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ENTITY · CONCEPT / TERM

Big up

Well supported

Jamaican dancehall expression of respect and acknowledgement, made from 'big yuself up', that spread through UK and US usage to become one of the most widely exported Caribbean contributions to English.

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At a glance

Confidence
Well supported
Sources
Oxford University Press blog; Dictionary of Jamaican English; dancehall documentation.

Coverage areas

Style, language, faith & wider cultureDiaspora & global influence

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Connections

In stories

Story · Well supportedWriting - and toasting - the Jamaican language

How Patois travelled from playground stigma to page, pulpit and microphone.

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Compiled and researched by The Jamaica Music Atlas music desk. The sources that informed it are credited above.

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