ABSTRACT
English is the official language of Jamaica, which has a population of approximately 2.3 million and which was under British rule for just over 300 years when it achieved independence in 1962. The term Jamaican English comprehends a continuum of Englishes from Standard English to Creole English. Most varieties of Jamaican English show some influence from West African languages in terms of borrowed words:
ackee okro (food)
loan translations:
corn stick (corn cob) suck teeth (disparage)
and proverbial wisdom:
When the chicken is merry, the hawk is near.
