Lesson 48 of 48 · Farin
Code-switch with confidence, answer elders in Patwa instead of freezing, and keep di language alive inna yu own fambily.
Dis lesson a bout yu real life. A farin, Patwa no chat everyweh — i surface a certain place: fambily gathering, nine-night, carnival, dance, church basement afta service, an di cousin dem group chat. Yu done know di feeling: Granny chat to yu inna Patwa, yu undastan EVERY word — an yu answer inna English. Dat deh reflex a wa wi a break dis week. Rule one: answer likkle, but answer inna Patwa. Granny seh: 'Yu nyam aready?' No seh 'Yes, I ate.' Seh: 'Yes Granny, mi nyam aready — belly full!' (yes Granny, I already ate — I am full). Even two word a Patwa wi melt har heart. Elders sometimes tun to English fi soun proper — answer dem inna warm Patwa an watch dem come right back. Rule two: know di code-switch. Same message, different smadi: to yu boss: 'I will be there shortly.' To yu bredrin: 'Mi soon come, man.' To Granny: 'Mi deh pon mi way, Granny — tan deh!' (I am on my way — wait there!). Dat no confusion — dat a skill. Rule tree: no badda wid di twang war. A yaadie weh come back a yaad wid a put-on American accent get call freshwata Yankee (a Jamaican affecting an American accent) — but a diaspora pickney weh a TRY chat Patwa? Dat a different ting, an people respect di try. Rule four: pass i dung. Chat Patwa to di pickney dem roun yu: 'Come ya, likkle more, nuh do dat, walk good.' Drop Patwa inna di group chat: 'Wa gwaan cousin dem, a wa wi a cook fi Sunday?' Teach one proverb, sing one folk song. Language live weh i get use (language lives where it gets used). Common error dem fi recast: answering elders in English — recast inna Patwa, even one line; 'I can understand but I can't speak it' — seh instead: Mi a learn fi chat i back (I am learning to speak it again); calling Patwa 'broken English' — a no broken nutten, a language wid grammar, history an Bible translation. An memba: every time yu answer Granny inna Patwa, yu a keep someting alive weh cross ocean fi reach yu.
| Patois | Cassidy-JLU | English |
|---|---|---|
| chat Patwa | chat Patwa | speak Patois |
| twang | twang | speak with a foreign (English/American) accent |
| freshwata Yankee | freshwaata Yanki | a Jamaican who puts on an American accent |
| switch up | swich op | change register, code-switch |
| mada tongue | mada tong | mother tongue |
| pass i dung | paas i dong | pass it down (to the children) |
| keep i up | kiip i op | keep it going, keep it alive |
| link up | lingk op | meet up, connect |
| massive | masiv | the crew, the community (di yaadie massive a farin) |
| bredrin / sistren | bredrin / sischrin | close friend(s) |
| labrish | labrish | gossip, catch-up talk |
| seen | siin | understood, agreed |
| broken English | bruokn English | old put-down name for Patwa — it is NOT broken; it is a language |
Code-switching in the diaspora is outside the book's scope; the continuum skill it rests on is credited to Lessons 7 and 42.
The description of the grammar is checked against the published work above. The lesson, the examples and the wording are mine.
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