jamarchGnosophia Publishers is pleased to announce the release of Biesik Jumiekan: Introduction to Jamaican Language by Larry Chang, under its specially created imprint Chuu Wod. The book is a primer of the Jamaican language for native speakers and beginners alike. It is intended to bridge the gap between academic texts on the subject and publications aimed at casual readers and visitors.
The book is divided into six sections: Origins, Grammar, Orthography, Vocabulary, Texts and a 50-page illustrated Dictionary, presenting the basilectal register or “broad patois,” using a modified Cassidy system for writing Jamaican. The outline and structure of the language is clearly shown, supported by a generous array of maps, tables and charts.
Selections of representative texts include traditional songs and Anancy stories, as well as works by Claude McKay, Louise Bennett, Rex Nettleford, Lorna Goodison, Joan Andrea Hutchinson and Carolyn Cooper, among others. Excerpts of classics from Laozi, Marcus Aurelius, Shakespeare, and Dickens, have been translated into Jamaican for the first time.
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