A : prep. to as in "go a shop," from Spanish (7) A GO : aux w/v. going to do, as in "Me a go tell him" (7) A DOOR : outdoors. (5) ACCOMPONG : n. name of Maroon warrior, Capt. Accompong, brother of Cudjo; also name of town. From the Twi name for the supreme deity (7) ACKEE : n. African food tree introduced about 1778. From Twi ankye or Kru akee (7) AGONY : the sensations felt during sex (6) AKS : ask (28) ALIAS : adj. (urban slang) dangerous, violent (7) AMSHOUSE : poorhouse (29) AN : than (5) ARMAGEDDON : the biblical final battle between the forces of good and evil (1) ASHAM : n. Parched, sweetened, and ground corn. From twi osiam (7)
BABYLON : 1. the corrupt establishment, the "system, " Church and State 2. the police, a policeman (1) BAD : good, great (2) BAD BWAI : (bad boy) 1. refering to a bold man; a compliment 2. : One who has committed a crime. : (rude bwai, ruddy, baddy) (31) BADNESS : hooligan behavior, violence for its own sake (1) BAFAN : clumsy; awkward (5) BAFANG : a child who did not learn to walk the 1st 2-7 years. (5) BAG-O-WIRE : a betrayer (1) BAGGY : underpants for a woman or child. (5) BALMYARD : n. place where pocpmania rites are held, healing is done, spells cast or lifted (7) BAKRA : white slavemaster, or member of the ruling class in colonial days. Popular etymology: "back raw" (which he bestowed with a whip.) (5) BALD-HEAD : a straight person; one without dreadlocks; one who works for babylon (2) BAMBA YAY : by and by (7) BAMBU : rolling paper (1) BAMMY : a pancake made out of cassava, after it has been grated and squeezed to remove the bitter juice. (5) BANDULU : bandit, criminal, one living by guile (1) a BANDULU BIZNESS is a racket, a swindle. (5) BANGARANG : hubbub, uproar, disorder, disturbance. (5) BANKRA : a big basket, including the type which hangs over the sides of a donkey. (5) BANS : from bands; a whole lot, a great deal, nuff, whole heap. (5) BANTON : a storyteller (50) BASHMENT : party, dance, session (3) BAT : butterfly or moth. English bat, the flying rodent, is a rat-bat. (5) BATTY : bottom; backside; anus. (5) BATTYBWOY : a gay person (6) BEAST : a policeman (1) BEENIE : little (36) BEX : vex (verb), or vexed (adjective). (5) BHUTTU (BUHTUH) : an uncouth, out of fashion, uncultured person Use: Wey yu a go inna dem deh cloze? Yu fayva buttu (12) BIG BOUT YAH : Large and in charge. Superlative indicating status (power, fame, money, talent, etc) within some social group (12) BISCUIT : a particularly attractive woman (46) BISSY : cola nut. (5) BOOPS/BOOPSIE : Boops is a man, often older, who supports a young woman; boopsie refers to a kept woman (46) BLACK UP : To smoke weed. Like somene would ask "You Black up : today?" Meaning did you smoke today? (14) BLACKHEART MAN : a rascal, a hooligan (38) BLOUSE AND SKIRT : common exclamation of surprise. (29) BLY : chance, "must get a bly", "must get a chance". (4) BOASIE : adj. proud, conceited, ostentatious. Combination of English boastful and Yoruba bosi-proud and ostentatious (7) BOASIN TONE : Swollen penis or testicles (13) BOBO : fool. (5) BOBO DREAD : a rastafarian sect based on the teachings of Prince Emanuel Edwards distinguished by turbin-like headdresses, flowing white robes and communal living (50) BODERATION : Boderation comes from the word bother and that's basically what it means. If something is a boderation then it's a bother. (29) BONG BELLY PICKNEY : a greedy child who ate too much. (29) BOONOONOONOUS : Meaning wonderful. (13) BOX : To smack or to hit in the face. (13) BRAA : from BREDDA; brother. (5) BRAATA : a little extra; like the 13th cookie in a baker's dozen; or an extra helping of food. In musical shows it has come to be the encore. (5) BREDREN : one's fellow male Rastas (1) BRINDLE : to be angry (6) BRINKS : title given to a man who is supplying a woman with money (6) BUBU : fool. (5) BUCKY : home-made gun (2) slave (29) BUCKY MASSA : master over the slaves (29) BUD : bird. (14) BUFU-BUFU : fat, swollen, blubbery; too big; clumsy or lumbering.