Bajan Creole
| Barbadian Creole / Bajan | |
|---|---|
| Native to | Barbados |
Creole
| |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | bjs |
Bajan or Barbadian Creole (as called on Wikipedia) is an English-based creole language spoken by persons on the West Indian island of Barbados. Bajan uses a mixture of West African idioms and expressions along with English to produce a unique Barbadian/West Indian vocabulary and speech pattern. Bajan is easily distinguishable from the dialects of neighbouring Caribbean islands, as many of the other Caribbean islands are based on Irish- or Scottish-based English pronunciation such as Jamaican Creole.
Bajan uses a mixture of English and/or West African syntax, with much of the pronunciation of words sharing similarities to persons from Liverpool, England. Bajan was first created when West African slaves were brought to the island and forced to speak English, with a existing West African understanding of language symantics. Bajan later became a means of communicating without always being understood by the slave masters. Unlike other Caribbean creoles, Bajan is rhotic and has a strong tendency to realize word-final /t/ as [ʔ]. Thus the Bajan pronunciation of start, [stɑːɹʔ], contrasts sharply with the pronunciation of other Caribbean speakers, [staːt].
The word Bajan is merely a Bajan pronunciation of the word Barbadian ("Bar-bayyd-ian"); however, with the deeper accents which once prevailed in Barbados the word sounded more like Barbajan ("Bar-bayy-junn") and eventually it was just shortened to Bajan. For a short time before and after independence from Britain, Bajan was a somewhat negative term used to mean an un-educated Barbadian, but the term now is no longer still seen as such.
Today, Bajan is a popular term for citizens of Barbados, in addition to the official name, which is Barbadian. In general, the people of Barbados speak linguistically correct English on TV and radio, in courthouses, in government, and in day to day business, while the more relaxed dialect of Bajan is reserved for less formal situations. English is also usually used when talking formally or to tourists. Though English is the native tongue of all Barbadians, most native Barbadians opt to speak Bajan amongst themselves or when in a very relaxed setting.
Note: Asking a Barbadian to "speak Bajan" will usually receive little to no response.
Unlike some other West Indian Creoles, pluralization in Bajan is not done by adding dem at the end of a noun (eg "de people dem"), although in some cases "dem" may function as a definite article.
example-
- English: The girls
- Bajan: De girls dey so
- Bajan: Dem girls
- English: There are a lot of men here
- Bajan: Duh got bare men in hay/real men inside hay boy/nuff men in de place
Most of Bajan's lexicon is from or derived from English but their are lexical items that stem from other languages such as Twi or French.
Bajan Words
A
- above - to be next to...
- afta - after
- again - now
- all de talk - in any case...
- all-two - both
- all-two a wunna - both persons in the group...
- all-a-wanna - everyone in the group...
- at'all / at'tall - no how, no way / try, but you wall fail
B
- badbehave - to be poorly behaved
- badfeels - any faint feeling
- bad-bad-bad-bad-bad-bad-bad -- "a real lot" (ex. "Look, da other team get beat, bad-bad-bad-bad-bad-bad-bad")
- back-back - to go backwards
- backoo - (Folklore) -- A short mystical half-man/half-horse animal said to bring bad-luck if given to someone. (From the east-indian community)
- bariffle - a whole lot ex: dah's a barihf'l a homwuhk
- bassa-bassa - a fight or uproar
- bashi - to be intriguing
- bashment - to be intriguing / a party
- balampalampam - very large buttocks
- bazodee - crazy(acting).
- below - to be next to... (As in - "The house below there-")
- bare - a lot of...
- big-up - kudos, kafuffle
- blaklead - a pencil
- blista - to curse out
- blistabline - to curse out
- block wid - to confront boldly with ex: don mek mi gah block wid yuh
- body / bozzi - a person / the full substance of a being ex: not me bozzi
- boar chu - to push through ("Bore through")
- bonie - very slim body
- bossman - an admired friend / a salute ("hey buddy")
- boun - to become constipated
- boxy / botsi - the buttocks
- bration - a rendezvous with a date
- breed-off - to become pregnant
- brekfives - to shake hands
- brek-up - to fall or to feel really tired after a party or exercise ex:Man, I did feel brek-up afta da football match.
