Portland

Land of rain, jerk and the Maroons

Portland a di green-green parish inna di east, weh di Blue Mountain-dem run dung go meet di sea (Portland is the lush parish in the east, where the Blue Mountains run down to the sea). Rain fall ya more dan anyweh else pon di island, so everyting grow big an sweet. A ya so jerk baan, an a ya so Grandy Nanny an di Maroon-dem did mek dem home (this is where jerk was born, and where Nanny and the Maroons made their home).

Lessons in this parish

11. Plural dem & demonstratives — Mark plurals with -dem and point things out with dem ya / dem deh
12. Food & kitchen verbs I — Give cooking instructions with bare verbs and serial-verb chains: Tek di pot put i pon di fire
13. Weather & nature — Describe AND predict di weather: sun hot, rain a fall, an fayva like storm a come.

Culture from Portland

Boston Bay — Weh Jerk Baan — Food
Grandy Nanny an Moore Town — National heroes
Di Banana Boat Days a Port Antonio — Work and economy

Every Patois word taught in Portland →

Proverbs taught in Portland

Jamaican proverbs travel; most of these are said all over the island. The parish is where the course teaches it, not a claim about where it started.

Wha sweet nanny goat a go run im belly.What pleases you now can hurt you later — mind the second helping of jerk!

No cuss alligator long-mout til yu cross riva done.Don't insult anyone whose help you still need.

Trouble no set like rain.Misfortune gives no warning — unlike Portland rain, you won't see it coming.

Start Portland in the app →