Meaning
A Jamaican of Chinese descent, or the Chinese-Jamaican community. It appears constantly in the everyday phrase 'Chiney shop' — the neighbourhood grocery, long a fixture of Jamaican life — and in 'Chiney-royal' for someone of mixed Chinese and Black heritage.
Examples
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Run go a di Chiney shop fi some bread.
Run to the Chinese shop for some bread.
'Chiney shop' is an everyday, neutral term for the corner grocery.
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Him a Chiney-royal, half Chinese half Black.
He's Chiney-royal, half Chinese and half Black.
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Di Chiney community deep inna Jamaica history.
The Chinese community runs deep in Jamaican history.
Origin
From 'China' / 'Chinese', reshaped in Jamaican pronunciation; the community grew from indentured and migrant labourers from the mid-1800s.
How it’s used
Usually neutral and descriptive in Jamaican use, especially 'Chiney shop'. As with any ethnic label, tone can make it reductive, so context matters.