(5) BUGUYAGA : a sloppy, dirty person, like a bum or tramp. (5) BULL BUCKA : a bully (1) BULLA : a comon sugar and flour cookie or small round cake, sold everywhere in Jamaica. (5) BUMBA CLOT, (TO GET) BUN : to have one's spouse or girl/boy-friend cheat on oneself, to be cheated out of something (6) RAS CLOT, BLOOD CLOT : curse words (1) BUCK UP : meet (28) BUMBO : bottom; backside. A common curse word, especially in combination with CLOT (cloth), a reference to the days before toilet paper. (5) BUN : burn (29) BUNGO : n. racially pejorative. Crude, black, ignorant, boorish person. From Hausa bunga-bumpkin, nincompoop (7) BUNKS : to knock or bump against, from "to bounce", BUNKS MI RES, catch my rest, take a nap. (5) BWOY : Boy (13)
(THE) CAT : a woman's genitals (6) CALLALOU : A spinach stew. (18) CARD : to fool someone (6) CEASE & SEKKLE! : stop everything and relax! (6) CEPES : (n.) - beard (35) CERACE : a ubiquitous vine used for boiling medicinal tea, and for bathing. It is proverbial for its bitterness.(5) CHA! or CHO! : a disdainful expletive (1) pshaw! (2) very common, mild explanation expressing impatience, vexation or disappointment. (5) CHAKA-CHAKA : messy, disorderly, untidy. (5) CHALICE or CHILLUM : a pipe for smoking herb, usually made from coconut shell or CHALEWA : and tubing, used ritually by Rastas (1) CHANT : (v.) - to sing, especially cultural or spiritual songs (35) CHEAP : just as cheap, just as well. (5) CHI CHI MAN : a gay man (6) CHIMMY : chamber pot. (5) CHO : very common, mild explanation expressing impatience, vexation or disappointment. (5) CLAP : hit, break, stride (1) CLOT : 1. cloth, an essential part of most Jamaican bad words, such as bumbo clot, rass clot, blood clot, etc. The essence of Jamaican cursing seems to be nastiness , rather than the blashemy or sexuality which is characteristic of the metropolitan countries. 2. to hit or strike - from the verb "to clout". (5) 3. literally means a used tampon (31) COCO : a potato-like edible root, known elsewhere as the taro or the eddo. It was brought to Jamaica from the South Pacific. This is completely distinct from cocoa, usually called chocolate. (5) COIL : money (6) COLD I UP : humiliate or be-little (29) COME DUNG : come down, get ready (as to prepare to play a tune) (6) COME EEN LIKE : to seem as if; to resemble. (5) CONTROL : to be in charge of, responsible for, to own; to take (1) COO 'PON : v. (origin unclear) Look upon! (7) COO YAH : v. (origin unclear) Look here! (7) pay attention (17) COOL RUNNINGS : usually used at a time of departure on a long journey meaning have a safe trip (31) COOLIE : the traditional Jamaican epithet for East Indians. It is never used It is never used for Chinese Jamaicans. Usually in the form coolie-man or coolie-oman. It is not considered polite today anymore than the term nega, but it is still used widely in rural areas. (5) COLLIE : n. (urban slang) ganja (7) COME YAH (cumyu) : come here. (17) CORK UP : jammed, filled, crowded (2) CORN : 1. marijuana 2. money 3. a bullet (1) COTCH : verb (cotch up), to support something else, as with a forked stick; to balance something or place it temporarily; to beg someone a cotch, can be a place on a crowded bus seat or bench; or it may mean to cotch a while, to stay somewhere temporarily. (5) COTTA : a roll of cloth or vegetation placed on top of the head to cushion the skull from the weight of a head load. (5) CRAB : aside from it's usual meaning, it is a verb meaning to scratch or claw. (5) CRAVEN : greedy (5) CRAVEN CHOKE PUPPY : someone who wants everything but when they get it , they can't manage it.
