Meaning
The umbilical cord — but far more than a body part in Jamaican culture. Traditionally a baby's navel string is buried and a tree (often a breadfruit or coconut) planted over it, tying the child forever to that spot. 'Where yuh navel string bury' means your true home, birthplace, and roots — a powerful expression of belonging and identity.
Examples
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A right yah so mi navel string bury.
This very place is where my roots are (where I'm truly from).
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Dem plant a breadfruit tree ova di baby navel string.
They planted a breadfruit tree over the baby's buried cord.
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Him gaan a farrin but him navel string deh a Jamaica.
He's gone abroad but his roots are in Jamaica.
Origin
From 'navel' + 'string'; the umbilical cord, tied to the burial-and-tree custom of rooting a child to their birthplace. See [[yaad]], [[foreparents]].
How it’s used
The umbilical cord; 'where yuh navel string bury' = your true home/roots. See [[yaad]], [[foreparents]].