Provisions
Also spelled: Provision, Grung provisions
Meaning
A collective term for starchy root vegetables and ground crops eaten as the heavy carbohydrate of a meal, such as yam, dasheen, coco, sweet potato and green banana. It differs from the general English 'provisions' (any food supplies), narrowing specifically to these local staples, often called 'ground provisions'.
Examples
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“Wi haffi bwile some provisions fi go wid di fish.”
We have to boil some ground provisions to go with the fish.
'Haffi' means 'have to'; provisions are the starch accompaniment to a protein.
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“Di higgler a sell nice provisions dung a market.”
The market vendor is selling nice ground provisions down at the market.
'A sell' is the continuous marker plus verb; 'dung a' means 'down at'.
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“Yam an green banana a mi favourite provisions.”
Yam and green banana are my favourite ground provisions.
Lists two typical items counted as provisions; 'a' links subject to complement.
Origin
From English 'provisions' meaning supplies of food. In Jamaica the meaning narrowed during the plantation era to the crops enslaved people grew on 'provision grounds' for their own subsistence.
How it's used
Everyday food vocabulary, usually used in the plural. Often expanded to 'ground provisions' or 'grung provisions' for clarity. Carries a quiet cultural weight tied to self-sufficiency and history.