CREATION STEPPER : means you step it in and throughout Babylon without fear - cuttin' edge, livin' on the edge, fear no foe. Lookin justice in the eye and saying, What are you doin ?"!! (29) CRIS : crisp; popularly used for anything brand-new, slick-looking. (5) CRISSARS : crisp, brand-new (2) CROMANTY : adj. from Corromantee, Blacks from the Gold Coast believed to be rebellious (7) CROCUS BAG : a very large sack made of coarse cloth, like burlap (10) CROSSES : problems, vexations, trials; bad luck, misfortunes. (5) CRUCIAL : serious, great, "hard,", "dread" (1) CU : verb, look! (5) CU DEH! : look there! (5) CU PAN : look at. (5) CU YA! : look here! (5) CU YU : To say "Look at you." To the person you are refering to. (14) CUBBITCH : covetous. (5) CUDJO : n. name of famous Maroon warrior; mn born on Monday, from Fante, Twi kudwo (7) CULTURE : reflecting or pertaining to the roots values and traditions highly respected by the Rastas (1) CUSS-CUSS : a quarrel or fracas, with lots of cursing. (5) CUT YAI : to cut your eye at somebody is a very common means of expressing scorn or contempt, for example; one catches the other person's eye, then deliberatly turns one's own eyes as an insult. (5) You can also cut your eye at somebody in a friendly way. (29) CUTCHIE : pipe for communal smoking. (5) CYA : 1. to care; "donkya", don't care, careless; "no kya" means no matter, as in "no kya weh im tun", no matter where he turns. 2. to carry. (5) CYAAN : can't. (5) CYAI : to carry. (5) CYAN : can. (5)
D.J. : a person who sings or scats along with dub music, sometimes called "toasting" (2) DAAL : split peas, usually a thick soup, from Indian cuisine, from Hindi. (5) DADA : father (6) DALLY : executive zig-zag movements on wheels (2) or on foot (6) to ride a bicycle or motorbike with a weaving motion, as when ones weaves around potholes. (5) DAN DADA : the highest of DON'S (6) DAN : than (5) DARKERS : sunglasses (6) DASHEEN : a big soft yam-like root, often slightly greyish when cooked. It is related to the coco, but one eats the "head" instead of the tubers. (5) DAWTA : a girl, woman, "sister," girlfriend (1) DEAD HOOD : (the H is silent) = A man that can't perform sexually. Impotent. (14)(29) DEADERS : meat, meat by-products (1) DEESTANT : decent. (5) DEGE or DEGE-DEGE : adjective, little, skimpy, measly, only, as in a two dege-dege banana. (5) DEH : there (place) (6) DEY : v. to be, exist, as in "No yam no dey". From Ewe de or Twi de - to be (7) DEY 'PON : (aux. v.) - to be engaged in action or continuing activity (35) literally "there upon" As in "it dey pon de table". (29) DI : the (6) DILDO MACCA : dangerous macca or thorn that will bore you up (29) DINKI : a kind of traditional dance at funerals or "nine nights" ("set-ups"); now popular among school children. (5) DIS or DIS YA : this (6) DJEW : as a verb, rain a djew; as a noun, djew rain. It means a light rain or drizzle. (5) DOGHEART : a person who is especially cold and cruel (6) DOLLY : executive zig-zag movements on wheels (2) DON : one who is respected, master of a situation (6) DONKYA : from "don't care"; careless, sloppy, lacking ambition, etc. (5) DOONDOOS : an albino. (5) DOWNPRESSOR : preferred term for oppressor (1) DOTI : "Dutty" means dirty, dirt or earth (19)(29) (TO) DRAW CARD : the act of fooling someone (6) DREAD : 1. a person with dreadlocks 2. a