List of Jamaican Patois words of African origin information
The List of African words in Jamaican Patois notes down as many loan words in Jamaican Patois that can be traced back to specific African languages. Most of these African words have arrived in Jamaica through the enslaved Africans that were transported there in the era of the Atlantic slave trade.
Patwa
Language
Original word
Description
Accompong
Akan
Acheampong (or Akropong)
Ashanti surname, which means destined for greatness. "Akropong" comes from the conjugation of the Akan words "kro" and "pɔn" meaning "Great City."
Ackee, akeee
Akan
Ánkyẽ
"a type of food/fruit", "cashew fruits"[1]
Adopi
Ga Language
Adópé (Dwarf in Ga language)
Ghost, often written in Jamaican English as "duppy"[2]
Red Eye
Akan
Ani bere
"envious – direct translation from Akan into English"
Adrue
Akan, Ewe
Adúru, adrú
"powder, medicine, drug"[2]
Afasia, afasayah
Akan, Ewe
Afaséw, afaséɛ
"inferior wild yam"[2]
Afu
Akan
Afúw
"yam" or "plantation"[3]
Ahpetti
Akan
O-peyi
A certain amulet[4]
Akam
Akan
A wild and inferior yam
Anansi
Akan, Ewe
Anansi
"Spider"[5] also name Akan folktale character.
Adru
Akan
a medica herb
Bafan
Akan
Bɔfran
a baby or toddler. A child that did not learn to walk between ages two and seven.[6]
Bissy
Akan
Bese
Kola Nut
Broni
Akan
Oburoni
a white person[6]
Casha
Akan, English
Kasɛ́, acacia
"thorn"[7]
Dookunu
Akan (Asante Twi)
Dɔkono
(also known as blue draws or tie-a-leaf in Jamaica) food, a dessert item similar to bread pudding.[8]
Cocobay
Akan
Kokobé
"leprosy"[5][9]
Ginal
Akan (Ashanti Twi)
Gyinaa
Someone that is not taken seriously, a stupid person. A con-man (in Jamaica only)
Kaba-kaba
Yoruba, Akan, Ewe
"unreliable, inferior, worthless"[10]
Kongkos
Akan
Konkonsa
"gossip"[5]
Mumu
Akan, Ewe, Mende, Yoruba
"dumb", "stupid"[5][11]
Odum
Akan
a type of tree[12]
Obeah
Akan (Ashanti Twi)
Ɔbayi
"witchcraft"[13]
Igbo
ọbiạ
"doctoring", "mysticism"[14]
Opete
Akan
"vulture"[6]
Paki
Akan
apakyi
calabash[15]
Patu
Ga Language
"owl"[6]
Poto-poto
Yorùbá
"mud", "muddy"[5]
Backra
Efik
Mbakára
"white man"[5][16]
Juk
Fula
Jukka
"poke", "spur"[17][18]
Akara
Yoruba
àkàrà
Type of food[2]
Attoo
Igbo
átú
"chewing stick"[19]
Breechee
Igbo
Mbùríchì
Nri-Igbo nobleman[20]
Chink, chinch
Igbo
chị́nchị̀
'bedbug'[21]
Country ibo
Igbo
Ị̀gbò
Pluchea odorata or Ptisana purpurascens[22]
Himba
Igbo
Mba
"yam root", a type of yam, Rajania cordata[23][24]
Nyam
Akan
Nyam (also means to blend)
to eat
Okra
Igbo
ọkwurụ
a type of vegetable[5][14]
Red Ibo, Eboe
Igbo
Ị̀gbò
a person with a light skin colour or a mulatto of mixed parentage[25]
Unu
Igbo
únù
"you (plural)"[26]
Dingki
Kongo
funeral ceremony[23]
Dundus
Kongo
ndundu
"albino", "white person", "European"[9]
Duppy
Kongo
"ghost"[5]
Pinda
Kongo
"peanut"[5]
^Cassidy & Page (2002:3)
^ abcdCassidy & Page (2002:4)
^Cassidy & Page (2002:5)
^Cassidy & Page (2002:6)
^ abcdefghiMcWhorter (2000:77)
^ abcdCassidy & Page (2002:20)
^Cassidy & Page (2002:93)
^Cassidy & Page (2002:155)
^ abCassidy & Page (2002:112)
^Allsopp & Allsopp (2003:323)
^Mittelsdorf (1978:34)
^Cassidy & Page (2002:328)
^Williams, Joseph John (1933). Voodoos and Obeahs: Phases of West India Witchcraft. Library of Alexandria. p. 90. ISBN 9781465516954.
^ abEltis & Richardson (1997:88)
^Cassidy & Page (2002:335)
^Cassidy & Page (2002:18)
^Cassidy & Page (2002:153)
^Watson (1991:10)
^Cassidy & Page (2002:14)
^Cassidy & Page (2002:68)
^Allsopp & Allsopp (2003:152)
^Cassidy & Page (2002:124)
^ abGraddol, Leith & Swann (1996:210)
^Lewis (1996:24)
^Cassidy & Page (2002:378)
^Cassidy & Page (2002:457)
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