A guide to Jamaican rasta and patois speak, vol. 4

 G

GAAN: Literally means gone. “‘Im gaan” (He is gone.)
GAAN TO BED: an adverbial phrase; following a verb of liking or loving, it has a superlative meaning -  can be used in any context, such as “I love hafu yam gaan to bed!”. 
GALANG: go along.  M.I.A. hit song “Galang”
GANJA: herb, marijuana 
GANSEY: t-shirt, any knit shirt 
(TO) GET SALT: to be thwarted, to encounter misfortune 
GATES: home, yard. Gates are common fixtures in JA households. 
GENERAL: a cool, smooth operator 
GET: To have, to have had, got, gotten. Mi get fi realize. (I realize or I have realized.)
GI: give 
GIG: a spinning top 
GIMME: Give me
GINNAL: trickster or con artist. an Amnancy figure as in “Sunday Ginnal” (a preacher or clergyman)  “‘Im so ginnal” (He is a tricky person.)
GINNYGOG: derogatory for an influential person
GIVE TANKS: A expression of gratitude; a Rasta expression.
GLAMITY: a woman’s genitals. See (THE) CAT  GLEENA: Newspaper; the Jamaican Gleener.
GODEH: Go there. “Mi no go deh” (I’m not going there)
GONE: Gone, passed, left. “Mi see har di Monday gone” (I saw her the passed Monday.)
GORGON: outstanding, well-respected individual 
(DON) GORGON: rank higher than a GORGON “‘Im a don gorgon” (He is a master of situations)
GRAVALICIOUS: greedy, avaricious. 
GREETINGS: An opening greeting used heavily by Rastas.
GRINDSMAN: one who displays great prowess in bed. See CHAMPION
GROUNATION: large, island-wide meeting and celebration of Rastas 
GROUND: home, yard 
GROW: To raise or bring up. “She grow mi” (She raised me)
GWAAN: Go on. “Wa a gwaan?” (What’s going on?)
GWEH: Go away
GWINE: Going. “Wi gwine adoor” (We are going outside)

H

HAB: Have
HACKLE: to hassle, bother, worry, trouble. As a noun, hackling. 
HAFFI: to have to… 
HAIL: a greeting 
HALF EEDIAT: A very stupid person.
HANGA: Closet; hanger.
HANGLE: Handle.
HAR: Her
HARD: excellent, proficient, skillful, uncompromising 
HARD EARS: stubborn, doesn’t listen. See EARS HARD/IEZ HARD/HIEZ HAAD
HASTE: To be in a hurry. “Mek haste” (Hurry up)
HAT: Hurt
HEETCH: itch. Many such words could be listed under H, as initial H is added to scores of words at will. 
HEAD MAN JANCRO: n. albino buzzard 
HERB: marijuana. See GANJA 
HIEZ-HAAD: ears-hard, thick skulled, stubborn, unwilling or unable to hear. 
HIEZ: ears. 
HIGGLA: Primarly women who buy and sell goods that they have imported into the country. Some higglers, however, do not make trips out of the country to buy goods, but sell the goods that others import.  The connection between higglers and dancehall culture is crucial as they form one of the strongest international links between JA, North America, and the Caribbean. Derived from English word “higgler”
HITEY-TITEY: upper class, high tone, See STOOSH 
HOL IH DUNG: Hold it down. Lit. “keep it steady”, “make a secret”, “not to be told”
HOMELY: to be relaxed, comfortable, enjoying your home surrounding.
HONOUR: A Rasta word for greeting or good-bye. 
HOOD: penis. See HOSE
HORTICAL (DON): respected, acclaimed 
HOSE: Penis. “Mi kyaan lock mi hose off” (lit. I can’t keep it inside; denotes speaker being excessively sexually active.). See HOOD
HOT-STEPPER: fugitive from jail or gun court. See ‘AT STEPPA 
HUSH: Sorry. [Person 1] “Ouch! Yu hut mi!” (You hurt me!) [Person 2] “Hush” (Sorry) Although, someone saying ‘hush’ to you may make you more angry, just remember that in Jamaican Patois ‘hush’ means to be sorry; an apology.

 Phrase of the day:

“No cup no broke, no coffee no dash wey”
Even if disaster strikes your home it’s always possible that all may not be lost 

Concordances: Mike Pawka
http://niceup.com/patois.txt
http://www.ddg.com/LIS/InfoDesignF97/malyce/dict.htm
http://www.ddg.com/LIS/InfoDesignF97/malyce/phrases.htm
http://www.earthcultureroots.com/index.html
http://www.speakjamaican.com/glossary.html

Next up: I-J