A guide to Jamaican rasta & patois speak vol. 7

                         

M

MAAMA MAN: a gay person, an effeminate man, a weakling.  See BATTYMAN/CHI CHI MAN 
MAAS: n. from master or massa. Now freed from its class origin; a respectful form of address to an older man; chill out, be by ones self for a while 
MACA: thorn, prickle. 
MADDA: mother 
MAFIA: big-time criminals 
MAGA DOG: mongrel dog
MAGA: thin (from meagre) 
MAMPI: Fat or overweight 
MANACLES: chains 
MAN JUICE: Sperm.
MANLEY: A Jamaican $1000 bill with the portrait of former prime minister Michael Manley.
MANNERS: under heavy discipline or punishment. “heavy manners” (declaration of martial law) 
MANTELL: Male gigolo; man-whore.
MARINA: a man’s undershirt; wife-beater.  Usually netted.  
MAROON: n. free black warrior-communities which successfully resisted British hegemony during eighteenth century and early nineteenth century. From Spanish cimmaron- untamed, wild 
MAS: An old and wise master, who deserves respect.
MASCOT: denoting inferior status.  Also refers to a gay man (See BATTYMAN/CHI CHI MAN/MAAMA MAN) 
MASH IT UP: Expression to wish huge success – just like Eng. “Break a Leg” 
MASH UP, MASH DOWN: destroy 
MASSIVE: respected, used with LARGE to add emphasis 
MATEY: mistress 
MAWGA: Skinny.  See WINJY
MEK: Let, make. “Mek wi dweet” (Let us do it). “Mek up yu mind” (Make up your mind). “Dat di best eva mek” (That’s the best ever made). “Mek we” (Let us) 
MEMBA: Remember
(RAS) MENELIK: An Ethiopian nobleman who rallied his troops to resist Italian aggression. Defeated Italians at Adowa 1896 
MI: Me, I, mine. “Mi soon come” (I’ll be there soon)
MON: Perhaps the single most important Jamaican word, “Mon” can represent every person in Jamaica — man, woman, and child. “Yes mon!” (Yes man, woman, or child!)
‘MONGST/MONKS: Amongst
MORE TIME: see you later. Usually emphatic. 
MOS DEF: Most definitely. An expression meaning, of course, yes, sure,
MR. MENTION: Talk of the town, ladies’ man
MR. T: the boss 
MUDDA: Mother.
MUS MUS: a rat 
MUSS: Must.
MUSSI: Must be.
MY YUTE: Lit. “my youth”. Affectionate expression of calling a friend or younger one. “Hey my yute” (Hey my friend!)
MY BABY MOTHER/FATHER: the mother/father of one’s child  
MYAL: a form of benign magic oposed to Obeah, hence “myalman”. From Hursa “maye-wizard” (person of mystic power). 

N

NAGAH/NEGGA/NYEGA: n. pejorative for a black person “Dutty nyega” (Poor and trashy person — same as American “white trash”) “White nyega” (Jamaican born white person.)
NAGO: the Yoruba peoples, practices or language. From Ewe “anago” referring to Yoruba   
NAH/NAA: will not. Emphatic as in “Me nah do that” 
NANA: midwife; nanny or nurse. 
NANNY: A Jamaican $500 bill worth about 11 U.S. dollars.
NANNY GOAT:  “What sweet nanny goat a go run him belly” is a cautionary Jamaican proverb which  means: What tastes good to a goat will ruin his belly. (Lit. – the things that seem good to you now, can hurt you later…) “Sweet nanny goat have a RUNNING BELLY” cautionary proverb used against temptation i.e. tasting the greener grass on the other side of the fence
NASH: female genitalia. See GLAMITY/(THE) CAT 
NATTY, NATTY DREAD, NATTY CONGO: 1. dreadlocks 2. a person with dreadlocks 
NAZARITE: Ancient Hebrew meaning to “separate”, consecrated, set apart by choice and devotion
NEBA: Never
NEEGLE: Needle.
NEEGLE YEYE: lit. “Needle’s eye”. refering to something very small. Also refers to the female sexual organ.
NIYABINGHI/NYABINGHI: 1. “death to all black and white oppressors”; 2. East African warriors who resisted colonial domination; 3. large Rastafarian meeting and spiritual gathering; 4. referring to orthodox, traditional Rastas; 5. a variety of drumming 
NIYAH MAN/BINGHI MAN: name for Rastas referring to Niyabinghi warriors of East Africa 
NIZE: Noise
NO KYA: no matter, as in “no kya weh im tun”, no matter where he turns. 
NO TRUE?: isn’t it so? 
NOTCH : DON or top ranking BADMAN 
NUFF: Plenty, too much, many, tons, a lot
NUH: No, now, or know. Also interrogative at end of sentence. “Nuh True?”(Is it not so?) 
NUH EASY: A very popular expression saying one is acting a bit off the wall or uneasy, or when ones manners are not in order, as in “Yu nuh easy!”
NUTTEN: Nothing
NYAM: (to) eat.  “Mek wi nyam” (Let’s eat)
(TOO) NYAMI-NYAMI : title given to those who like to eat any food they encounter, without discretion. See (TOO) LIkKY-LIkKY 
NYING’I-NYING’I: nagging, whining. 

Next up: O-Q

Phrase of the day:

“Cows have no business in horseplay” (taken from World of Quotes)

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 

Language and usage