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Jamaican culture and history
Patois carries Jamaica's history: Africa, resistance, faith, music and food. Start with the language, then go deeper.
African words in Jamaican Patois
Most Patois vocabulary comes from English, but a core of everyday words comes from West and Central African languages: unnu (you all) from Igbo,…
The history of Jamaican Patois
Jamaican Patois formed from the late 1600s on Jamaica's English sugar plantations, where enslaved Africans speaking many languages, especially Akan…
Is Jamaican Patois a language?
Yes. Linguists classify Jamaican Patois as an English-based creole language, Jamaican Creole, with its own grammar, sound system and vocabulary, not…
Jamaican food words
The core Jamaican food words are dishes like ackee and saltfish, jerk, curry goat, rice and peas and rundung; breads and sides like bammy, festival,…
Jamaican music and language
Jamaican music is the main reason the world knows Patois.
Jamaican proverbs and what they mean
Jamaican proverbs pack advice into short, vivid Patois images, usually of animals, farming and the yard.
From the Culture tab
A short history of Jamaica
Seven chapters, from the Taíno to the diaspora.
Jamaican dishes and recipes
Ten classic dishes, the stories behind them, and how to cook them.
Places to see in Jamaica
Ten places worth the trip, and why they matter.
Culture words in the dictionary
Nine night, Grand Market, duppy, Jonkanoo and more.