mi

Mi born a Westmoreland.

“Mi nearly dead wid laugh wen mi read wa Fieldgar post pon Gleaner website bout mi column, "Hair Policy Infested With Racism". […]”

2020, Carolyn Cooper, “Junjo inna di judge wig”, in The Jamaica Gleaner (in Jamaican Creole):

I nearly died of laughter when I read what Fieldgar posted about my column on Gleaner's website, "Hair Policy Infested with Racism" […]

Yuh can see mi?

“Si dat now! If yuh did only listen to mi!” […]”

2019, “Hello Mi Neighbour - Reduce your speed on the roads”, in The Jamaica Gleaner (in English):

Shucks! If only you had listened to me […]

A mi suitcase dat.

“Mi just done cook mi pork and mi rice and peas 'cause I didn't get to cook yesterday […]”

2020, Andre Williams, “PORK POT SAFE - Senior glad after receiving COVID compassionate grant”, in The Jamaica Gleaner (in English):

I've just finished cooking my pork and my Jamaican rice and peas because […]


it

Derived from English it. Compare English hit, Gullah i, Antigua and Barbuda Creole English it, Guyanese Creole English ii, Hawaiian Creole it, Nigerian Pidgin it, Vincentian Creole English e, Yola yt, Old English ġit, Proto-Germanic *hit.

Third-person singular neuter pronoun: it

Third-person singular neuter accusative pronoun: it


ar

Wen shi riich uom shi si ar pikni lai dong pan ar bed an di diiman gaan outa ar.

2012, Di Jamiekan Nyuu Testiment, Edinburgh: DJB, published 2012, →ISBN, Maak 7:30:

She went home and found the child lying on the bed, the demon gone.


se

Bot wen im ier se a Erad pikni, Arkelos, tek uova an did a ruul Judiya, im kech im fried an neehn waahn go de-so. An kaa Gad did waan im aaf iina wan jriim, im lef go Gyalalii insted.

2012, Di Jamiekan Nyuu Testiment, Edinburgh: DJB, published 2012, →ISBN, Matyu 2:22:

But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there, and being warned in a dream he withdrew to the district of Galilee.

(relative) that (which, who; representing a subject, direct object, indirect object, or object of a preposition)


wi

Derived from English we. Compare Sranan Tongo wi.

Wi cyaan tek it nuh more!

“If de herbs wi get is good, dem will want lots more by next week […]”

2011, Richard Bingy Brown, Living the Dream (in English), →ISBN, page 58:

Wi house a buil' a St. Catherine.

Our new house is being built in St. Catherine.

“All di nice time was fi dem,
Dem tek wi black sista and use dem,
Dem starve we di men,
Wanting us not to be friend.
Thinking we ago rebel against dem […]”

1986, Michael Parchment, My Freedom Voice (in Jamaican Creole), page 11:

Only they enjoyed themselves,
They took away our black sisters and used them,
They starved us -- the men,
They didn't want us to be friends.
They thought we would rebel against them […]

Dem see wi a mek it an' dem vex.

They see us getting ahead and they're angry.

“(Weh mi seh) young people mek wi arise
Mek wi trus God, pon him wi depen […]”

2010, Dave Collymore, 平和と愛の詩的表現: Poetic Expressions of Peace and Love (in English), →ISBN, page 128:

(What did I say?) Young people let us arise
Let us trust God who we depend on […]


uu

“Kom nyam brekfas,” Jiizas se tu dem. Bot non a dem neehn bier fies inof fi aks im se, “A uu yu?” kaa dem did nuo se a did di Laad.

2012, Di Jamiekan Nyuu Testiment, Edinburgh: DJB, published 2012, →ISBN, Jan 21:12:

Jesus said to them, "Come and have breakfast." Now none of the disciples dared ask him, "Who are you?" They knew it was the Lord.

(interrogative) who (asks for the identity of someone; used in a direct or indirect question)

Afta Erad ded, luk ya no: wan a di Laad ienjel dem no jriim Juozif wen im de a Iijip. 20Di ienjel se, “Git op, tek di pikni an im mada an gwaan a Izrel, kaa uu did a chrai fi kil di pikni, dem ded.”

2012, Di Jamiekan Nyuu Testiment, Edinburgh: DJB, published 2012, →ISBN, Matyu 2:19-20:

But when Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying, "Rise, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the child's life are dead."

Evribadi uu wok av di rait tu gud and fier pie fi mek shuor se im an im fambili a liv a laif we mek im fiil gud bout imself an se im wot sopm ina laif, an kyan get eni ada saat a pie, if im niid it, bai eni ada sopuot we sosaiyati kyan aafa.

