My thoughts on…the Patois Bible
I can’t believe people are that people are really considering this. A Patois Bible is in the works, a project that will take seven more years to complete and cost JS$60 million. At present they’ve only translated 40 percent. For the uninitiated, I’m taking about Jamaican patois, a fusion of English, African, Amerindian and Spanish. This money could be better spent somewhere else, like building a school where they can teach proper English and help Jamaicans become more literate so they can read the Bible in the first place!
I guess they’re trying to capitalize on the newfound popularity of Jamaican culture. They’re trying to justify it by saying that the Bible makes more of an impact when it is translated in their own native tongue. Well I never heard anybody complaining that they couldn’t read the Bible. And if they can’t, they just can’t read. Period. Translating it to Patois won’t help. There are three kinds of people this would appeal to:
1. The Sunday crowd, who are normally so steeped in tradition that few use the New International Version much less a Patois version. In fact, they’d probably call it a mockery of God’s word. In fact, they already are.
2. Ordinary Jamaicans. I know this thing should cost more than a regular Bible because of its unique nature, and Jamaicans aren’t stupid enough to pay extra to read their own language.
3. Foreigners. They normally buy these patois dictionaries and junk like that, but only as mementos. None of them take them seriously. Plus these people aren’t exactly the godliest set. Did you know that 59% of Germans and 65% of Britons are atheists?
Whichever way you slice it, this thing just won’t sell. It’d become a collector’s item at best. This reminds me of when the Jamaican government spent millions to build the world’s largest football only to find out that they couldn’t enter the Guinness Book of World Records as the exterior material wasn’t the same as that of an actual football. Now it’s gathering dust in a warehouse somewhere. Just another big waste of money.
I think the concept of a patois is an attempt to solidify an obtuse theory that patois is a language. It’s not. It is patois. There are many patois the world over. We speak Jamaican patois. Even though it is a mix of different languages, it is not a language itself and we would be reinforcing negative stereotypes about Jamaica if we were to continue. This stereotype would be ignorance.
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What! $60 million! I can’t read Patois as good as English and I’m sure most Jamaicans can’t! This is just a waste of time and money.
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one of the silliest ideas ever. as you wisely pointed out money better spent teaching folk proper english and the more religious sect will stick t the king james version anyways.
still it makes for an interesting bunch of ideas as to some of the dialogue
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The word ‘patois’ is a derogatory word used by the Europeans during slavery to describe the language spoken by the slaves. It is a french word that means ’senseless chatter/noise, gibberish’. Fyi, Jamaican ‘patois’ has no Amerindian & Spanish in it. It is a fusion of African and English. I would advise you to do research the next time that is if you intend to have an educated opinion.
Moving on…’patois’ as you like to call it is indeed a language! Even though it shares some words in common with English it has a rule system of it’s own.It is a language in it’s own right. Just try googling ‘The syntax & phonology of Jamaican Creole. Hence, in academic circles it is referred to as ‘Jamaican Creole’ or ‘Jamaican’.
I also suggest that you read these articles published in the Jamaica Gleaner:
1. http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20080713/cleisure/cleisure3.html
2. http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20080713/cleisure/cleisure2.html
3. http://www.jamaicagleaner.com/gleaner/20080714/lead/lead5.html
oh dear
this just sems like a waste of money to me too
I think the money might be better spent on research and preservation of Jamaican culture, if not on literacy.
Honestly, education about health and HIV as well as social work among school children to reduce “Extracurricular activities” as young as the first grade might also be money well spent.
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I guess it will be for Jcans only. What next a Bible in French Patois for the lucians and Dominicans?
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That is indeed a waste of time, effort and money. Sigh. Never ceases to amaze me how people just cannot get their priorities straight.
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Thanks for the info on the origin of the word “patois” Rethink. But as for the origins of patois itself, I’m totally right! Patois is mostly a fusion of African and English, but it also has Amerindian and Spanish influences. Their impact is less noticeable, but still there. Look it up my friend.
That’s Funny. Would love to see the focus group on this project.
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