Caribbean Matters: Will Jamaican Patois achieve official language status?

The lyrical sound of what is often referred to as “Jamaican English,” “Jamaican Creole,” “Patwah,” or “Patois” is familiar to many non-Jamaicans around the globe via the popularity of musical genres, like mento, ska, rocksteady, reggae, dub, and dancehall, which were birthed there. 

I grew up with many Jamaican Americans here in the states and was used to hearing their frequent code-switching between standard English and Jamaican. Later, as an adult I learned more while studying cultural linguistics as an anthropology major in graduate school. My interest was recently piqued when I saw several news stories raising the issue of Jamaica potentially making the Jamaican language dubbed “Patois” an official language on the island.  

Caribbean Matters is a weekly series from Daily Kos. If you are unfamiliar with the region, check out Caribbean Matters: Getting to know the countries of the Caribbean.