A guide to Jamaican rasta and patois speak vol. 5

I

I: replaces “me”, “you”, “my”; replaces the first syllable of selected words I and I, I&I: I, me, you and me, we Rastafari speech eliminates you, me we, they, etc., as divisive and replaces same with communal I and I. I and I embraces the congregation in unity with the Most I (high) in an endless circle of inity (unity).
I-CENSE: Rasta word for GANJA, from the Biblical word “Incense”
I-DITATE: Rasta word for “Meditate”
I-DREN: Male Rastafarian. From Biblical word “brethren” 
I-LALOO: Rasta word for “Callaloo” (spinach)
I-MAN/I-MON: I, me, mine  “I-man waan dat” (I want that)
I-NEY: a classic Rasta greeting 
I-REY/I-REE: 1. a greeting 2. excellent, cool, highest. Var. IRIE 
I-SHENCE: herb. See GANJA, I-CENSE 
I-SIRE: Rasta word for “Desire”
I-TAL: vital, organic, natural, wholesome; refers to way of cooking and way of life in colors, red, green and gold 
I-TES: Rasta word for “Heights”. The i-tes color for the Rasta is Red. This word is also used as a greeting.
I-WAH: Rasta word for “Hour.”
I-YAH: Me (I) or you.
IEZ: ears.  
IEZ-HAAD: ears-hard, thick skulled, stubborn, unwilling or unable to hear. 
IGNORANT: short-tempered, easy to vex, irate.
IH: It. “Weh ih deh?” (Where is it?)
ILIE: adj. literally, “highly”, valuable, exalted, even sacred 
‘IM: Him
INFORMA: Informer. One who narcs or tells on others–usually to the police. Informers are not respected. 
INNA DI MORROWS: tomorrow 
INNA/INA: In the 
INNA DI LIGHTS: Expression to say tomorrow. See you inna di lights. (See you tomorrow.)
IRIE: A Greeting. excellent, cool, highest: adj. powerful and pleasing 
IRON BIRD/IRONBUD: An aeroplane. “Yu jus come off di ironbud” (You’ve just come off the plane.)
IS: it is/was,  was it? Can be used to repace the word it; also poses a question if it comes first in the sentence. “Is ‘im a dweet?” (It was him that did it/Was it him that did it?)
ISES/IZES/ISIS: praises to the Almighty given by Rasta: when calling on the name of Jah for strength and: assistance for achieving progress in life. 
ISMS and SKISMS: negative term denoting BABYLON’S classificatory systems 
ITES: 1. the heights; 2. a greeting; 3. the color red

J

J.A., JAM-DOWN: Refers to the country of Jamaica 
JACKASS ROPE : homegrown tobacco, twisted into a rope. 
JACKET: Bastard; a child that is raised by another father. (Usually from the wife cheating on someone else and the father never knowing.)
JAKE/JOHNNY/JOE: Used by Jamaicans to refer to white (male) Americans. “Hey Jake!”
JAH: God; possibly derived as a shortened form of Yahweh or Jehovah Jah Ras Tafari, Haille Selassie, King of Kings, Lord of Lords, conquering Lion of Judah. Rastas revere Haile Selassie as the personification of the Almighty 
JAH GUIDE: A Rasta farewell and good-bye. Literally says that “God shall guide.”
JAH KNOW: Lord (God) knows
JAMDUNG: Ironic reference to social and economic oppression in Jamaica. 
JAMMIN’: to be having a good time, to be dancing calypso/soca 
JANCRO: An (albino) buzzard or vulture.  Derogatory term derived from “John Crow”.
JANGA: shrimp, crayfish. 
JELLY: a young coconut, full of jelly. 
JESTER: To joke; kidding. “Mi naa jesta” (I’m not kidding)
JESUM PIECE: A soft expresson of aggrivation.
JON CONNU/JUNKANOO: Bands of elaborately masked dancers appearing around Christmas. They ressemble the ancestral dancers of West Africa, but the ety. of the word is unclear. 
JOOK: lit. to pierce or stick, as with a thorn or a long pointed stick. Also euphemism for the sex act.
JUDGIN’: adjective, everyday or ordinary clothes or shoes worn in the yard or in the bush, as in “judgin’ boot”. Also as a verb, to judge, with a similar meaning. 
JUS BEGIN FI DEAD: Expression saying that people were really shocked or amazed, like they could have dropped dead. Dem jus begin fi dead when wi did wi ting. (They almost dropped dead when we did our thing)
JUU: as a verb, rain a juu; as a noun, juu rain. It means a light rain or drizzle. 

Phrase of the day: 

“Sorry for maga dog, maga dog turn round bite you”.      This should apply to all manner and sort of do-gooding and should be considered before doing any hasty acts of charity 
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: K-L

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