The Language
English (official), Creole. English is the official language of Jamaica. However, Patois (Creole), is spoken in rural areas and is used increasingly in urban areas. Most Jamaicans can speak or understand Patois, but it is not a written language. Jamaican speech, even in English, has a distinctive rhythmic and melodic quality.
How can it be that a conversation between two Jamaicans needs translating into English? What does it mean that many people mistakenly think that "no woman no cry" means if one doesn't have a woman, one has no reason to cry? How can it be that Bounty Killer and No Doubt 's billboard single "Hey Baby" is most likely the only Bounty Killer song any non-Jamaican will understand? These examples demonstrate that Jamaicans have a language all their own, a language partially based on, but very different from English. So different, in fact, that the average English speaker cannot go into a Jamaican bar and understand the men sitting at the counter, or go to a dancehall session and understand what the selector is saying, let alone the DJs.
English (official), Creole. English is the official language of Jamaica. However, Patois (Creole), is spoken in rural areas and is used increasingly in urban areas. Most Jamaicans can speak or understand Patois, but it is not a written language. Jamaican speech, even in English, has a distinctive rhythmic and melodic quality.
How can it be that a conversation between two Jamaicans needs translating into English? What does it mean that many people mistakenly think that "no woman no cry" means if one doesn't have a woman, one has no reason to cry? How can it be that Bounty Killer and No Doubt 's billboard single "Hey Baby" is most likely the only Bounty Killer song any non-Jamaican will understand? These examples demonstrate that Jamaicans have a language all their own, a language partially based on, but very different from English. So different, in fact, that the average English speaker cannot go into a Jamaican bar and understand the men sitting at the counter, or go to a dancehall session and understand what the selector is saying, let alone the DJs.
