A Look At Some Jamaican Patois Words That Originated From Ghanaian Languages.

 

After Atlantic Slave Trade, many slaves that were from Africa were left to live in the island plantations they worked on. Some of these lands later evolved into countries such as Jamaica.

Many of them were from different African countries and thus communication was a bit of a challenge since education was restricted.

So they came up with their own language which is now popularly known as Patois. A fusion of bits of different languages including English. So you’re likely to come across some words in patois that can be found in many African languages most predominantly Ghana. It is believed most of the slaves that were shipped to Jamaica were from Gold Coast.

Below is a few list of Jamaican Patois words that originated from Ghanaian languages;

1. Adrue – Medicine

Medicine in the Patois language is Adrue, pronounced “Aduru” which actually comes from the Akan language “Aduru” or “Aduro” which also stands for medicine.

2. Afasayah – Wild Yam

Wild yam in Akan is termed as “Afasew” and the Jamaicans term it as “Afasayah”, you see the similarities?

3. Afu – Farm

They term the plantation or the farm as “Afu” in Patois, same as “Afuw” in the Akan language.

4. Anansi – Spider

Thought only the Akans call it Anansi right, the Jamaicans also call it Anansi too.

5. Bafan – Baby

A baby below the age of two is called a “Bafan” in Patois and the word was derived from “Bofra” in the Akan language.

6. Broni – White person

They say Broni too in Patois

7. Casha – Thorn

Thorn in Akan is “Kasei” and in Patois the word is “Casha” which is where the word was derived from.

8. Dokunu – Kenkey

The Jamaicans say Dokuno too.

9. Nana – Grandparents

Nana means grandparents in the Akan language, it means the same in Patois too.

10. Opete – Vulture

We say Opete, they say opete too and it means the same.

11. Poto-poto – Mud

Akans will say, potoo or poto poto, the Jamaicans say same too.

12. Kaba-Kaba – Unreliable

Means fast fast in Ewe, to describe an unreliable person in Patois but the word is also predominant in the Ewe language too.

13. Mumu – Dumb

Mumu means dumb in both the Ewe and the Akan language and it also means same in Patois.

14. Kongkos – Gossip

The Jamaican will say, Kongkos and the Akan will say, Konkonsa. Hope you catch the drift.

15. Dote – Ground

Dote means ground in Patois and in Akan it means sand and you can clearly see where it is coming from.

16. Bese – Cola nut

Bese means cola nut in Patois and the Akans also call it same.

According to sources, the queen of the maroons of Jamaica whose name was Akua Pokuaa, then a queen in Ghana who was captured by the British and taken to Jamaica together with his brother Cudjoe helped freed hundreds of slaves that were captured...There is a street in Jamaica named after her..

Queen Nana Akua Pokuaa did not speak English. She stubbornly and fiercely enforced her Ashanti culture. From the beginning of British occupation until today, The AKAN culture dominated JAMAICA.

Cousin Of Slain Teen Hailed As A Hero By Obama Fatally Shot.

 

15-year-old Zaevion Dobson died in December shielding three friends from gunshots. The Tennessee native and Fulton High School football player was hailed a hero by President Obama. On Saturday, Dobson's 12-year-old cousin, Jajuan Latham, died of gunshot to the head shortly after attending a basketball game which honored his slain cousin.

"We were at the celebrity basketball game and he had a good time and he was just more excited to Bobby Maze than I was," Hubert Latham, Jajuan's father told WATE. "We went and had a good time and he was a good kid and they took my son’s life."

The Bobby Maze Celebrity Basketball Game in Tennessee was established to encourage youth to stop the violence the game's namesake told the news station that he was "devastated" to learn of the Jajuan's death.

 "Just knowing that Jajuan was one of the first kids at the gym to come in to see this celebrity game and he was excited about this event and to hear about hours later or after the game he was killed, it really hurt me," University of Tennessee basketball player Bobby Maze said.

"The whole purpose of doing this event was to shed some light on some of the things that has been happening in this community… Zaevion and it’s just been a lot of gun violence…. so I wanted to bring something positive to this area and to find out a kid that participated and came out to support this event was killed after and 12-years-old. You know, it’s just sad."

Latham told the news station that after the basketball game he stopped at a park to pick up some of his son's friends. He says that's when he heard the gunshots. Knoxville Police Chief David Rausch told the news station that occupants inside two vehicles that were driving by the park opened fire.

"The first thing I do is reach my son and I just realize he's not moving, so I'm like, 'What's going on, is he asleep?,'" Latham told the news station. "When I picked him up, that’s when I realized, what I seen, blood."

Latham rushed his son to a local hospital hoping for the best.

"I knew he was going to pull through," he told WATE. "It broke my heart 30 minutes later when they came out and told me my son was dead. The only thing that came to my mind was, who did this?"

Source: The Root

INSPIRING! Strika Goes To School.

 

After Beasts of No Nation movie hit the cinemas, one child actor who has not gained international recognition as Abraham Attah is Strika, a child soldier who never spoke in the movie.

The young boy who was picked from the streets of Sodom and Gomorrah, a suburb in Accra did not get the shine due him as compared to his colleague, Abraham Attah who has won many international awards.

Many who have watched the movie, 'Beasts of No Nation' eulogized the young actor for his stupendous performance.

All hope is not lost for Strika known in real life as Emmanuel Nii Adom Quaye as producers of the Cary Fukunaga directed movie have enrolled him in school. This was revealed when Hitz FM presenter, MzGee interviewed actor Kobina Amissah-Sam who played the role of Agu’s father in the movie “Beasts Of No Nation”.

According to Amissah-Sam, producers of the movie are taking good care of Strika and other casts of the movie.

“They have not been forgotten, they have really been taken care of. They are not lacking now as they used to so everything is cool for them now.

He has never been in school before but after the production, producers of the movie felt that they have to put him in school.

I don’t think that it is Netflix that is taking care of them, it is the producer who wants to help the kids. He is taking care of the three kids, Abraham, Striker and there is one other guy called Justice who stepped on Agu’s head when he was caught.” Kobina Amissah-Sam told Mzgee.

Kobina Amissah-Sam made it clear that owners of the production house, Red Crown Productions LLC who financed the movie are taking care of the young actors not the director of the movie, Cary Joji Fukunaga.

He added that “they felt that why should they leave them to go back to the streets when the movie is shinning somewhere. When people ask about your star Strika then they would have to find him on the street which will not speak well of them.”

He also disclosed that Strika is now signed on a casting agency, which is scouting roles for him. He continued that he has also been signed on the same casting agency with Ghanaian actors like Abraham Attah and Adjetey Annan aka Pusher.

Source: Zionfelix

Kate Middleton Struggles To Control Her £1,700 Dress As Attends Dehli War Memorial.

The Duchess of Cambridge almost suffered a wardrobe malfunction when a gust of wind blew her dress up as she paid tribute to Indian soldiers who lost their lives during the world war I . During the  national memorial which took place in Delhi, Kate and William laid a wreath at the tomb of one of the soldiers, Kate couldn't concentrate as she repeatedly battled to stop her dress blowing up. More photos after the cut...