- broughtupsy - proper upbringing, manners or class
- bruggadown / brugga-lax / brax-lax - (The sound of a fall, or something hitting something else hard.)
- bubbi - a breast
- bubble up de gap - drive up the street
- buckra - a Caucasian [of African origin, mbakara]
- buckra-johnny - n. a poor caucasian
- bumpa / bumsi - the buttocks
- buttupon - to meet by chance / to have met by chance
- bull - to engage in sexual intercourse with a fellow male
- bulla - a homosexual male
- bullaman - a homosexual male
- buy-ice, and fry it - "a waste of money"
C
- cah / caa - to carry
- catspradal - to destroy
- caw - wow! [shortened version to the vulgar]
- caw blen - wow! [vulgar]
- cha! - wow!
- chat-up / chatuhp - to flatter
- cheeseonbread - an expression or exclamation
- choppa - A machete
- choppy - to be bumpy
- chune - a song
- cockrat - a whore
- cock-back - shaking ones' buttocks while dancing
- cook-up - mix everything together.
- coolie - door-to-door salesman of East-Indian decent
- comeya - someone who is new to the area [offensive]
- common - to be low class
- crab-mash - to iron ones clothes like they don't know what they're doing.
- cross over - to become pregnant
- cuff - to punch / a punch
- cus - to insult, swear or use bad words
- cutlass - A machete
D
- da - that
- daa fuh lick yuh - that's what you get
- de-belly - diarrhoea
- dearheart - sweetheart
- do-fa-do - A saying ("What you do to others, you'll get back" / "What goes around, comes around" / tit-for-tat)
- do-fa-do, ain't no obeah - ("Doing bad things to others, and then having it happen to you is not necessarily witchcraft")
- dooflicky - a celebration
- doggerts - the male genitals
- doggy - the penis / an offensive name for males
- dottish - (pronounced: "doh'tish") stupid / foolish
- down de bottom - over on the other end ("down de' bottom of Saint Michael.")
- down de line - straight down the road
- drawing-up - Sit close next to... ("drawing-up along side")
- dress-up - wearing your best clothes
- drop-down - to faint, pass out, or flop down onto something
- dropsy - getting tired
- dumpsy - to be stupid
- duncey - to be stupid
- duppy - a ghost or spirit [from Twi adope]
E
- ecky-becky - a poor Caucasian [a *very* offensive term][from Igbo of Nigeria]
- enuff - to have had enough of something
F
- fall away - lose weight rapidly
- fall out - stop being friends
- faddah - father
- faddah-head - (an insult)
- fah real - to agree with something said
- fambli - a family
- farepika - a prostitue
- fete - a party [from French fête]
- fingasmit - a thief
- fizzy - any kind of soda-tonic−
- flam - to flirt
- flim - film / a movie
- fling daa chune - play that song
- follow-patturn - a copycat
- foop - to engage in sexual intercourse [vulgar]
- fowl-cock - chickens
- fret - to bother
- frig-em-up - to mess up someone
- friggin - a curse word
- front-house - the living room.
- fuzz-out- to be exhausted from strenuous activity e.g. 1. partying / 2. session(s) of energetic/ extended sexual activity
G
- gaa / gah - have to...
- gap - a street or road
- gettin-on - misbehaving, treat bad.
- ghoblainyuh - (an exclamation)
- gine - to be going / going to..
- go-across - go over by / go over to... (ex. "I gon' go across by JBs Supercentre.")
- go-so / guh so - move that way...
- go-round - "move over".