2023, Yuunivorshal Deklarieshan a Yuuman Raits, United Nations, Aatikl 23:

Everyone who works has the right to just and favourable remuneration ensuring for himself and his family an existence worthy of human dignity, and supplemented, if necessary, by other means of social protection.

(relative) who (introduces a relative clause having a human antecedent)


unu

How unu find them? Guilty or innocent?

2014, Marlon James, A Brief History of Seven Killings (in English), Oneworld Publications (2015), page 353:

How do you find them? Guilty or innocent?


im

Mek im tek weh himself.

“An im seh, Yu nyaam me peas today? Him seh, nuo ma, me no eat non. […]”

2005, Kamau Brathwaite, The Development of Creole Society in Jamaica, 1770-1820 (in English), →ISBN, page 239:

And he said, did you eat my peas today? He said, no ma, I didn't eat them. […]

Shi sen' im a letter wah day.

“What de poor Bug do? Tek im pon im back an him travel, an him travel, an im travel. […]”

1984, Laura Tanna, Jamaican Folk Tales and Oral Histories (in Jamaican Creole), →ISBN, page 11:

What did poor Bug do? He let him go on his back and he travelled on and on. […]

Den im res' im han' pan di bench.

'Im frack look good.

University of the West Indies Press
w:University of the West Indies Press

Tanya deh yah? — Yeah, man. Im deh yah.


'im

“Well! Lloyd seh 'im see Danzo duppy all di while. 'Im seh, every time 'im see 'im, a one han' 'im have. […]”

2005, Lorrimer Burford, A Jamaican Storyteller's Tale (in English), →ISBN, page 76:

Well! LLoyd said he sees Danzo's ghost all the time. He said, every time he sees him, he only has one arm. […]


yuh

Yuh nuh have nuh sense.

“Meck me get it straight Mass Charlie
For me no quite undastan,
Yuh gwine kill all English dialect
Or jus Jamaica one? […]”

1998, Kevin O'Brien Chang, Wayne Chen, Reggae Routes: The Story of Jamaican Music (in English), →ISBN, page 66:

Let me get it straight Mr. Charlie
Because I don't quite understand,
Are you going to kill all English dialects?
Or just Jamaica's? […]

Keep yuh hands a yuh side.

“PASSION: Yu wud trus me wid yuh wheels?
RAS SIMI: Boss, me wud trus yu wid me life. […]”

2017, Marcia Layne, Off Camera (in Jamaican Creole), →ISBN:

PASSION: Would you trust me with your wheels?
RAS SIMI: Boss, I'd trust you with my life. […]


nobadi

Derived from English nobody. By surface analysis, no + badi. Compare Belizean Creole nobadi.

Di man did liv a di beriyin grong, an nobadi kudn tai im op no muor, no iivn wid chien

2012, Di Jamiekan Nyuu Testiment, Edinburgh: DJB, published 2012, →ISBN, Maak 5:3:

He lived among the tombs. And no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain

anybody, anyone (in a sentence that is already negative)


fi mi

An fi mi 'reality' now a nuh di same like fi plenty Jamaican.

My 'reality' now isn't the same as many other Jamaicans'.

Ah no fi mi own, Sar!

What is fi him is fi him and what is fi mi a fi mi.

What's his, is his and what's mine is mine.


fi yuh

Cock up yuh foot, draw fi yuh whisky and wait fi di announcement.

Put your feet up. Go get your whiskey, and wait for the announcement.

What a fi yuh cyaan be un-fi yuh.

What's meant to be yours will always be yours.

A fi yuh dat?


fi im

A fi im birthday but a wi get di present dem.

It's his birthday but we're the ones getting the presents.

All a dem a fi im.


fi har

One a mi fren dem tell mi seh fi har short wig did cost $200,000.

A friend of mine told me that her short wig cost $200,000.

All a dem a fi har.


fi wi

A fi wi time yah now.

Miss Lou seh sort out fi wi life, den celebrate har.

Miss Lou told us to get our life in order before we celebrate her.

Jamaica a fi wi.


fi unnu

Mumma say a fi unnu fault.

“Mi a enjoy fi mi self. If unnu nuh waa enjoy fi unuself dat a fi unnu business. A unnu pay fi come in ya fi watch mi. […]”

2014, Shereita Grizzle, “LIME Comedy Café delivers laughter”, in The Jamaica Gleaner (in Jamaican Creole):

I'm enjoying myself. If you don't want to enjoy yourselves, that's your business. You are the ones who paid to enter and watch me (perform). […]

A did fi unnu own.


unnu

From Igbo ụnụ. Compare Bahamian Creole yinna, Bajan wunna, Gullah oonuh, Sranan Tongo unu.

onu (alternative)
oonoo (alternative)
oonuh (alternative)
unno (alternative)
unu (alternative)
unuh (alternative)

Wah mek unnu neva tek wan robot come?

