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Starboard Tack

(11,181 posts)
Sun Dec 25, 2011, 12:59 PM Dec 2011

Jamaica's patois Bible: The word of God in creole

The Bible is, for the first time, being translated into Jamaican patois. It's a move welcomed by those Jamaicans want their mother tongue enshrined as the national language - but opposed by others, who think learning and speaking English should be the priority.
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&quot is "uoli prafit dem", and the plural of "enimi" ("enemy&quot 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&quot - "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

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Jamaica's patois Bible: The word of God in creole (Original Post) Starboard Tack Dec 2011 OP
dem say Peace_maker Mar 2015 #1
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