- goathead - an idiot
- gone-cross - to become pregnant
- gree - to speak on friendly terms
- gree-back - to re-speak on friendly terms
- groun - a garden / a feild ex: she in de groun
- gully-boar - one who has no class
- gussypa - a homosexual male
H
- hag - to bother
- ham - a homosexual male
- hard-ears - you don't listen to what I tell you.
- hard-head - you don't learn anything I tell you.
- hard mout cow - old (stupid) woman
- hard mout goat - old (stupid) man
- hay - here
- hell'em - to over work something
- hobie class - to be free of cost
- humbug - to bother or annoy
- humfree - to be free of cost
J
- Jar - to stare at
- Jauntin - to be going fast / to be in a hurry
- jipsy - to be inquisitive
- jobby - faeces / to stool
- Joe'heat mare - ran/running very fast
- johnny - an idiot
- juk - to poke, stab or push [from Fula chuk]
- jump-up - to dance (Usually stated "Take a Jump-up")
K
- katspradull - to fall hard
- kafuffle - confussion, commotion
- kawblema! - oh my goodness!
- koshflicket! - damn!
- klim - Any brand of powdered milk (including the brand Klim)
L
- lookuh - look
- lick - hit
- lick-down / lick-dung - hit by a car...
- lick-mout - "Talk too much"
- lickrish - adj. to be greedy for food
- lil bit - for a little while ex: Ah gine up de gap lil bit
- lillit tongue - the clitoris
- long-side - next to
M
- mare / merr - (An insult)like saying "your mother!"
- mashup - to break, deconstruct or destroy.
- mekin' sport - "your joking, big time!"
- mawfrie - a person who has both female and male parts, a hermaphrodite
- mek - make
- moppa-ton - a really excessive amount
- muh - me
- maliscious - to be nosy
- mofuhme - Need more for myself
- mout - mouth
N
- naani - adj. to be nasty
- ning-ning - tired/sleepy eyes.
- nucka-doggy' - little penis...
- nuff - a lot of...
- nutsi - the vagina
- nuxi - the vagina
- nuse - to use
- nyam - to eat [from Twi Nnyam]
O
- obeah - Witchcraft / "Vodoo" as called elsewhere. [from Twi Obi]
- obzocky - to be weird looking or mishapen
- ole' talk - talking about nothing in particular
- onneat - to be under
- opiten - v. to open
- opnumin - to open
- out-it-out - turn off the light.
- ovadayso - over there
P
- pelttin-waist - to dance
- pickney - a child
- pick-pick - the penis
- picture - TV show/programme
- pipe - faucet
- playing de' fool - acting annoying
- poke / poki - the vagina
- pooch / puche - the buttocks
- pop - any kind of soda tonic
- poppit - an idiot
- pot-starver - a skinny dog (with ribs showing)
- puhp - faeces / to stool
- punarka - the vagina
- plug-it-out - to unplug from a socket
- poochlicka - someone who is yes person
R
- ram - "smell bad" or "huge-party" / adj. to be full or crowded
- ramoff - adj. to be full or crowded
- redman - a brown or light-skinned negro
- rasshole - as a noun to mean idiot...as a verb to mean to do foolishness. (When pronouncing, there is maximum emphasis on the first syllable so that it sounds like "raaaaaahhhh-sole")[Vulgar]
- red-leg - a poor Caucasian (usually from the eastern parish of St. John) [can be used as derogatory term]
- round-about - A traffic rotary
- rubbatail - n. a homosexual male
- rumfle-up- wrinkled v. Usually refers to items(previously neat) e.g. Clothing, a bed, hairdo (girls) ( used with some aggitation)"You gone and rumfle-up my hair!
S
- safe - ok, good
- sail - To throw at something/someone (ex. "I gon' let this sail right cross da' wicket.")
- schuupse / scrhuspe - to suck ones teeth in exclamation (also done by Nigerians)
- scotch-it - wedge/place something in a tight area
- scootch-round - move, give me space
- sea-bath - swim
- sea cat - squid
- sea eggs - sea urchins
- she-she - a homosexual male / a transsexual
- shite - shit
- shrims - shrimp
- shunna' foot - Someone with bad ankles / flat feet.
