Bax

Meaning

To hit, punch, or slap — usually a sharp blow with an open hand or fist, often landed suddenly. 'Bax him' is to strike him, and 'bax weh' is to knock something away with a swipe. It sits with 'cuff', 'tump', and 'lick' in the everyday vocabulary of blows, and a 'bax inna di face' is a slap or punch to the face. The word is quick and forceful, capturing the suddenness of the strike, and it turns up in threats, scoldings, and accounts of a fight.

Examples

• Nuh mek mi bax yuh.

  Don't make me slap you.

• Him bax di cup off a di table.

  He knocked the cup off the table.

• One bax an him drop.

  One punch and he went down.

Origin

From English 'box' (to strike with the fist), with the Jamaican vowel shift to 'bax'.

How it’s used

Refers to a sharp blow rather than a prolonged fight. Common in warnings and in dancehall lyrics.