Learning to speak another language or dialect helps us broaden our vocabulary. As a matter of 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 such as Spanish or a dialect such as Jamaican Patois, both would qualify as being potentially beneficial exercises for the brain.
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 pronunciation of those words. The Jamaican Creole syntax is often difficult to learn but it can be learned through continued practice. Many people who want to learn the Jamaica language not only want to learn the vocabulary, they also want to learn the correct syntax. As in other languages, the syntax, grammar and vocabulary are of key importance when studying or learning Jamaican.
Quite often people will ask how do you say so and so in Jamaican patois. Among the most often asked questions are ‘how do you say eat in Jamaican Patois’ and ‘how do you count in Jamaican Patois.’ Well, the word for eat in Jamaican Patois is nyaam. The word ‘nyaam’ is pronounced ‘knee-yaam.’ In regards 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.
Here are some examples of the word nyaam as it could be used by a speaker of the Jamaican dialect.
yuh craven 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 there eating.
Another commonly asked 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 learning 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 many Jamaican Patois audio as you can. Also, listen to music, and watch Jamaican television programs. Not surprisingly among the best ways to learn the Jamaican English creole syntax are to have friends that 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 also the syntax of the dialect.
Speaking another language or dialect helps us broaden 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 took a look at ways of learning Jamaican Patois, and how to say eat in Jamaican patois. The article also mentioned some tips for learning Jamaican creole syntax.