Jamaican Creole, also known to foreigners as Patois/(Patwa) or simply Jamaican, is an English/African-based language --not to be confused with Jamaican English nor with the Rastafarian use of English-- used primarily on the island of Jamaica. Jamaican is the descendant of a 17th century creolization process which, simply put, consisted of West and Central Africans acquiring and nativizing the vernacular and dialectal British Englishes (including significant exposure to Irish and Scottish varieties), with which their forced labour brought them in contact. Of course it must be understood that all languages are derived from usually more than one already existing language. For examples, Italian, Catalan, French, Spanish, and Portuguese are all derived from Latin and respective local languages. Modern day Jamaican creole is what is called a linguistic continuum in linguistics terms. That is, there is no cut-and-dry division between the standard language (the acrolect) and the most divergent, rural form (the basilect). The intermediate form is called the mesolect.

Significant Jamaican-speaking communities exist among Jamaican expatriates in Miami, New York City, Toronto, Washington D.C., Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama (in the Caribbean coast), and London. Mesolectal forms are similar to Belizean Creole, and a mutually intelligible variety is found in San Andres Islands, Colombia, brought to the island by decendants of Jamaican maroons in the 18th century. Jamaican creole exists mostly as a spoken language. Although standard British English is used for most writing in Jamaica, Jamaican has been gaining ground as a literary language for almost a hundred years. Claude McKay published his book of Jamaican poems Songs of Jamaica in 1912.

Jamaican pronunciation and vocabulary are significantly different from most other English dialects, despite heavy usage of English words or derivatives. It is to the point where a native speaker of a non-Caribbean English dialect can only understand a heavily accented Jamaican speaker if they talk slowly and forego the use of the numerous idioms that are common in Jamaican. Jamaican Creole displays similarities to the pidgin and creole languages of West Africa due to their common descent from the blending of European substrate languages with African native tongues and, behind the barrier of very different accents, is actually mutually intelligible to many of them, such as Sierra Leone's Krio and Nigerian Pidgin English.

More on [ Jamaican Creole ]

L.A. Times - Food & Dining

Could that be ice in my soup?
Wed, 29 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0700
This August 2007 article suggested chilling out -- with a bowl of naeng myun, the served-cold Korean specialty with springy noodles and a tangy broth. Summer in Koreatown has long been marked by the sounds of slurping. The season for naeng myun -- cold noodles -- is now in full swing, and at restaurants across the neighborhood, huge bowlfuls of chewy buckwheat noodles quickly disappear. Occasionally there are pauses for a spoonful of icy-cold tangy broth, a bite of crunchy pickled daikon or cucumber, a sliver of crisp-sweet Asian pear, or a slice of tender beef brisket.
High-end restaurants on a tightrope of economic uncertainty
Wed, 08 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0700
Celebrity chefs behind Melisse, Anisette, Craft and other deluxe dining spots try to lure recession-wary diners. PEOPLE always have to eat, but do they have to dine out? That's the question Southern California's top chefs are facing after the last few weeks of grim economic news.
Mix and match to create a spice blend all your own
Wed, 08 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0700
Whether it's a Cajun or charmoula combination, add a fresh dimension to a traditional blend of herbs and spices with your own flavor pairings. Bold Cajun blends, Chinese five-spice powder, Caribbean jerk, garam masala garam masala from India, Middle Eastern baharat , Thai green curry paste -- each of these blends of spices and herbs has its origins as a cornerstone of a regional cuisine. Traditionally developed over time and honed through generations, spice blends are calculated combinations of fresh or dry ingredients that create a symphony of flavors. Walk the spice aisle of any store and commercial variations abound.

Subscribe to Cooking RSS feed