See also  Speak Jamaican  Surfer  Lumberjack terminology

Caymanian Old folk style:

The younger generation spend a lot of their time in schools being taught by imported teachers or watching movies or playing with expatriated children from the States, Canada or England. Consequently they have learned to speak like an American or whatever and this helps them when they enter the labor force. But at home or with the elders they may very well lapse into a dialect that is difficult to follow but is pleasant to the ears. It almost seems to be lyric to a song. There is a particular rhythm to the language and and even though it is not singing their voice will change pitch and rise or fall in tempo and volume. It keeps you interested. No boring monologue here. As in many other Islands that were cut off from the major developing countries until the advent of the jet, their language evolved to become an indigenous dialect comprised of English, Scottish and African dialects. Some of the words appear to have been misunderstandings applied to a given situation and it stuck. One term that I wish was part of mainstream English but is not is "Unna". It is easy to say and use and means "you" or "You all".

For some other unusual phrases , check out the following:

"Unna Hush"
Translation: "Be quiet."

"Who you for"
Translation: "Who are your parents."

"Cum make we go"
Translation: "Let's go."

"Yah mon"
Translation: anywhere from "I know what you mean, to, I agree with you, to, I have no idea what you are talking about."

"It's your cup of bitter tea"   Derived from a nasty tasting bush tea remedy for almost anything that ails you.
Translation: "It may be a hard lesson to swallow, but in the long run it will be good for you"

"Unna cum nah"
Translation: "Let's go now."

The author of page  this lived in Cayman so long that the language became so ingrained in him to the point that it seemed normal and and now causes difficulty in trying to discern what may seem unusual to others.

This is not quite the same as Jamaican Speak.

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