Ducta

noun DUC-ta ˈdʌkta

Also spelled doctor, dacta

A doctor — the Patois pronunciation of 'doctor', with the vowel rounded and the final 'r' vocalised to an 'a'. 'Go a di ducta' means go to the doctor, and 'di ducta seh' is the doctor says. The word shows the same worn-down sound as 'wata' (water) and 'liva' (liver), and it lives on, too, in 'doctor bird' (the national hummingbird) and 'doctor fish'. It does the plain everyday work of naming the physician, in the rounded, r-less form that Jamaican speech gives the word.

  • Yuh sick, go si di ducta.

    You're sick, go see the doctor.

  • Di ducta gi him medicine fi di cold.

    The doctor gave him medicine for the cold.

  • Wen bush medicine nuh work, go a ducta.

    When bush medicine doesn't work, go to the doctor.

The Patois pronunciation of 'doctor' (vowel rounded, final 'r' → 'a'). See also 'doctor bird'.

Means 'doctor'. Compare bush-medicine terms; see [[doctor-bird]], [[body-come-dung]].