a who yuh?
The English phrase "who are you?" is translated into Jamaican as a who yuh?
a who yuh? is used to ask someone for their identity or name.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the copula a (is/am/are), the interrogative who and the second-person pronoun yuh (you).
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
a who yuh? is characteristic of colloquial Jamaican Patois and is used in informal settings.
How does it change in a sentence?
In Jamaican Patois, the copula a is placed before the interrogative who to form the question.
When do people say it?
In an informal dialogue, if someone asks Ah who dat?, a person might respond with A me, man!
Did you know?
- While a who yuh? asks for an identity, using a slightly different tone can turn the phrase into a challenge, essentially asking 'Who do you think you are to tell me that?'
- The response A me, man! uses the word man not to specify gender, but as a general emphatic marker used for anyone.
- The use of a in a who yuh? has distant linguistic cousins in European languages, such as the French 'c'est', which also uses a particle to introduce a subject.
Examples in context
- Yuh deh pon de yard, but a who yuh?You are in the yard, but who are you?
- Mi nuh recognize yuh, a who yuh?I don't recognize you, who are you?
Example conversation
Kevon encounters a stranger standing in his garden.
- KevonA who yuh?Who are you?
- LatoyaMi a Latoya, de new neighbor.I am Latoya, the new neighbor.
- KevonOh, mi neva know.Oh, I didn't know.
- LatoyaNice fi meet yuh, Kevon.Nice to meet you, Kevon.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries a, yuh, CC BY-SA 4.0.
