Meaning
An expression of sympathy and comfort — 'sorry', 'there there', 'my condolences'. Crucially, in Jamaican 'hush' does not mean 'be quiet': you say it to soothe someone who is hurt, grieving, sick, or going through hard times, offering them warmth and fellow-feeling. 'Hush, mi dear' comforts a person in pain or sorrow, and to hush someone is to stand with them in their trouble. It is one of the most caring words in the language, a small, tender kindness offered to the suffering.
Examples
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Hush, everyting a go be alright.
There there, everything is going to be alright.
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Mi hear yuh sick — hush, mi bredda.
I heard you're ill — sorry to hear that, my brother.
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Hush, mi know it hard.
I'm sorry, I know it's hard.
Origin
From English 'hush' (to soothe), but narrowed in Jamaican to a word of sympathy and comfort rather than a command for silence.
How it’s used
A frequent source of confusion for outsiders: 'hush' here is warm and consoling, never 'shut up'. Offered at bad news, loss, or pain.