It’s interesting that Cecil mentions that yams are rumored to lead to multiple births, and also says that they are in the genus Dioscura. Wasn’t Dioscuri another name for Castor and Pollux, the Gemini twins? Is that how yams got their scientific name? Cecil didn’t specifically note this relationship, but maybe he thought it was too obvious to bring up.
Good historical connection. Is there a biological explanation? I thought multiple births tended to run in families, unless yams contain natural fertility drugs. So much for expensive clinics. I did find the Cecil’s trend persuasive, though; multiple mentions of the Old Goat’s large genitalia, then seven foot yams (!), then twins.
I had thought that I had read something about yams being used to help fertility, but I can’t find anything on that right now . .
While we’re on the subject of mis-used terms for common grocery items, how about the whole cantaloupe thing. Apparently the Melon that we stupid Americans call a cantaloupe is no such thing. Anyone care to elaborate?
Jeff
Cecil’s awesome knowledge always dazzles me. It is thus with considerable reluctance that I have to point out a slight error in his Jamaican patois (technically Western Caribbean Creole English).
He states that ‘Oonu want fi nyam banana dem?’ is ‘You guys want to eat those bananas?’. That’s not quite right. The patois phrase translates literally ‘You (plural) want to eat bananas’ but is unidiomatic. It should be ‘Oonu wan’ fi nyam di banana dem?’ (‘Do you want to eat the bananas?’). The phrase Cecil was looking for was ‘Oonu wan’ fi nyam dem-deh banana?’ Which translates properly as ‘Do you guys want to eat those bananas?’.
As they say in Jamaica: ‘Ef yu doan watch out, dawg nyam yu suppa.’ (literally: ‘If you don’t watch out, a dog will eat your supper’, i.e., ‘If you don’t watch out you’ll be in trouble’).
On dioscorea, there’s actually a wide variety of yams, differing in colour and in taste. My own preference is for ‘afoo’ (which tastes most like white potatoes), though many people (out of perversity, I am sure) prefer ‘renta’.
As dem seh inna di patwa:
Walk good.
Fragano Ledgister
[[On dioscorea, there’s actually a wide variety of yams, differing in colour and in taste. My own preference is for ‘afoo’ (which tastes most like white potatoes), though many people (out of perversity, I am sure) prefer ‘renta’.]]
And the white potatoes are of course called “Irish.” (I say “banana dem” is correct for “those bananas”, btw…).
Jill
Jill:
‘Banana dem’ is ‘(the) bananas’ – ‘those bananas’ is ‘dem-deh banana’. My original comment had to do with the absence of the article ‘di’ (or ‘de’) from Cecil’s otherwise correct sentence – that rendered it unidiomatic.
And yes, the white potatoes are ‘Irish potatoes’ in Jamaica (plain ‘potatoes’ are ‘sweet potatoes’).
Mi nyam nuff banana inna fi mi time dung a Yard.
Fragano Ledgister
Fragano Ledgister
Last season’s fruit is eaten
And the fullfed beast shall kick the empty pail
[[‘Banana dem’ is ‘(the) bananas’ – ‘those bananas’ is ‘dem-deh banana’. My original comment had to do with the absence of the article ‘di’ (or ‘de’) from Cecil’s otherwise correct sentence – that rendered it unidiomatic.]]
Yu is right, fi true. At least the “de” should have been in there, and your version - dem deh - is probably a little better.
A weh yu frum?
Re: Jill’s last post.
I know we’ve taken this elsewhere, but I do want to add something that might be of general interest (and might be of help to Cecil in some future column).
The relationship of ‘nyam’ and ‘yam’ is more obvious in the Spanish of the Caribbean, than in Caribbean Creole English. The Spanish word for ‘yam’ is ‘ñame’, and black people in Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic use (or once used) the word ‘ñam’ to mean eat (see for example the Puerto Rican poet Luis Pales Matos’s poem ‘Ñam-ñam’).
Cheers,
Fragano Ledgister
Fragano Ledgister
Last season’s fruit is eaten
And the fullfed beast shall kick the empty pail
The word “nyam” means “eat” in the African tribal Twi language (in Ghana), too. Many Jamaican patois words (like “patoo” for owl) originate from Twi (waiting to be shot down by Fledgist, here).
Jill