serious idea or thing 3. a dangerous situation or person 4. the "dreadful power of the holy" 5. experientially, "awesome, fearful confrontation of a people with a primordial but historically denied racial selfhood" (1) DREADLOCKS : 1. hair that is neither combed nor cut 2. a person with dreadlocks (1) DREADY : a friendly term for a fellow dread (1) DUB : a roots electronic music, created by skillful, artistic re-engineering of recorded tracks (2) DUB PLATE : A pre-release copy of a record, often produced exclusively for a specific sound system (see "sound system"). (46) DUCK-ANTS : white ants, or termites. (5) DUKUNU : sweet corn-meal dumplings boiled in wrapped leaves. (5) DUNDUS : an albino. (5) DUNGLE : n. legendary West Kingston slum surrounding a garbage dump, now cleared. (7) : From English dunghill DUNS,DUNSA : money (1) DUPPY : a ghost (1) DUTCHY : dutch cooking pot, low round-bottomed heavy pot. (5)
DUTTY : dirty (17)
EASE-UP : to forgive, to lighten up (6) EVERYTING COOK & CURRY : all is well, all is taken care of (6)
FALLA FASHIN : Copycat (13) FAS' : to be fast with, meaning to be rude, impertinent, to meddle with sombody's business, to be forward, etc. (5) FASSY : eczema-like scratchy sores on the skin; also a verb meaning to cause oneself to be covered with fassy by scratching. (5) FAASTI (FIESTY) : impertinent, rude, impudent (35) FAYVA : to favour, resemble, or look like; "fayva like" also means "it seems as if". (5) FE (FI) : the infinitive "to" as in "Have fe go" (7) : "a fe" Have to (28) "fe dem" their (28) FEEL NO WAY : don't take offense, don't be sorry, don't worry (1) FENKY-FENKY : (from finicky) choosy, proud, stuck-up. (5)
FENNEH : v. to feel physical distress, pain. From Twi fene-to vomit; Fante fena-to be troubled; Lumba feno-to faint (7) FI (FE) : possessive. "fi me"-"mine" (7) Can also mean : "for" or "to", as in "I ha' fi", I have to. : Yu num fi du dat = You are not to do that. (12) Fe is Fi as in fi ar means hers fi im - his fi dem - theirs fi you - yours fi me - mine (29) FIESTY (FAASTI) : impudent, rude, out of order, cheeky. (5) FIRST LIGHT : tomorrow (1) (HIM A) FISH : a gay person (6) FIT : when used of fruits and vegetables, it means ready to pick, full grown, though not necessarily fully ripe. (5) also means in good shape. ("You haffe fit!") (31) FORWARD : 1. to go, move on, set out 2. in the future (1) FRONTA : tobacco leaf used to roll herb (1) FUCKERY : wrong, unfair (6) FULLNESS, TO THE FULLNESS : completely, absolutely, totally (1) FUNDS : Money (6)
GAAN A 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!". (5) means very much as in liking very much (29) GALANG : go along. (23) GANJA : herb, marijuana (1) GANSEY : t-shirt, any knit shirt (2) (TO) GET SALT : to be thwarted, to encounter misfortune (6) GATES : home, yard (1) GENERAL : cool operator (1) GI : give (28) GIG : spinning top. (5) GILL : unit of measure like pint. (42) GINNAL : n. trickster, con-man, an Amnancy figure as in "Sunday Ginnal"-a preacher or clergyman (7) GLAMITY : a woman's genitals (6) GORGON : outstanding dreadlocks (1) a dragon (29) (DON) GORGON : outstanding dreadlocks, a person who is respected (2,6) GRAVALICIOUS : greedy, avaricious. (5) GRINDSMAN : one who displays great prowess in bed(6) GROUNATION : large, island-wide meeting and celebration of Rastas (1) GROUND : home, yard (4)
