica
    Jester
    A joke, kidding
    Jah
    God, king of kings. lord of lords
    Jammin
    Having a good time
    Janga
    Shrimp, crayfish
    Jelly
    Young coconut
    Jooks
    Hangout, relax
    Juu
    Used with rain (a juu meaning to drizzle or rain lightly)
    Back to Index
    K
    Kass Kass
    Quarrel, curse or cuss
    Ketch up
    Get into a fight
    Kemps
    A little bit
    Kiss my neck
    An expression of surprise
    Back to Index
    L
    Laba- Laba
    Chat, gossip
    Lagga head
    Stupid
    Large
    Respected
    Let off
    Pay out
    Likkle more
    See you later
    Lion
    Great person
    Back to Index
    M
    Maad
    Awesome
    Maada
    Mother
    Large
    Respected
    Maga dog
    Mongrel
    Mampi
    Fat, overweight
    Massi mi Gad/Lawd a massi
    Lord have mercy!
    Mi a forward
    I'm coming
    More time
    See you later
    Mr. T
    The boss
    Mus Mus
    Rat
    My baby mother/father
    The mother or father of my baby
    Back to Index
    N
    Natty
    Dreadlocks
    Nana
    Nurse or midwife or nanny
    Nice up
    Promote positive feeling
    No cya
    No matter
    Nose hole
    Nostril
    Nuh true?
    Isn't it so?
    Nyam
    To eat
    Nying'i-Nying'i
    Nagging
    Back to Index
    O
    One love
    Expression of unity
    One-One
    One by one
    Ongle
    Only
    Oh, zeen
    Oh, yes
    Back to Index
    P
    Paki
    Gourd
    Passa-Passa
    Gossip
    Picky-Picky
    Choosy
    Pickney
    Child, children
    Pinda
    Peanut
    Polytrics
    Politics
    Polyticksters
    Politicians
    Princess
    Teenager or adult female
    Pree
    Except for/except
    Pyaa- pyaa
    Weak, feeble
    Pyu
    Dripping or oozing
    Back to Index
    Q
    Quashi
    Peasant
    Quattie
    Of no value
    Quips
    A tiny amount, very little
    Back to Index
    R
    Radda
    Rather
    Ragga
    Reggae music played heavily on digital equipment
    Rass/Raas
    Expression meaning ass
    Rahtid!
    Expression of surprise
    Red
    High or drunk
    Red yeye
    One who is jealous
    Renk
    Fool
    Russian
    Bad guy
    Back to Index
    S
    Sa
    Sir
    Salt
    Unlucky, bad luck
    Scabby
    Someone who isn't hygienic
    Scenty
    Smells good
    Seh one
    Great, fantastic, wonderful
    Sell off
    Expression of approval
    Shorty
    Slang for girl/chick
    Sick
    Awesome
    Slump
    Slum, ghetto
    Speaky Spokey
    This term is used when a Jamaican tries to speak English like an American or Englishman
    Swaggerific
    Extremely cool and stylish
    Swatty
    Fatty
    Back to Index
    T
    Tan
    Stand, wait
    Tanks
    Thanks
    Teif
    Thief/to steal
    Tree
    Three
    Truut
    Truth in the past tense
    Truu
    Truth, true, threw
    Back to Index
    U
    Uncle
    Uncle or older man
    Usband
    Husband
    Undastan
    Understand
    Uno
    Plural form of you, you all
    Back to Index
    V
    Van
    Pick-up truck
    Vex
    Angry
    Back to Index
    W
    Wah gwaan
    What's up
    Weh
    Where
    Whole heat
    Large quantity
    Walk good
    Goodbye
    Weh yuh a seh?
    What are you saying?
    Whap'am?
    Hello?
    Back to Index
    Y
    Y Pree
    What's going on
    Yeye
    Eye
    Yu done know
    You understand
    Yut
    Youth (used in calling a friend)
    Back to Index
    Z
    Zeen
    You understand me?
    Language is a medium to communicate your views and express yourself verbally. Slang is an informal use of a language. So, before you head out into the streets of Jamica, remember, this is a tip of the iceberg meant only to get you better acquainted with the locals there. Be careful when you use these common Jamaican slang terms, as they may not necessarily mean the same as your every day American English. If someone 'Hushes' you, he's probably apologizing for something he's done. So use your words wisely.

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