Learning to speak another language or dialect helps us expand our vocabulary. In fact, some people say that learning new languages helps us keep our minds active because we are teaching our brains new things. Whether you’re learning a language like Spanish or a dialect like Jamaican Patois, both would qualify as potentially beneficial brain exercises.
Jamaican Patois is spoken by millions of people. The dialect has its own vocabulary, grammar, pronunciation and syntax; similarly to other languages. Jamaican patois, sometimes referred to as Creole, has its own rules for the order in which words should be placed and rules for the pronunciation of those words. Jamaican Creole syntax is often difficult to learn, but can be learned with continued practice. Many people who want to learn the Jamaican language not only want to learn the vocabulary, they also want to learn the correct syntax. As in other languages, syntax, grammar and vocabulary are of key importance when studying or learning Jamaican.
Very often people ask how you say this and that in Jamaican Patois. Among the most frequently asked questions are “how to say to eat in Jamaican Patois” and “How to count in Jamaican Patois”. Well the word for eating in Jamaican Patois is nyaam. The word ‘nyaam’ is pronounced ‘knee-yaam’. When it comes to counting in the Jamaican dialect, the same numbers that are used in standard English are used for counting in Jamaican; the difference is in how the words are pronounced.
Below are some examples of the word nyaam, as it could be used by a speaker of the Jamaican dialect.
yuh coward yuh lub nyaam nuff – you are greedy you love to eat a lot
dem did ah guh nyaam – they were going to eat
dem bey dih deh ah nyaam: they were eating.
Another common question, about Jamaica Patois, is how can I find out more about the Jamaican dialect and its syntax. The word syntax simply means the order in which the words are used in any given language or dialect. Learning Patois syntax and Patois vocabulary go hand in hand. The best way to learn the syntax of the Jamaican dialect is to be exposed to it. To learn Jamaican syntax, listen to as much Jamaican Patois audio as you can. Also, listen to music and watch Jamaican TV shows. Not surprisingly, one of the best ways to learn the Creole syntax of Jamaican English is to have friends who speak the dialect or to live in the country (Jamaica). By doing these things you should be well on your way to learning some vocabulary and dialect syntax as well.
Speaking another language or dialect helps us expand our vocabulary. Some say that learning new languages helps us keep our minds active because we are teaching our brains new things. In this article, we take a look at ways to learn Jamaican Patois and how to say eat in Jamaican Patois. The article also mentions some tips for learning Jamaican Creole syntax.
