Traditional Jamaican proverb · taught in St. Elizabeth
Yu neva mis di waata til di wel ron jrai.
You never miss the water until the well runs dry.
You don't value what you have until it's gone.
two-clause indicative with time clause
It speaks straight to yu but never commands; neva makes the main clause negative, and the til clause holds everything back until the last three words.
This one is taught in St. Elizabeth.
The grammatical categories this description uses — clause type, mood, and the sound patterning noted where it carries the proverb — follow Unseth's framework for describing a proverb rather than only translating it.
The proverb is folk material. The description of how it is put together follows the framework in the work above; the translation and the commentary are mine.
Hear it, and collect the rest →