HACKLE : to hassle, bother, worry, trouble. As a noun, hackling. (5) HAFFI : to have to... (6) HAIL : a greeting (1) HARBOUR SHARK : "Mr. Want-All" glutton, greedy, someone who wants it all. (29) HARD : excellent, proficient, skillful, uncompromising (1) tough (29) HARD EARS : stubborn, doesn't listen (37) HEETCH : itch. Many such words could be listed under H, as initial H is added to scores of words at will. (5) HEAD MAN JANCRO : n. albino buzzard (7) HERB : marijuana (1) HIEZ-HAAD : ears-hard, thick skulled, stubborn, unwilling or unable to hear. (5) HIEZ : ears. (5) HIGGLERS : higglers, who are primarly woman 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. (16) HITEY-TITEY : upper class, high tone, "stoosh". (5) someone who pretends to be better than they are (29) HOMELY : to be relaxed, comfortable, enjoying your home surrounding. (14) HOOD : penis. (5) HORTICAL (DON) : respected, acclaimed (6) HOT-STEPPER : fugitive from jail or gun court (1)
I-DREN : (n.)- male Rastafarian (35) I-MAN : I, me, mine (1) I-NEY : a greeting (2) I-REY : 1. a greeting 2. excellent, cool, highest (1) I-SHENCE : herb (1) I-TAL : vital, organic, natural, wholesome; refers to way of cooking and way of life (1) in colors, red, green and gold (2) I-WAH : hour or time ( ) I : replaces "me", "you", "my"; replaces the first syllable of seleted words (1) I and I, I&I: I, me, you and me, we (1) 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). (3) IEZ-HAAD : ears-hard, thick skulled, stubborn, unwilling or unable to hear. (5) IEZ : ears. (5) ILIE : adj. literally, "highly", valuable, exalted, even sacred (7) IGNORANT : short-tempered, easy to vex, irate. (5) INNA DI MORROWS : tomorrow (6) INNA : In the (4) IRIE : A Greeting. excellent, cool, highest (1) : adj. powerful and pleasing (7) ISES/IZES/ISIS : praises (11) Praises to the almighty given by Rasta : when calling on the name of Jah for strength and : assistance for achieving progress in life. (30)
ISMS and SKISMS : negative term denoting Babylon's classificatory systems (1) ITES : 1. the heights 2. a greeting 3. the color red (1) great (2) 4. another word for irie. Or you use it to mean "OK" as in when someone asks you to do something for you, you would reply, "Ites." (29) IWA : certain time or hour (43) JA, JAM-DOWN : Jamaica (1) JACKASS ROPE : homegrown tobacco, twisted into a rope. (5) JAH KNOW : Lord knows (1) JAH : God; possibly derived as a shortened form of Jahweh or Jehovah (1) 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 (2)
JAMDUNG : Jamaica, "Jam" to press down "dung" down. Ironic reference to social and economic conditions of the masses (7) JAMMIN : to be having a good time, to be dancing calypso/soca (6) JANCRO : n. literally John Crow, buzzard (7) JANGA : shrimp, crayfish. (5) JELLY : a young coconut, full of jelly. (5) JON CONNU : n. (John Canoe). Bands of elaborately masked dancers appearing around Christmas. They ressemble the ancestral dancers of West Africa, but the ety. of the word is unclear. (7) JOOK : to pierce or stick, as with a thorn or a long pointed stick. (5) also used in a sexual context (29) JOOKS : hangout, relax (29) 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. (5) JUU : as a verb, rain a juu; as a noun, juu rain. It means a light rain or drizzle. (5)
Klein woordenboek van reggae & ragga. Aanvullingen zijn welkom .
