Carolyn Cooper | Thief never like see thief carry long bag

CHAKA-CHAKA SPELLING

Mi woulda never lost mi pass go call dem deh ambassador ‘thief’. Donald Tapia an Tian Qi? No sah! Fi wi Jamaica proverb no directly mean seh a thief wi a talk bout. A metaphor! Yu see dat deh word. It come from Greek: ‘metaphora’. Di ‘meta’ part mean ‘over, cross’. An di ‘phora’ part mean ‘carry’. So di metaphor carry yu mind from yah so to deh so. An it draw picture mek yu see clear, clear, clear wa mi a seh.

Di English people dem tek nuff word from Greek an Latin an French an whole heap a odder language fi fatten up fi dem language. A so wi ha fi dweet. Wen fi wi long-time people dem did a mek up fi wi Jamaica language, computer an Internet an nuff, nuff odder tings never deh bout. Inna dem ya time, fi wi language must an bound fi have nuff new word. An a no ongle borrow wi can borrow. Wi can mek up word fi suit wiself. Weh end up inna English dictionary! All like ‘reggae’ an ‘bling’.

By di way, mi hope oonoo a sign di petition pon Jamaica House website fi mek fi wi language official: Wat mi get fi understand, nuff people a sign pon di website, but dem nah sign di email weh govament send dem. Dem vote nah go count. Den whole heap a people no have no email. Dem have phone. Govament shoulda find a way fi mek people vote pon dem phone.

DIPLOMAT AN FOREIGN POLICY

See di metaphor yah: thief an long bag a diplomat an foreign policy! It look like seh America no like fi see China a do di said same ting weh dem a do. Last Tuesday, Gleaner publish one story wid dis ya headline, ‘China backlash – US ambassador warns Jamaica to tread carefully with ‘two-headed dragon’’. Di American ambassador a try pretty it up. Im a protect Jamaica interest. Wa mek? Weh im did deh wen IMF did a dig out wi eye? Im never sorry fi wi dem deh time?

As fi China! It mighta look like seh China a one high-class boops! Dem must love wi mek dem a spend so much money pon wi. Highway, nuff big building! Nobody nah gi wi nutten fi nutten. China an America same way! Wi ha fi stand up fi wiself an no mek di licky-licky politician dem sell wi out fi nutten. Jamaica a one lickle island. Wi can’t gi big-big China none a wi land. So wi thank di American ambassador fi look out fi wi. But wi ha fi tell im seh finger never seh look yah; it seh look deh.

PRAPA-PRAPA SPELIN

Mi wuda neva laas mi paas go kaal dem de ambasada ‘tiif’. Donald Tapia an Tian Qi? Nuo sa! Fi wi Jamieka provorb no dairekli miin se a tiif wi a taak bout. A metafor! Yu si dat de wod. It kom fram Griik: ‘metaphora’. Di ‘meta’ paat miin ‘uova, kraas’. An di ‘phora’ paat miin ‘kyari’. So di metafor kyari yu main fram ya so tu de so. An it jraa pikcha mek yu si klier, klier, klier wa mi a se.

Di Inglish piipl dem tek nof wod fram Griik an Latin an French an uol iip a ada langgwij fi fatn op fi dem langgwij. A so wi a fi dwiit. Wen fi wi lang-taim piipl dem did a mek op fi wi Jamieka langgwij, kompyuuta an Intanet an nof, nof ada tingz neva de bout. Ina dem ya taim, fi wi langgwij mos an boun fi av nof nyuu wod. An a no ongl bara wi kyahn bara. Wi kyahn mek op wod fi suut wiself. We en op ina Ingglish dikshaneri! Aal laik ‘reggae’ an ‘bling’.

Bai di wie, mi uop unu a sain di pitishan pan Jamaica House websait fi mek fi wi langgwij ofishal: Wat mi get fi andastan, nof piipl a sain pan di websait, bot dem naa sain di iimiel we govament sen dem. Dem vuot naa go kount. Den uol iip a piipl no av no iimiel. Dem av fuon. Govament shuda fain a wie fi mek piipl vuot pan dem fuon.

DIPLOMAT AN FARIN PALISI

Si di metafor ya: tiif an lang bag a diplomat an farin palisi! It luk laik se Amerika no laik fi si Chaina a du di sed siem ting we dem a du. Laas Chuusde, Gleaner poblish wan stuori wid dis ya edlian, ‘China backlash - US ambassador warns Jamaica to tread carefully with ‘two-headed dragon’’. Di Amerikan ambasada a chrai priti it op. Im a protek Jamieka inchres. Wa mek? We im did de wen IMF did a dig out wi yai? Im neva sari fi wi dem de taim?

Az fi Chaina! It maita luk laik se Chaina a wan ai-klaas bups! Dem mos lov wi mek dem a spen so moch moni pan wi. Aiwie, nof big bildin! Nobadi naa gi wi notn fi notn. Chaina an Amerika siem wie! Wi a fi stan op fi wi wiself an no mek di liki-liki palitshan dem sel wi out fi notn. Jamieka a wan likl ailan. Wi kyaahn gi big-big Chaina non a wi lan. So wi tangk di Amerikan ambasada fi luk out fi wi. Bot wi a fi tel im se finga neva se luk ya; it se luk de.

- Carolyn Cooper, PhD, is a specialist on culture and development. Email feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com and karokupa@gmail.com