About Jamaicanize
A little history, and a simple goal: make Jamaican Patois easier to discover and understand.
Our Story
Jamaicanize started in 2011 with a simple idea: make Jamaican Patois easier for everyone to discover and understand.
What began as a small translation project has grown into a reference and learning resource for people interested in Jamaican Patois, its vocabulary and its expressions.
What is Jamaican Patois?
Jamaican Patois, also commonly written as Patwa or Patwah, is a Jamaican Creole language with English vocabulary and influences from West African and other languages brought to Jamaica.
It is more than just a different way of speaking English. Jamaican Patois reflects Jamaica's history, culture, resilience and people. It is primarily a spoken language, and written forms can vary depending on the speaker and context.
A note about the language
Because Jamaican Patois is a living spoken language, there can be more than one way to write the same word or expression. Jamaicanize focuses on commonly encountered forms and presents them in a way that is accessible to English speakers.
Make Patois accessible.
Help people around the world discover, understand and appreciate Jamaican Patois.
Language connects us.
Jamaican Patois is a unique and valuable part of Jamaican culture and identity, and we're proud to share it.
Whether you're here to learn, explore or simply enjoy the language, we're glad you're here.