Any way to learn patois other than moving to Jamaica? I'd love to learn the language.
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Any way to learn patois other than moving to Jamaica? I'd love to learn the language.
What a coincidence, I just realized I'd like to learn patois too. Haven't done much, but noticed One Stop Jamaica has a vocabulary list posted on their website. I have no idea if the list is accurate. Started listening carefully to music and reading lyrics on Damien Marley's YouTube videos. Practice singing a long. Listening to different accents, soaking in the sounds, rhythm and tone. I'm impressed by the musical quality. Some of the expressions are beautiful. A Jamaican friend tried to teach me a few expressions.
Watch movies with sub titles...Shottas is the only one I can think of right nowQuote:
Originally Posted by gregandkelly63
To understand Patois is very different than speaking it.Quote:
Originally Posted by gregandkelly63
Jamaicans will likely understand your English better than any potios you'll learn. I'll also second captaind's comment.
I like to read the editorial and more salacious sections of a couple of the online Jamaican news papers. While I think I have gotten a basic understanding (often simply by context) of Patois on a written level, I can not understand 1/10th of what is being said after multiple trips, and would only make a fool of myself were I to try and communicate that way. Once in a while I turn the Jamaican radio stations on with the iPad. Callers who really get going on some of those shows may as well be speaking Martian for all of my supposed understanding :). I think it is one of those things where either growing up with it, or nothing short of a total immersion into the language will serve to understand.
The language here is SOOOOOO creative, I love it! It is more than words; often what you hear is a clever version of what is meant. Ingest a variety of print, radio and tv, especially the commercials. Listen to conversations and try to follow the thread. In conversation start using some of the word styles and phrases you hear that are different from yours. Listen to DJ's and dancehall recordings. Ask for translations. I've learned a lot from the bits that people share in their trip reports. Eventually it starts to come together. Thus far I don't speak it but I use phrases and can understand a lot if I can hear it well enough.
On the flip side I was having a typical English-speaking conversation with a 10-yr old Jamaican girl I've known a long time about a topic she knew of but had very little actual knowledge. I went too far too fast and she said "I don't understand a word you are saying, it is like you are speaking Chinese."
We learned by total immersion. There were months in which we wouldn't even see foreigners. During the off season we'd be up on Zion Hill or over at the Estate for weeks on end. Only time we'd go to Negril was to visit our Jamaican friends and family.
Miss G understands every word but doesn't speak with the accent. However, she uses the proper idiom. I on the other hand have always loved to mimic and so I worked on my accent, pronunciation, body language etc.
Remember that all Jamaican's speak two languages Patios and the Queen's English. I speak the Queens English in any formal or certain other situations depending on whom I'm conversing with.
Just about the only time I speak American is when talking to visitors
According to this guy... just toss in a few "rasclaats and bumbas" in there... you should be just fine
check video of sexy rexy on you tube teaching patois. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=frkMBYYBvcE
wateva yu do , don't say ,"mon" hehe
Go to youtube, and you will find several that teach a little. But it is entertaining.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ezA1M...908za9tO_4DwpQ
Let me clarify. I'd rather understand it than speak it. Total immersion is the preferred method to learn any language. However, until we retire in a few years, the total immersion will have to wait.
Do you have any Jamaican friends in the North?Quote:
Originally Posted by gregandkelly63
I understand about 90% of the patois (whicch I learned back in the 80's by total immersion in about six months with all of my JA friends talking to me only in patois so I could learn it. The only time I speak it is when talking to very old Jamaicans in their 80's and 90's who might not understand my english (or when I get really angry LOL). I used to talk patois to young children, but I was asked by their parents to speak proper english to them so the kids could learn and practice english.
I do find that when I have been away from JA for several years, it does take a while to start understanding it correctly again. Quite a few of jamaican sayings cannot be taken literally - reminds me of parables.
There is a simplicity in the language. Also, it is very visual. "One love" is a more beautiful way of talking about community unity.
Listening to Captaind speak patois is truly magical. Every syllable and inflection of the language is displayed. There is a rhythm to the language that I simply adore!!! I can't wait to get back to have my fix of patois!! :)
I have told Dancin Ronnie that hangs at Debar he should give patois lessons!
Great idea!
