Meaning
To go, move on, or make one's way to a place — and also to progress or advance. Unlike standard English, where 'forward' is mainly a direction, in Patois it works as a full verb of motion: 'mi soon forward' means I'll soon head over, and 'forward come' is come along. It carries the sense of setting off and moving toward a destination or a goal, and it belongs to the everyday vocabulary of coming and going, naming the act of making one's way onward to where one is bound.
Examples
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Mi soon forward come.
I'll come over soon.
A common way to say you are on your way; 'soon' softens it to 'shortly'.
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Wi a forward a di dance later.
We're heading to the dance later.
'a forward' uses the continuous marker 'a' before the verb.
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Forward come, di food ready.
Come along, the food is ready.
Used as an invitation to approach or join.
Origin
From English 'forward', but semantically broadened into a verb of movement in Jamaican usage, reinforced by Rastafari speech where 'forward' also carries a sense of upliftment.
How it’s used
Everyday and informal. Widely understood across generations. In Rasta contexts it can also mean spiritual progress, not just physical travel.