Running low on luck these days? According to Wikipedia, Obeah, a type of sorcery practiced in Jamaica and various parts of the West Indies contains many traditions for helping, healing and bringing love and money to those who are seriously without. I'd never heard of it until a couple of days ago when I went searching for words for tonight's word plug and I also wouldn't mess with it, but I'm also not at rock bottom in my life. Anyhow, just throwing this one out there for anyone who wishes to further investigate.

Today's word is a Patois word from Jamaica:

obeah - a brand of witchcraft practiced in Jamaica

You can expand your 'Rasta Patois' in several ways. The most rewarding way is straight from the horse's mouth, so you may wish to seek the knowledge from some West Indian folks in your neighborhood. If you can't learn anything that way due to the low number of West Indian peeps in your circle, try watching films. The Rockers is an awesome and entertaining starting point. The 25th anniversary edition DVD has great features, including a small Rasta Patois dictionary. A good source on the net is Jamaicans dot com and Jahworks seems decent.

Past Patois words: satta, gwaan, labrish, mash up, budufbaf, tegareg, peenywally

Filed under: Learning, Jamaica, Foreign Language