Understanding Jamaican Patois: An Introduction to Afro-Jamaican Grammar

I'll soon be leaving for the Peace Corps in Jamaica and I bought this book to get a little introduction to Jamaican patois. I liked that there was a little background and origin info. Also, I feel that the author did a good job in trying to explain the complex grammar and sentence structure. It definitely gave a brief overview, but I feel it would be more useful once I actually get to Jamaica and am able to hear the words pronounced.

Several years back I was in Jamaica, The people there speak english well, but between each other they speak Patois. During my first trip there I spent many hours talking with bartenders and waitress' trying to learn the language. I did get down 'gimme a Red Stripe man' but I wanted to be able to understand them. At the airport on my way home I stopped in one of the book stores and picked up a copy of this book which sells there for a whopping $26 US. I read it through out the year and by the time I returned the following year I could actually understand a good bit of what they were saying, and some of the locals actually thought I worked there at one of the cruise ship terminals. It goes through sentence structure and tenses, not just a list of common phrases. In reference to the Afro-Jamaican it compares different parts of the language to where it probably came from which many times it is linked to different African languages, no reference to the different people who currently speak the language.

This is a fine guide to the grammar of Jamaican patois. Adams outlines sentence structure and verb forms with the expertise of someone who has lived and taught in "Jam-dung" for much her life. As a strange and unfamiliar language, it is interesting to learn just for its own sake. But for practical purposes, this is an excellent tool for anyone who wishes to cement lasting bonds with the finest collection of women on the planet: Jamaican women. The guide to verb particles is invaluable, as this can certainly be the greatest obstacle to any white-skinned fool who tries to learn patois. Vocabulary and local idioms are ever-changing in Jamaica, so the reader quickly finds that some of Adams' Glossary entries are either outdated, rarely used, or both. For a greater understanding of vocabulary, you'll need to have sustained contact with Jamaican folk and their speech habits. On the whole, there has been no greater pleasure in my life than my adventures with this unusual tongue. A white man's self-education in Jamaican patois often seems like chasing the wind, but the rewards are such that the work is well worth it in the end. So for anyone who relishes dark eyes, corn-rows, and long tawny legs, I suggest that you read Adams' book on the remarkable language of these equally remarkable women, and just sit back and watch with glee as you gather into your greedy arms the payoff of studying Jamaican patois.