Jamaican Patois

[dynamo]

I always knew patois was a mixture of various languages, but i was jus on youtube lookin at some vids and found out that some of our words like duppy a word of ghanaian origin (twi) meaning ghost, unu or una is a nigerian word (yoruba/igbo) meaning you people, nyam a senegalese word (wolof) meaning to eat (but in wolof it means to taste)is actually very similar to nigerian pidgin what served as a trading language in nigeria. there is a quite a lil controversy surrounding our language here, lots of ppl trying to "figure" it out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZnYa7u6WxQ&NR=1&feature=fvwp

[Wendy]

Re: Jamaican Patois

I understand what you are saying ..but I have a HARD time calling patwa (patois) a<span style="font-style: italic"> language </span>

I have always been taught it was a dialect and the official <span style="font-style: italic">language </span>of JA is English

<span style="font-style: italic">**look roun fi Dacta Dudd**</span>

[Dr.Dudd]

Re: Jamaican Patois

All modern languages are mixture of other languages.

If research Sanskrit,you will see that it is the basis of most Latin based languages.
although sanskrit is an acient Indian language.
And Patwa,or even English is actually collection of words, from different languages.
As long as people vocalize and interact, their languages will inter mingle.
when young children learn to different languages,as they speak they conflate the words from the two and as they grow, it is acceopted by their peers and acceopted in t language eventually. And that is when we mostly l;earn language.

[evanovitch]

Re: Jamaican Patois

trying to get patois as the language of Jamaica is like di argument to get ebonics the language of black americans...it will ongle isolate u from the rest of the world...

it is pawt of our culture yes, a representation of our diverse background...i.e. the differenct tribes, people ( SPanish, French etc) who played a part in our history

is like saying dat all Jcans should start wearing locs since it is soooo intrisically seen as being Jcan

[Dr.Dudd]

Re: Jamaican Patois

I don't care what the hell they call it as long as they make it stay wher it is.
And don't attempt to use it to isolate the future Jamaican citizens.
Like Haitian creole put educated Haitians at a disadvantage when the leave their country.
I would like to see is for Jamaica to teach Spanish,as a mandatory subject in all schools.
including Kindergarten.
Jamaicans need to be able to communicate to a wider range of people instead of concentrating on how to communicate more with fellow Jamaicans.
who they can already communicate with.<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Wendilina</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I understand what you are saying ..but I have a HARD time calling patwa (patois) a<span style="font-style: italic"> language </span>

I have always been taught it was a dialect and the official <span style="font-style: italic">language </span>of JA is English

<span style="font-style: italic">**look roun fi Dacta Dudd**</span> </div></div>

[Dr.Dudd]

Re: Jamaican Patois

The people who are trying to get patwa to be a language have economic intrest in doing so.
You don't notice the famous language expert establish Reggae production?
Well if they can't make it with patwa, go with the next best. <div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: evanovitch</div><div class="ubbcode-body">trying to get patois as the language of Jamaica is like di argument to get ebonics the language of black americans...it will ongle isolate u from the rest of the world...

it is pawt of our culture yes, a representation of our diverse background...i.e. the differenct tribes, people ( SPanish, French etc) who played a part in our history

is like saying dat all Jcans should start wearing locs since it is soooo intrisically seen as being Jcan </div></div>

[mountaingal]

Re: Jamaican Patois

patwa is a language. that has been established linguistically. dudd, you're talking about the politics of patwa, and whether it should be made the offical language of jamaica.

[Wendy]

Re: Jamaican Patois

So why is not taught in school in language classes MG?

[dynamo]

Re: Jamaican Patois

i know there are still Jamaicans who can only speak patwa can u imagine if they made it a language? They wud ave to stick to conversing with Jamaicans alone half the world doesn't even understand us when we get together!

[evanovitch]

Re: Jamaican Patois

it is an elitist attempt by poverty pimps in Ja to say that out people wud be served better by making patois the official language...in sum, we will not make the society better to include them in all amenities....cause u done know seh dat di said peeps who go out a dem way fi champion it, drop Patois wen dem even at the ticket counter at the airport on dem way out...cause dem want to be recognised as di highfahluting linguist etc ...

[Dr.Dudd]

Re: Jamaican Patois

It is better to teach those Jamaicans that can only speak patwaa English.

That to dumb down the rest to the point wher they can't compete with the best on the world stage, in higher education.

It is not a miracle why we are highly represented at these levels.
I know there are many that would like to see this change.
But not as long as some of us are in thes position of iunfluence. <div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: dynamo</div><div class="ubbcode-body">i know there are still Jamaicans who can only speak patwa can u imagine if they made it a language? They wud ave to stick to conversing with Jamaicans alone half the world doesn't even understand us when we get together! </div></div>

[Dr.Dudd]

Re: Jamaican Patois

Half teh world??

The only people who understand the language is the 4 to 5 million that are Jamaicans.
So we would not be able to read the majority of the world library.
Do you know that the majority of Haitians cannot use the Internet, even those who can read??
Not enough instruction in Haitian creole.
Can you imagine Jamaicans in that position??<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: dynamo</div><div class="ubbcode-body">i know there are still Jamaicans who can only speak patwa can u imagine if they made it a language? They wud ave to stick to conversing with Jamaicans alone half the world doesn't even understand us when we get together! </div></div>

[remo]

Re: Jamaican Patois

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Dr.Dudd</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Half teh world??

The only people who understand the language is the 4 to 5 million that are Jamaicans.
So we would not be able to read the majority of the world library.
Do you know that the majority of Haitians cannot use the Internet, even those who can read??
</div></div> [/quote]

Not only Haitians doc.....according to a new poll only 42%of African Americans and Hispanics know how to use the internet
I saw that this week on MSNBC I think it was the Keith Olberman show....

[Dr.Dudd]

Re: Jamaican Patois

At least they can speak English.
And the voice recognition software will make it accessible to them
Sooner or later one will not need to be able to read, to acces anything.
Since just about everything will react to voice activated technology.
The problem is that you have to speak an d understand one of the major languages.
And english is the most widely used.
The problem is that with Haitian adopting their Creole as an official language.
The schools start teaching in creole. So the kids did not bother to learn any other international language. When they migrate it is very difficult and expensive to learn the language of the mew home.
Since languages are taught from one major one to the other. . Siome learm it eventually, but only a minority.
As for the high percentage of African Americans thatare not computer/Internet savvy, Just look at how it has isolated them .
SO the taught of doing the same thing to Jamaica.
AFter the south African black kids rioted when the apartheid government of the day insisted in teaching them in their native language. <div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: remo</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Dr.Dudd</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Half teh world??

The only people who understand the language is the 4 to 5 million that are Jamaicans.
So we would not be able to read the majority of the world library.
Do you know that the majority of Haitians cannot use the Internet, even those who can read??
</div></div> </div></div>

Not only Haitians doc.....according to a new poll only 42%of African Americans and Hispanics know how to use the internet
I saw that this week on MSNBC I think it was the Keith Olberman show.... [/quote]

[H_O]

Re: Jamaican Patois

thank god I dont live in Quebec because thats where most of them are going to end up when Canada opens the floodgate and lets them flood in...
I dont know why Haitians choose Quebec--the french is completely different