How do you pronounce patois?
Who speaks patois?
| Jamaican Patois | |
|---|---|
| Native to | Jamaica, Panama, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Colombia (San Andrés y Providencia). |
| Native speakers | 3.2 million (2000–2001) |
| Language family | English creole Atlantic Western Jamaican Patois |
| Dialects | Limonese Creole Bocas del Toro Creole Miskito Coast Creole San Andrés–Providencia Creole |
Is patois broken English?
Often these patois are popularly considered “broken English” or slang, but cases such as Jamaican Patois are classified with more correctness as a Creole language; in fact, in the Francophone Caribbean the analogous term for local basilectal languages is créole (see also Jamaican English and Jamaican Creole).
How do Jamaicans say hello?
‘Wah Gwaan’
This is probably the most well known Jamaican greeting and was even used by US President Barack Obama during his inaugural visit to Jamaica.