Mi dawta
Also spelled: mi dawta, mi daughta, mi daata
Meaning
An affectionate term for a girlfriend, wife, or a woman held in warm regard; literally 'my daughter' but not used to mean an actual child in this romantic or endearing sense. It signals closeness and tenderness rather than any parental relationship.
Examples
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“Mi dawta, yuh look real nice tideh.”
My love, you look really nice today.
Used here as an affectionate address to a partner, not a child.
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“A weh mi dawta deh? Mi a wait pon har.”
Where is my woman? I'm waiting on her.
'A weh...deh' is the locative question with no copula; 'a wait' shows the continuous marker.
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“Mi dawta an mi a plan fi married nex year.”
My girl and I are planning to get married next year.
'a plan' = continuous; 'fi married' uses 'fi' for 'to'.
Origin
From English 'my daughter'. The word 'dawta' carries a broader affectionate sense in Patois and Rastafari speech, where it is a common respectful term for a woman.
How it's used
Warm and informal, said mostly by men to a female partner or by anyone to a woman as gentle endearment. In Rastafari usage 'dawta' respectfully denotes any woman. Do not confuse with the literal English 'daughter' — context tells them apart.