wagwan
Appearance
English
Etymology
Borrowed from Jamaican Creole wah gwan (literally “wha’ goi’ on”), a modified form of English what's going on.
Pronunciation
Interjection
wagwan
Usage notes
- It is used throughout the Jamaican diaspora, including in hip-hop culture and by reggae music fans. The standard response is nagwan / nuttin nah gwaan (“nothing is going on”).
Alternative forms
References
- Peckham, Aaron (2007). Mo' Urban Dictionary: Ridonkulous Street Slang Defined, page 223.
Further reading
- “wagwan, int.”, in OED Online , Oxford: Oxford University Press, launched 2000.
Categories:
- English terms borrowed from Jamaican Creole
- English terms derived from Jamaican Creole
- English terms borrowed back into English
- English 2-syllable words
- English terms with IPA pronunciation
- Rhymes:English/ɑːn
- Rhymes:English/ɑːn/2 syllables
- English lemmas
- English interjections
- Jamaican English
- Multicultural London English
- Multicultural Toronto English
- English slang
- English terms with quotations
- English greetings