Bobo(shanti) Geloofsgemeenschap binnen rastafari (zie aldaar). Dancehall Ook wel ragga of raggamuffin' genoemd. Eigentijdse, meestal elektronische (digitale) variant van de reggae, ontstaan in de jaren '80, populair geworden in de jaren '90 en nu ook commercieel succesvol (Sean Paul, Shaggy, Wayne Wonder...). Lijkt almaar meer op Amerikaanse r'n'b. Minder rasta maar wel meer power, minder roots maar wel meer Jamaica. Dub Grotendeels instrumentale remix, opgesmukt met galmen, echo's en andere speciale effecten. Ook wel 'psychedelische reggae' of 'de kunst van het weglaten' genoemd. Lag aan de basis van ambient, triphop, jungle, drum'n'bass, lounge en andere nieuwe dansmuziekjes. Dub-Fi-Dub Onderdeel van een sound clash (zie aldaar) waarbij de dj's ieder om beurt een plaat moeten opzetten. Dub plate Exclusieve uitvoering, ook wel special genoemd, van een populaire riddim (zie aldaar), opgedragen aan de sound systems. Essentieel onderdeel van de concurrentiestrijd tussen de verschillende sounds. De handel in dub plates neemt stilaan industriële proporties aan, waardoor het exclusieve karakter van de opnames stilaan verloren gaat. Foundation music Zie roots(reggae). Ganja Weed, cannabis, marihuana. Zonder zou reggae geen reggae zijn. Jah God. Zie ook rasta(fari). Ragga(muffin') Zie dancehall. Rasta(fari) Christelijke religie die stelt dat Jezus zich geopenbaard heeft in de voormalige Ethiopische keizer Haile Selassie (echte naam: Ras Tafari). Steunt op liefde en rechtvaardigheid als universele basiswaarden vanuit een individuele godsbeleving (en dus zonder hiërarchie). Reggae Verzamelnaam voor de Jamaicaanse popmuziek sinds 1970. Sleutelfiguur: Bob Marley. Riddim Te vergelijken met de standards in de jazz. Standaardritme (drum en bas, al dan niet digitaal) dat door verschillende zangers, rappers en producers gebruikt wordt. De klassieke riddims dateren al van voor 1970 en worden tot vandaag opnieuw ingespeeld, bewerkt en geïnterpreteerd. De populairste riddims staan vaak in verschillende uitvoeringen (versions) in de Jamaicaanse top 10 en worden verzameld op one riddim-albums. Rocksteady Na de ska (zie aldaar) kwam in Jamaica de rocksteady, trager, zoeter, dreigender, de brug naar de reggae. De koning van de rocksteady was Alton Ellis. Roots(reggae) Traditionele reggae, meestal in het teken van rastafari of rebelse kritiek op het systeem. De beste roots werd gemaakt in de jaren '70 maar kent de laatste jaren een opmerkelijke revival. Vooral buiten Jamaica maken steeds meer getalenteerde roots bands hun opwachting. In Antwerpen bijvoorbeeld, met Calabash. Rub-a-dub Reggae in de eerste helft van de jaren '80, trager dan ooit. Ska De muziek van de Jamaicaanse onafhankelijkheid (1962), geperfectioneerd door The Skatalites en sindsdien uitgegroeid tot een volwaardige stroming met wereldwijde vertakkingen en versmeltingen. Eind jaren '70 in de hitparades gebracht door The Specials, Madness en andere Two Tone-groepen. In de VS viert vooral de punkska hoogtij (No Doubt was ooit zoân groepje), in Europa domineert het respect voor de muzikale virtuositeit van de originele ska, op z'n best een sublieme vorm van jazz. Zoals ook The Internationals die spelen, de Antwerpse Skatalites. Slackness 'Vuile praat'. Geliefkoosd thema van de Jamaicaanse rappers die geen boodschap hebben aan rasta. Sound clash Wat het woord zegt: een clash tussen twee sound systems, die ieder afwisselend het publiek in de ban moeten proberen te krijgen. Sound system Een volledig team bestaat uit een selector (die de platen uitkiest), een dj (die ze oplegt), een engineer (voor de special effects) en één of meer toasters (rappers). Echte sound systems beschikken over echte geluidssystemen, waarvan de zelfgebouwde luidsprekers de pronkstukken zijn. Toaster Oud-Jamaicaans voor rapper. Er waren al toasters lang voor rap en hiphop bestonden. Version 'Versie' (uitvoering) van een klassieke riddim (zie aldaar).
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