Fambly

noun FAM-bly ˈfambli

Also spelled fambily, family

Family — the Patois pronunciation of 'family'. It covers not only close blood relatives but the wide, reaching web of kin — aunts, cousins, grandparents, and the extended household — that is the backbone of Jamaican life, and it is used warmly, too, for very close friends who are 'like fambly'. In a culture where family ties, obligations, and the return to one's people run deep, 'mi fambly' names the circle of belonging one is born into and stands by.

  • Mi whole fambly a come fi Christmas.

    My whole family is coming for Christmas.

  • Yuh a mi fambly, mi will always deh fi yuh.

    You're my family, I'll always be there for you.

  • Big up di whole fambly.

    Salute to the whole family.

The Patois pronunciation of 'family', with a 'b' gliding in between the 'm' and 'l' (family → fam-b-ly).

Means both blood relatives and, warmly, close friends treated as kin.