Wednesday 12 March 2008

READING and WRITING Jamaican - Finally!


What follows is a revision of the Cassidy and Le Page (CLP) spelling system developed in 1961. It was prepared by the Jamaican Language Unit at the University of the West Indies. The system is very easy to learn as it hasn't got any silent letters and each letter (and letter combination) is always pronounced the same way! So here goes!

SPELLING THE VOWELS
There are five short vowels; three long vowels; and four long vowels:

Short Vowel…. Jamaican Word….English Translation
i
……………………....sik…………………...........'sick’
e………………..........bed…………………..........'bed’
a……………………...bak…………………..........'back’
o……………………...kot…………………...........'cut
u……………………...kuk…………………..........'cook'

Long Vowel…. Jamaican Word….English Translation
ii…………………….tii…………………...........'tea'
aa…………………..baak………………..........'bark’
uu…………………..chuut……………...........'truth'

Double Vowels…. Jamaican Word….English Translation
ie…………………….......kiek………………….........'cake'
ai…………………….......baik………………….........'bike’
ou……………………......kou…………………….......'cow'
uo……………………......gruo……………………......'grow'

Vowel Marker = hn. This letter combination comes after the vowel in certain words and is used to mark wuch vowels as nasalised. Eg, Mi kyaahn kom. Do you recognise that funny sound at the end of the second word? Other words include: waahn, yaahn, iihn, etc...

When two vowels belong to two separate syllables, they are usually separated by the consonants 'y' or 'w.' Eg. lai + ad = laiyad... kou+ad = kouwad.


SPELLING CONSONANTS
Jamaican has got 22 vowels; 18 are single consonants; 4 are double consonants.

Consonants…. Jamaican Word….English Translation
b…………………….. biek………………….......'bake'
d……………….........daag…………………......'dog'
ch……………………choch…………………...'church'
f……………………....fuud……………………...'food'
g……………………...guot……………………...'goat'
h……………………..(can be used depending on where you live in Jamaica...eg hen or ..en)
j………………...........joj……………….............'judge'
k……………………...kait…………………........'kite'
l……………………....liin……………………......'lean'
m…………………….man……………………....'man'
n…………………….. nais………………….......'nice'
ng……………….......sing………………….......'sing'
p……………………...piil………………….........'peel' / 'peal'
r……………………...ron……………………......'run'
s……………………...sik…………………….......'sick'
sh……………………shap………………….......'shop'
t……………….........tuu…………………...........'two''
v……………………..vuot………………….........'vote'
w…………………….wail……………………......'wild'
y……………………..yong…………………….....'young'
z……………………..zuu…………………….......'zoo'
zh…………………..vorzhan…………………..'version' (j can be used as well eg, vorjan)

You would have noticed that several letters are not in Jamaican - no q, instead use k(w) eg kwiz (English quick); no x, instead use ks eg. siks (English 'six'); no single c, instead use k
eg kuul not cuul (English 'school'); or represent the sound by using s as in piis (English 'piece / peace').

Now practice reading Jamaican by reading my prelim translation of the 23rd Psalm.

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