Linguistics Foundation for the Jamaican Translation

It is a joy to know that Wycliffe Bible Translators, Caribbean, and Bible Society of the West indies, Jamaica, haven't got to begin Bible translation where many translators have had (and will have) to start - studying a language systematically for the first time, developing an orthography, etc... I agree: one might find being involved in initial linguistic research and language development a pretty exciting activity.

Nonetheless, it is also true that initial linguistic research and development are not easy tasks - at least it would not be for Jamaica, given its population and the linguistic diversity which exists amongst its members. Whilst studies in Jamaican Creole are far from complete, the Jamaican Creole Translation Project has been speared the need to conduct linguistic reseach prior to translation, thanks to the many linguists who have studied Jamaican Creole extensively.

One such Linguist is Peter Patrick. I had the opportunity of meeting Peter on Facebook earlier this year. In 1999, he published a book called Urban Jamaican Creole: Variation in the Mesolect. Peter's book (or at least sections of it) is available online at Google Books....To read, click here...