February 28, 2023
by: Shamara Peart
This is the second piece in our series Jamaican Patwa Meets Toronto English.
In order to understand Jamaican Patwa, we need to understand the history of Jamaica and its population. If we focus exclusively on language and ignore the rich, violent history that infuses this island community, we will fail to understand the complexity and character of Patwa. The linguistic influences of early Indigenous populations, Spanish and English colonizers and West African slaves can all be found in the Patwa that we speak today.
For centuries, the island was inhabited by different Indigenous communities. Around the 1500s, Spain seized control of the island, and the primarily Arawak-speaking Taino鈥檚 were largely exterminated through enslavement and disease. Spanish rule ended when Britain invaded in 1670. In addition to Spanish and English, the language of Irish and Scottish soldiers also contributed to the nation鈥檚 dialects.
The British, like the Spanish before them, brought slaves from West and Central Africa to cultivate sugarcane and other crops. Between the years of 1690-1838, slaves from a variety of countries and language backgrounds became the majority of Jamaica鈥檚 population.
African slaves shared their speech and a 鈥減idgin鈥 was formed, a way of communicating based on a combination of features from different languages. The pidgin continuously evolved to meet the needs of the people. Eventually the grammar regularized and it became a full-fledged language, at which point linguists refer to it as a 鈥渃reole鈥. (This is why the language is often called 鈥淛amaican Creole鈥, but see my introduction as to why I choose to call it 鈥淛amaican Patwa鈥.)
Meanwhile, increasing numbers of escaped slaves fought back against British rule and fled to live in the mountains. These people, the 鈥淢aroons鈥 rebelled for hundreds of years and developed their own culture in Jamaica鈥檚 forested hills, using guerrilla warfare to resist recapture. Today, their culture (and descendants) still exist in Jamaica. In addition to internal strife, the country faced external pressure from the Spanish and French. Britain remained in power until Jamaica gained independence in 1962.
With recognition of Jamaican Patwa in the constitution, the language flourished. Literacy increased and stylistic variants developed. Jamaican literature and music found an international audience, introducing Patwa to the world.
As Jamaicans left the island and settled in different countries, so did Patwa. 鈥淎s Jamaicans migrated to seek work in Panama, Honduras and Cuba, and later to London, Brooklyn and Toronto, they took their language with them鈥 (Chang, 2021). In her article 鈥淗ow The Language Of Jamaica Became Mainstream鈥, Eternity Martis writes: 鈥淧atois is more than just an island ting: it鈥檚 a language holding Jamaicans around the world together."
This may be an oversimplification of Jamaica鈥檚 history, but it highlights how many different influences have come together to create Patwa. For me, the country's national motto,鈥淥ut of many, one people鈥, rings true.
Bibliography
Allsopp, R. (Ed.). (2003) Dictionary of Caribbean English Usage. Jamaica, University of the West Indies Press.
Chang, L. (2021, March 12). | History & Evolution of Jamaican. Languij Jumieka.
Earle, C.P. (2007). . Embassy of Jamaica, Washington D.C.
Encyclopedia Britannica. (2022, Dec. 4). Jamaica: .
Martis, E. (2018, April 25). . The FADER.