We live in rural Tennessee. Most of these people couldn't find Jamaica on a map!Quote:
Originally Posted by captaind
Another great way to learn is to go on youtube and do a search for "jamaican movies 2014 latest full movies" not only will you learn a lot of patois, you will learn a lot of the way things a gwan
Rosetta Stone jamaican is the way.....
http://youtu.be/uhEEPRTUb30
After hearing some DJ cd's a million times, some of the words started to come through. When I heard this I had to ask:
"sniper bottle" ???
What is a sniper? I say things like terrorist, threat, gunman, intimidating...
Wicked, a sniper is wicked! Oh, yeah. And wicked can mean very bad or very good.
She had a hot body!
A slice of life:
"Yo So-and-so, a dat breadfruit." This is a rare but not unusual conversation in my yard.
Breadfruit? I ask, from where? Multiple scenarios come to mind, a nearby tree that we'd recently discussed, a bounty of being in the right place at the right time, a relative brought them by or a request was made to go buy some for us. But we never cook with breadfruit so I couldn't put anything together that made sense, in the few seconds this transpires.
A small black lada bag arrives, with a blocky, non-breadfruit shape to it ~ let alone breadfruit isn't usually handed over in a bag unless it had been sent for at the market. :D
He pulls out a dasheen and a slice of yellow yam!
Hahaha
:)Quote:
Originally Posted by Integrity
You've probably heard of the Rosetta Stone way of learning a language.
They now have a Rosetta Stone for learning patois. Its really quite good.
Check it out:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhEEPRTUb30
that was funny Kahuna
I knew it was only a matter of time until Rob Ford made this post!
Note: this is NOT typical of Canadians or Torontonians!
After being a Dj on my first trip I incorporated Dance-hall music into my sets and slowly words became clear. From there it was phrases then sentences, and now after years of immersion I can say I understand and can sing much more than I can speak but I can speak enough to get by.....
I learned a lot by leaving the tv on the local stations especially the news (you know the stories where they interview the crowd)
Be careful with that way, many of the subtitles miss the point by a mile. Shottas is a perfect example....if I don't cover up the subtitles I curse worse than a Jamaican that they are mashing up the translation.Quote:
Originally Posted by HoneyBee
I "learned" what I knew by dating a lady that grew up in JA but moved to the UK, staying up in the hills for days or weeks at a time with locals that saw no need to speak the Queen's English, listening to the music and then having someone break it down for me....prolly other ways that I now forgot. But....now I'm lazy with Negril trips and no real need to speak it so it drifts away. Plus I get more of a kick out of not speaking it except for people are conversing about me thinking I can't understand and all of a sudden I rant on in Patois about the rudeness of them talking about me...try it!
I like this series from youtube; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2eSf...C3A9A9901BE045
How about a word of the week to get everyone started?
a word per week ? lol pickney caan learn fasta den datQuote:
Originally Posted by lathomas
ok how about a few phrases? I find that Potois is just a slang, accent if you will...and variation of English that is actually easier to pronounce. You can say WHA GWAN instead of WHATS GOING ON.
bahwl me ah bahwl / or LMAOQuote:
Originally Posted by Kahuna3
Thank you
Beg to differ on one point - Patois is more than just a slang or accent. It is more of a language with it's own syntax and meanings. And not everyone understands everyone else immediately - some inland folks speak a patois sooooo deep that other Jamaicans who live on the coast have a bit of trouble with it. But I love the sound of it. Sometimes just by letting it flow around me and not trying too hard, the meanings manage to come thru. I may use an occasional phrase but I know I will never be able to speak it - at least not without suffering a certain amount of good natured abuse. :)
There are books in the form of a dictionary on the dialect in many gift shops around the town. There is also "Talrich", a small stationery store in town on the Value Master plaza, that sell such books.
I've become a part time Jamaican, having travelled there 7 times in the past 6 months. I've learned some patois conversing and texting with my friends, but mostly from references on the internet. I usually can find a translation for just about any patois I encounter. However, I have run across a posted conversation I have not been able to interprate. If someone here can help me, I would appreciate it. It goes like this:
he: Liar
she: wah me lie abt
he:mi nuh able, cah afford a light up from you
Can anyone translate this?