Meaning
A tender term of address meaning 'my love' or 'my darling' — literally 'my heart', used to name the person one holds most dear rather than the physical organ. To call someone 'mi heart' is to place them at the very centre of one's affection, and it is spoken between lovers, and to a beloved child or dear one, with deep warmth. It is among the sweetest of the many Jamaican endearments, giving the whole heart in two words.
Examples
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Weh yuh deh, mi heart? Mi a wait pon yuh.
Where are you, my love? I am waiting for you.
'Mi' is the possessive; note the absence of a copula before 'deh' (there).
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Mi heart, nuh badda cry, everyting soon awright.
My darling, don't cry, everything will soon be alright.
Used to comfort a partner gently.
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A yuh a mi heart from mawnin till night.
You are my heart from morning until night.
The fronted 'A yuh' emphasises 'you' as the one who is beloved.
Origin
From English 'my heart', with the pronoun rendered as the Patois possessive 'mi'; the heart as the seat of love is a shared English idiom kept in Patois.
How it’s used
Intimate and sincere, used mostly between romantic partners and occasionally toward a beloved family member. Softer and more heartfelt than 'sweetheart', it would sound out of place in formal or joking speech.