Meaning
Ought not to; shouldn't; must not — a contraction of 'not fi' (not to). 'Yuh nuffi do dat' means you shouldn't do that, and 'him nuffi deh deh' is he ought not to be there. It expresses that something is improper, unwise, or forbidden, the negative counterpart of 'fi' (to, for, should), and it is among the small but essential grammatical words of the language. To tell someone 'yuh nuffi' is to warn them off a thing as wrong or ill-advised, plainly and firmly.
Examples
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Yuh nuffi talk to yuh madda suh.
You shouldn't talk to your mother like that.
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Him nuffi did tek it widout asking.
He shouldn't have taken it without asking.
-
Wi nuffi lef di pickney alone.
We mustn't leave the child alone.
Origin
A contraction of 'not fi' (not to) → 'nuffi'; the negative of the obligation/purpose particle 'fi'.
How it’s used
Means 'ought not to / shouldn't'. The negative counterpart of 'fi'. Distinct from 'nuff' (plenty). See [[fi]], [[nuff]].