39 words and phrases · grouped by the lesson that teaches them
| Patois | Cassidy-JLU | English |
|---|---|---|
| farin | farin | abroad, overseas (foreign) |
| yaadie | yaadi | a Jamaican — someone of yard |
| baan | baan | born |
| granfada | granfaada | grandfather |
| granny | grani | grandmother |
| great-granny | griet-grani | great-grandmother |
| fambily | fambili | family |
| fambily line | fambili lain | lineage, ancestry |
| roots | ruuts | origins, heritage |
| grow | gruo | grow up; also raise (Granny grow mi — Granny raised me) |
| lef yaad | lef yaad | left Jamaica, emigrated |
| back a yaad | bak a yaad | back home in Jamaica |
| proud a | proud a | proud of |
| Patois | Cassidy-JLU | English |
|---|---|---|
| barrel | baril | shipping barrel of goods sent home |
| wharf | waaf | the docks, where barrels land and clear customs |
| clear (i) | klier (i) | get it through customs |
| duty | juuti | customs charge |
| powda milk | pouda milk | powdered milk — classic barrel item |
| a likkle someting | a likl somting | a little money (remittance, said modestly) |
| money transfa | moni chransfa | money transfer, remittance service |
| credit | kredit | phone credit |
| soon come | suun kom | coming eventually — an elastic promise |
| tell everybody howdy | tel evribadi oudi | greet everyone for me |
| big up yuself | big op yuself | respect, take care of yourself |
| si God spare life | si Gad spier laif | God willing |
| mi mind run pon yu | mi main ron pan yu | I was thinking of you |
| 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 |