by Teino Evans, Staff Reporter

Left: Kevin (left) and Greg of dancehall duo, the Monster Twins.   Right: Fire Pashon Contributed- file photos

Artistes and members of their entourage have defied the laws of the English language and have rebuilt their own words and interpretations of their meanings.

Call it what you may, whether a new fad, way of thinking or another state of mind, the trend has been spreading like an epidemic.

A word like 'manager' for example, is forbidden and the deejays and persons who surround them have modified the word and now refer to their manager as 'galiger'.

According to one artiste who requested that his name not be published, "It is clear that the homophobic nature of dancehall artistes have now impacted the very language that we use, how we use and interpret it."

Recently, while TheSTAR team was hanging out with Aidonia for the day, we observed that some words which were in any way suggestive of a male was either substituted or altered.

Instead of saying 'two' they substituted it for 'few' and instead of saying 'Shorthood Road', it was altered and called 'Shortboard Road'.

Wrong word

According to Aidonia, "Anything wid 'hood' an 'dick' an dem ting deh inna it wi nuh use dem word deh."

But how does one adjust to this new vocabulary? As Aidonia's Road Manager, Kirk explains, "It would a come in like yuh deh inna school all over again, yuh adapt to it, cause our life is like a school, certain word yuh jus cut out a yuh vocabulary, certain word is like a bad word. Even we wi self slip sometime an wi seh 'bullet', but a jus di vibes an a jus we, how we talk. For example if a man come to yuh an seh, yow yuh know seh mi cyan 'tek yuh', wi a guh seh 'bullet' an walk lef him."

Some fans and music lovers have declined to follow the artistes in this latest move. One describes this latest trend as being "utter rubbish!"

"It just sound stupid and although some of them kinda sound funny, it just sound fool. For example dem seh man nuh play number two, suh nobody nuh waan seh the word two ... people start seh twice an dem ting deh instead, it jus sound fool. Dem a tek it too far, but the fact is dem jus full a chat when dem deh a yard cause dem cyan guh a foreign guh sing bout no homophobic ting," said Bryan Caiteland, an English teacher.

Among peers

However, the artistes confess that the trend is practiced mainly among themselves.

"There are certain situations where exceptions are made," Kirk says.

"If we a talk to somebody outside a wi self (friends) bout business, wi nah guh bring it to dah level deh, is more a vibes ting, 'mongst wi self, it mek more positive energy deh roun wi."

Dancehall group T.O.K. are also into the habit of chastising their members whenever they slip and say a 'wrong word' that may have certain connotations.

Flexx says, "A nuff a dem ting deh, like if somebody come to wi an seh if yuh nah guh down deh suh? Anytime wi mek a talk weh wrong wi seh 'Booi' (the sound of a gun shot).

The Monster Twins, who claim to be the originators of the reversed meaning to the English language, says the idea came about from their school days back in 1991.

Chucky Blacks of the Monster Twins says, "wi use to seh, 'no wrong talking', it a come from school days. A thug thing, 'no wrong stand up', no man nuh fi stand up behind a next man, suh wi seh 'wrong stan up'. Now a gun shot wi start fire, suh instead a wi seh dat wi jus buss a gun shot (making the sound)."

Ringo Star, the other Monster Twin adds, "some man not even have di talk dem rightÉa 'gyalbreasta' not 'gyalchesta'," he said in reference to the word Manchester.

They also said, "no a nuh sum'n weh wi a impose pon odda people, a jus our ting dat."

Rastafarian artistes have also made their adjustments on a number of words in the English vocabulary to suit their purposes and beliefs. For example, words like 'enjoy' has now become 'full joy' and 'unity' to 'inity'.

Female artiste Pashon, explains saying, "if yuh a guh one party yuh nuh waan end di joy, so we don't say enjoy wi waan 'full up a joy', suh wi seh full joy."

However, Pashon says she is not one to impose her beliefs on others. She says, "for me I don't really try to change people, my thing is my thing, because I don't want anybody to try and change my thing, just leave them to time, they'll catch on naturally. Yuh cyan force dat cause it nah guh come from dem heart."