Found in Translation

New languages - Jamaican Patois

A lot of languages are becoming extinct these days. But luckily, new ones are also developing. The BBC looks at the translation of a part of the Bible into Jamaican patois: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-16285462

A few Jamaican patois rules

• Plural nouns are made with the word “dem” (“they” or “them” in English) - so the plural of “uoli prafit” (“holy prophet”) is “uoli prafit dem”, and the plural of “enimi” (“enemy”) is “enimi dem”
• The past tense is marked by the word “did” - so “he lived” is, in patois, “im did liv”
• The future tense can be marked with ” a go” or “wi” (“will”) - “Im a go siev” is “He will save”, and “Yu wi nuo” is “You will know”

Examples:

• Jos laik ou im did taak chuu im uoli prafit dem - Just like how he talked through his holy prophets
• Im a go siev wi fram wi enimi dem - He will save us from our enemies
• So yu wi nuo se wa yu ier a chuu - So you will know that what you hear is true