Jamaican Patois Is a Language; End of Story

I have been seeing many posts and comments about Jamaican Patois being used in Parliament. People are passionate about this topic, and after reading so many opinions online, I felt I needed to weigh in.

My goal is not to argue whether Patois should or should not be used in Parliament. If the agreed language of Parliament is English, then that is a separate discussion.

What I want to address is the idea that Jamaican Patois is just slang, broken English, bad English, or a dialect with no structure.

Years ago, I used to say the exact same thing.

About 25 years ago, I believed Patois was slang and bad English. My position changed after I spent time learning the difference between slang, dialects and languages. Conversations with linguists and researchers also helped change my thinking about how languages develop over time.

The more I learned, the more I realized Jamaican Patois is a language.

Jamaican Patois Has Structure

Jamaican Patois, also called Jamaican Creole, has grammar, syntax, vocabulary and structure. It is not random speech.

This work has been documented and archived by the The University of the West Indies Jamaican Language Unit. The language also has standardized writing systems.

It is important to point out that Jamaican Patois is not an official language in Jamaica. However, it is recognized as a language in other countries.

During my time at Jamaicans.com, we regularly received requests for Jamaican language translators. Some colleges in the United States and Canada even allow students to satisfy foreign language requirements through fluency in Jamaican Creole.

That alone should make people stop and think about how the language is viewed outside Jamaica.

Why Many Jamaicans Struggle With Written Patois

Another truth many of us may not want to admit is that people in my generation and even younger generations may struggle with the standardized written form of Jamaican.

The reason is simple. Most of us only grew up speaking it orally. We were never formally taught how to read or write it.

That does not make the language invalid.

Many languages started as oral languages before writing systems were developed and standardized. Language development is a process that takes place over time.

This is not unique to Jamaica.

The Caribbean Already Has an Example

Right here in the Caribbean, there is already an example of a Creole language becoming officially recognized.

Papiamentu, spoken in Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao, is taught in schools and recognized officially. It developed into a language with formal use while still holding on to its cultural roots.

For me, that example shows that the development of Jamaican Patois should not surprise anyone.

Jamaican Patois Is Not Broken English

One of the biggest misunderstandings is the belief that Jamaican Patois is simply English spoken incorrectly.

That is not true.

Many Jamaican words have African origins, and the language follows its own grammatical rules and structures. Certain speech patterns that may sound unusual to English speakers are actually part of the language system itself.

An example I often point to is the phrase “Di ting battah battah.”

That repetition structure is part of the language itself.

The more I studied language evolution, the more I understood that languages naturally grow and change over time. Even modern languages spoken around the world today evolved from earlier language systems.

That is simply how language works.

Respect for the Researchers and Educators

I also want to acknowledge the people who continue to do the work of preserving and documenting the Jamaican language.

Big respect to Hubert Devonish, Joseph T. Farquharson, Jo-Ann Richards and the wider team at the Jamaican Language Unit for the work they continue to do.

Their efforts have helped many people, including myself, better understand the depth and legitimacy of Jamaican Patois.

At the end of the day, people may continue debating where Jamaican Patois should or should not be used officially. That discussion will continue.

But for me, one thing is already clear.

Jamaican Patois is a language. End of story.

Photo – Deposit Photos