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Dohra Ahmad

The phrase ‘Wha gwan’ (whaa gwaan) means ‘what’s going on’ in Jamaican Patois. The spelling varies but the meaning does not change.

Pidgin, patois, slang, dialect, creole — English has more forms than you might expect

Culture

There’s a growing body of English literature that isn’t written in standard English at all, but rather different dialects and vernaculars. So when does a vernacular language become a language of its own?

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Donate today to kickstart The World’s fundraising drive!

Donate today to help us raise $25,000 by June 30 and help sustain our international reporting. All donations will be matched 2:1!

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