The Kromanti Language of the Jamaican Maroons (Final edit)

655,044

7,328 0

Published 2010-08-05

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. www.caribbeanlanguages.org.jm/

All Comments (21)

@chilk85 6 years ago

😢got me in tears. Im from surinam, if i didnt saw the video and only heard the audio, i would have sworn that it was an elderly surinamese man speaking. I understood every single word, cause that is our language! We are one people, and this is the proof!!!
@guidosamson682 8 years ago

In Suriname the Kromanti lenguage is still spoken. do come and visit.
@jaydenian1734 4 years ago

Am a Ghanaian and i can understand almost everything the man said, i think we Ghanaians n Jamaicans should create an event that will link us up again ❤️❤️❤️
@Indigenous_DNA 7 years ago

The Jamaican Govt should make it mandatory for kromani & other existing African languages to be taught in schools. Doing this will ensure survival of the heritage and culture of the maroons/moors/maurs (meaning=Black).
@kuntri4389 10 years ago

Proud of my West African linage!! Proud of my National country Jamaica 1 LOVE FROM J.A 2 MY GHANAIAN BROTHERS & SISTERS
@nsugathadasa 10 years ago

Please Jamaicans, preserve this language by learning and using it. This is the originality you can get from Africa.
@rebeccaarthur534 4 years ago

This is amazing, as a Ghanaian born America, I could recognized many of my languages being said. When Kormanti, was mentioned I had goosebumps. Kormanti, is a fishing town in Central region in the area that I was born. Amazing.
@papasarfosika437 8 years ago

Abeng means horn in Akan language in Ghana. Saddened, I found a long lost grandpa ! Horns for communicating .
@rdenHotEd 9 years ago

I've always found it interesting that Jamaicans don't consider themselves bilingual. We take for granted our native languages, even though the average English speaker from elsewhere wouldn't have a clue what I was saying if I were to speak to them in the real country patois. Patois has its own lexicons and linguistic features that are completely different from English (depends on the dialect) yet it's only thought of as speaking badly in the eyes of most of the Jamaican society. I've never heard a speaker of Espanol or Castellano refer to Guarani, Catalan or any other dialect as "speaking bad". A whole lot could be said if I were to compare Jamaican English and patois to Spanish and it's regional branch off languages.
@Raine0323 12 years ago

I love how I am an 18 year old first born American with Jamaican heritage and I understand almost everything he says. I thank my great grandparents for that. Much love <3
@caribbeankpoplover 6 years ago

That fact that I'm Jamaican and been living here for 21 years and have never heard about Kromanti (and am sure other Jamaicans don't know about it) is so sad 😧 Yet still there are so many similarities with it and Patois. Just amazing 😊
@winnettemacdonald9447 8 years ago

he is my granduncle i love him so much.....
@dennisnimohjr.8271 8 years ago

DAMN! I'm from Ghana and can almost translate everything that man just said in the Kromanti language in my common Twi die-let. Crazy that guys my people and Jamaican at the same time. Guess we really are the same.
@ebottah 6 years ago

Listening to the old man, I got goosebumps. As an Ashanti Akan person and Ghanaian, I could certainly pick out some of the Twi words he was using. Ghana and Jamaica must as a matter of urgency establish cultural exchanges. We are branches of the same tree. Cultural exchanges would bind and build us up even more strongly. I was pleasantly thrilled and touched by the old man. No doubt he is an Akan descendant. Whew!
@generaloombancuthemusicman835 5 years ago

im maroons of suriname and all what he was saying was very clearly to me i could almost understood every thing. black power 🇸🇷🇸🇷🇸🇷💪🏿💪🏿
@McDanielsGyamfi 9 years ago

Felt a very strong connection to him, as a (Akan) Ghanaian. Few words stood out. Very interesting discovery. Peace and love!!
@FinanceWithTati 8 years ago

I watched this video and tears filled my eyes. I'm from the opposite end of Portland. I grew up speaking English and I also spoke patois too. I didn't understand 100% what he was saying but God knows 75% and the context without reading the subtitle dem Mi know wah him a sey. All my life I didn't know this was a different language all together thought it was just broken English. #tears
@thewonderfulkushite9472 9 years ago

This was so touching and it's a living testament to the strength of our African traditions. You can't kill it because it's eternal. Thanks for sharing.
@Sundertje 7 years ago

I'm from Suriname and is amazing how I could understand some things this man said. Bless him.
@MmaIsGood 8 years ago

Crazy. "You Sabi?" literally means "You understand?" in West African pidgin English!!! Love it!!!