Junjo

Meaning

Fungus in its everyday forms — mushroom, mould, or mildew. 'Junjo' covers the mushrooms that spring up overnight after rain, gathered by some for the pot, as well as the mould that creeps over damp bread, walls, shoes, and old food in the wet weather. Of West African origin, it is the plain, all-purpose Jamaican word for the whole family of fungus, and to say a thing has 'junjo' pon it is to say it has gone mouldy and spoiled with damp.

Examples

• Junjo a grow pon di bread.

  Mould is growing on the bread.

• Afta di rain, junjo spring up inna di yard.

  After the rain, mushrooms sprang up in the yard.

• Di wall full a junjo.

  The wall is covered in mildew.

Origin

From a West African language, one of many nature and food words retained in Jamaican from the languages of the enslaved.

How it’s used

Context tells you whether it means an edible mushroom or unwanted mould. Damp weather makes 'junjo' a common complaint.