The Kromanti Language of the Jamaican Maroons (Final edit)

This video documents the disappearing languages of the Eastern Maroons of Moore Town, Jamaica. The languages are (i) Kromanti, a language variety related to the Akan language cluster of West Africa, and (ii) Uol Taim Patwa or 'Maroon Spirit Language', a very archaic form of English-lexicon Creole, similar in many ways to the Creole languages of Suriname. The language is presented through Mr Isaac Bernard, one the last culture bearers of the community, with a good command of these languages. The video is part of the Caribbean Indigenous and Endangered Languages website, which is co-sponsored by the Jamaican Language Unit/Unit for Caribbean Language Research, University of the West Indies, Mona, and UNESCO. http://www.caribbeanlanguages.org.jm

Category:

Education

Tags:

• maroon
• spirit
• language
• 'uol taim patwa'
• Creole
• suriname
• jamaica
• 'Moore Town'
• akan
• endangered
• indigenous
• UNESCO
• 'Jamaican Language Unit'
• JLU
• west africa
• linguistics

[microdac]

This video so very, very important. You have done what I hope to do more of; to make videos highlighting the great things about Jamaica. Thanks very much for sharing!

[allianceFiLifeDotCom]

@SmootherCurls We have nothing to do with Israelites keep that bull to youself. Keep that old testament bull to yourself too. We are descendants of west and west-central Africans we have nothing to do with the bible nor any tribes in the bible.

[Tajaycunningham]

@TheDonikue Su wah yu a tell mi seh im a nuh Jamaican?

[MASSIVE100]

@TheDonikue Yardees & GT's sound very much different. The only accent that sounds similar to Jamaicans are Antiguans. Guyanese and Trinidadians sound somewhat familiar.

[fuckyou1621]

I'm telling you man this doesn't sound like the language the maroons speak in Surinam this guy pronounces it different not the like the maroons living in surinam some words he says are similar though but thats because all English Creole languages developed the same way when he splits the alcohol that looked familiar to me because the maroons in Surinam do that too

[123Killpretty]

@TheDonikue umm..that's in Jamaica. And I was born and raised in Jamaica and can tell you that Jamaicans and Guyanese sound a LOT different.

[TheDonikue]

He is actually not Jamaican but Guyanese. Jamaicans and Guyanese sound alike I have observed.

[dawebni]

I am mixed race from Martinique french west indies, and i remember my mom's oncle was like that man in the video! pure african roots just spread out from them and make you feel like a trip back to your roots that's so special! we still speak "Creole" here and we supposed to be a mix of yoruba (benin nigeria) and bantu from congo but with also senegal&guinea's influences... Where he would say "Mi sa" we would say "Mwen ka or Man ka" and when he splits the alcohol we still have that in the vodoo!

[roseblossom999]

sound just like how some vincentian talk. I wish more people could embrace language like that. I know they say that to sound smart you have to speak standard/ queen english but i love to hear de caribbean people speak.

[tigerone1970]

You should check out the work of Prof. Clyde Winters (Olmec98):

Clyde Winters on the Akan in Ancient America Part 1

watch?v=KMAbFAwVbdc

Akan in Ancient America Part 2

watch?v=ZXkHQ1DQAbw

Afro- Mayan Kings

watch?v=wU2OslyBhck