fenneh

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Jamaican Creole

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Alternative forms

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Etymology

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From Akan (to vomit) and Akan (to cack).[1]

Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): /ˌfɛˈnɛ/
  • Hyphenation: fe‧nneh

Verb

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fenneh

  1. to become sick; to feel faint; to be in distress; to be in pain[2]
    'Tap ramp wid di dawg. If 'im bite yuh, yuh fenneh!
    Stop teasing the dog. If he bites you, you'll be sorry!
    (literally, “you'll be in a lot of pain”)
    Di gyal pretty yuh fenneh.
    She's incredibly beautiful.
    (literally, “The girl is so pretty, you'd faint.”)

Usage notes

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Often used as a conditional statement: If ..., ... fenneh.

References

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  1. ^ Frederic G. Cassidy, Robert Brock Le Page (2002) Dictionary of Jamaican English (in English), →ISBN, page 175:fene /féne/ vb dial; cf Twi , to vomit, , to cack, m-fènáŋ, bile thrown up from the stomach; Fante fenā, to be troubled []
  2. ^ Frederic G. Cassidy, Robert Brock Le Page (2002) Dictionary of Jamaican English (in English), →ISBN, page 175:To feel direct physical illness and show its effects: to vomit, to faint. []