- site-ok, to agree with something said
- sket - a very promiscuous female
- skettel - a very promiscuous female
- skinning your teeth - grinning, smiling or laughing.
- sky-larke - daydream. / to play the fool
- soft - to be shy or afraid
- stan' pipe - a public water-faucet that used to be in every community of Barbados.
- stop - "stay" or "is located" (ex. "It's down by where da' house stop.")
- sweety - candy
- sweet-drinks - any kind of soda-tonic
- sweet-fuh-days - it is, or will be really, really, really nice good/fun
T
- tapered / tehpuhrd - a homosexual male
- too sweet - real nice.
- to-besides - I agree and in addition to that...
- trouble - To interfere/bother/harass/pickup/take/disturb (ex. "Don't trouble those cookies", "Don't trouble my coat over there")
- trunck - to perform anal sex on a female
- tacklings - your belongings
- toot-moon kyah - any, and everybody. "listen, doan you have every toot-moon kyah in my house you know."
- turning bewitch - becoming crazy
- turning foolish - becoming forgetful
U
- unahstan - to understand
- unnit'do - to undo ex: unnit'do daa ting
V
- veranda - a special porch for showing off.
- vise - v. to understand
W
- wall-house - a house predominantly made of cement
- way - where
- wick - to engage in sexual intercourse with a fellow female
- wicka - a lesbian
- wine - a dance done by gyrating one's waistline around(Done without moving legs, stomach or chest/upper body. The goal is to show off body flexability/limberness.)
- woi! - (an exclamation) "AHH!" / "WOW!"
- wufless - worthless, terrible, no good
- wuh - what
- wuh-law / wuh-loss - (an exclamation)
- wuk-up - a dance done by gyrating one's waistline, with heavy emphasis on the forward and backward motions.
- wunna - you all [from Twi unu]
Y
- yuh - you
- yam / yahm - to eat [from Twi Nnyam]
- yampi - the mucous in the corner of ones eye.
- you wait! - listen, I'm going to deal with you harshly in a minute.
- Yuh-shooting - your high-water pants are too short. "Aye man, yuh pants shooting."
Z
- ZR - "Zed-R" - a private-owned route taxi (So named because of the license plates beginning with "ZR")
Common Bajan sayings
Another tradition that goes hand-in-hand with 'speaking bajan' are words of wisdom that usually get passed-down from parent to child. When these are told to young children they're often not fully understood. However, with a hightened maturity and age these often witty sayings are usually understood later on in life as part a part of ones morals and values.
Sample
- De higher monkey climb tree, de more he shows his ar*e.
- De more yuh peep, de less you see.
- Goat head everyday is better dan cow head only on sunday.
- Head 'en mek fo' hat only.
- High wind knows where old house stop.
- If de' dog bite you once he's a fool, but if he bite you twice den you're de' fool.
- If your neighbours' house is on fire, turn around and wet your own.
- If you can't stand trouble- never trouble trouble, because if you trouble trouble you'll be looking for trouble....
- If greedy wait, hot will cool.
- If you send a donkey to university- he does not come back a racehorse, just an educated jack*ss.
- What goes up must come down- if you spit in the sky, it gon' come back down and fall-in yuh eye.
- I en looking to buy ice and fry it.
- If you give someone an inch, they gone comeback and tek an "L", If you give dem an ole' horse they gon' ride him to h*ll.
- One bellyful don' fatten a hog.
- One-smart dead at two-smart door. or One-smart get ketch at two-smart door.
- Two smart-rat, can' live in de' same hole.
- Pretty pretty t'ings does fool lil' children.
- Tekking you' time en laziness.
- Yuh can' wan' it in de glass an' de bottle too.
- Yuh have too much of what de cat lick he ear with.
- Wha' sweet in goat mout does burn he in he bamse.
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