Patois developed in the 17th century when slaves from West and Central Africa were exposed to, learned, and nativized the vernacular and dialectal forms of English spoken by the slaveholders: British English, Scots, and Hiberno-English.

What did Jamaicans speak before patois?

Also called African English, the language of the Jamaican people began to develop in the 1600's in Jamaica with the slave trade—the mix of the European cultures and African created Creole (Gladwell 1994). The slaves were divided into groups deliberately without a common language to prevent revolt.

Is patois broken French?

Jamaican Patois Facts

Contrary to popular belief, Jamaican Patois is not “Broken English”. It is actually a combination of English, French, Various West African Languages, Spanish and many others. ... In Jamaica, it is called Patwa or Patwah.