20 Jamaican words that originated from Nigerian languages

Here are a few.

This derived from the Yoruba àkàrà, and points to a type of street food — bean cakes.

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This derived from the Igbo átú, meaning “chewing stick”

3. Big-eye

“Big Eye” is derived directly from the Igbo “anya ukwu”, meaning “greedy”

4. Breechee

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This is from mbùríchì, meaning an Nri-Igbo nobleman

This is an Efik term from mbakára, meaning “white man”

6. Chink, Chinch

This is from the Igbo chị́nchị̀, meaning “bedbug”

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7. Country ibo

from Ị̀gbò, Pluchea odorata or Ptisana purpurascens

8. De, Deh

This is derived from the Igbo dị, [with adverbial] meaning “is” (to be)

9. Door-mouth

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This is a claque from ọ́nụ́ ụ́zọ̀ (mouth + door), meaning “doorway”

10. Hard-head

This is from Igbo ísí íké, (head + hard, strength), meaning “obstinate”

This is from Igbo mba, “yam root”, a type of yam, Rajania cordata

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12. Kaba-kaba

is derived from Yoruba (and Akan, Ewe) and means ‘unreliable, inferior, worthless’

means "dumb", but is derived from Yoruba (and Ewe) where it means 'slow in the head'

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from Igbo ọbiạ, meaning “doctoring”, “mysticism”

This is from the Igbo ọkwurụ, a vegetable

16. Poto-poto

This is from the Yoruba “opoto-opoto”, mkpọtọ-mkpọtọ, meaning “mud”, “muddy”

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17. Red Ibo, Eboe

from Ị̀gbò, a person with a light skin colour or a mulatto of mixed parentage

This is from the Igbo sị, which usually follows with a quote. Also from Akan se and English say

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This is from the Igbo sọsọ meaning “only”

from Igbo language únù, meaning “you (plural)”

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