Why didn't y'all take a route taxi to get here?

“If unnu know weh mi a go tru, unnu will understand. […]”

2020, Andre Williams, “Woman loses third relative to gun violence”, in The Jamaica Gleaner (in English):

If you all knew what I was going through, you'd understand. […]

Yute man, unnu fi beat unnu book.

Youngsters, you need to study your books.

“A because unnu a young girl unnu nuh wah breastfeed unnu baby. […]”

2018, Candiece Knight, “Delivering at public hospitals – not so bad after all”, in The Jamaica Observer (in English), archived from the original on 2020-10-20:

It's because you're all young women that you don't want to breastfeed your babies. […]


fi dem

A fi dem car dem a use carry dem go doctor.

It's their car that they're using to take them to the doctor.

Dem a handle the money like a fi dem.

They're treating the money as if it's theirs.


evribadi

Derived from English everybody. By surface analysis, evri + badi. Compare Belizean Creole evribadi.

“A no evribadi we kom tu mi an kaal ‘Laad, Laad,’ a-go get fi kom ton wan a dem we Gad ruul uova yu no; onggl di piipl dem we du wa mi Faada iina evn waahn.

2012, Di Jamiekan Nyuu Testiment, Edinburgh: DJB, published 2012, →ISBN, Matyu 7:21:

"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.


demself

Den som a di Laa tiicha dem se tu demself se, “Bot wiet, a uu da man ya riili tingk im bi — a dis im a disrispek Gad!

2012, Di Jamiekan Nyuu Testiment, Edinburgh: DJB, published 2012, →ISBN, Matyu 9:3:

And behold, some of the scribes said to themselves, "This man is blaspheming."


smadi

Evribadi evriwe av di rait az smadi we av akses tu di sorvis dem a di laa.

2023, Yuunivorshal Deklarieshan a Yuuman Raits, United Nations, Aatikl 6:

Everyone has the right to recognition everywhere as a person before the law.

Alternative form of sumadi (“somebody; someone; some person; a person”)


sumadi

Sumadi we taak fi imself a luk big op fram piipl, bot sumadi we wok so dat di wan we sen im get big op, a gud sumadi an wa im taak a chuu sitn. Dem no lai.

2012, Di Jamiekan Nyuu Testiment, Edinburgh: DJB, published 2012, →ISBN, Jan 7:18:

Those who speak for themselves want to glorify themselves, but someone who glorifies the one who sent him is truthful and not deceitful.

somebody; someone; some person; a person


enibadi

Enibadi we kluos wid Gad pikni av laif. Bot enibadi we no kluos wid Gad pikni no av laif.

2012, Di Jamiekan Nyuu Testiment, Edinburgh: DJB, published 2012, →ISBN, 1 Jan 5:12:

Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have God’s Son does not have life.


miself

Ef a onggl mi wan a tel piipl bout miself, den wa mi se no wot notn.

2012, Di Jamiekan Nyuu Testiment, Edinburgh: DJB, published 2012, →ISBN, Jan 5:31:

If I alone testify about Myself, My testimony is not true.


wiself

Derived from English ourselves. By surface analysis, wi + -self

Non a wi a liv fi wiself wan an non a wi naa ded fi wiself wan.

2012, Di Jamiekan Nyuu Testiment, Edinburgh: DJB, published 2012, →ISBN, Ruoman 14:7:


yuself

kum aafa di kraas an siev yuself no!

2012, Di Jamiekan Nyuu Testiment, Edinburgh: DJB, published 2012, →ISBN, Maak 15:30:

Well then, save yourself and come down from the cross!


unuself

Mi pikni, kip unuself fram faalz gad.

2012, Di Jamiekan Nyuu Testiment, Edinburgh: DJB, published 2012, →ISBN, 1 Jan 5:21:

Little children, guard yourselves from idols.


imself

An ef Sietan iet imself an a fait imself, im no wuda luuz im powa, im kindom no wuda mash op an no don im wuda don fa?

2012, Di Jamiekan Nyuu Testiment, Edinburgh: DJB, published 2012, →ISBN, Maak 3:26:

And if Satan has risen up against himself, and is divided, he cannot stand, but has an end.


arself

Shi did a se tu arself se, "Ef a kuda onggl toch im kluoz, mi wi get beta."

2012, Di Jamiekan Nyuu Testiment, Edinburgh: DJB, published 2012, →ISBN, Matyu 9:21:

She said to herself, "If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed."