Saaka-saaka

adjective SAA-ka-SAA-ka ˈsaːka ˈsaːka

Also spelled saakka-saakka, saka-saka

Untidy, messy, disorderly, and all over the place — a close cousin of 'chaka-chaka'. A 'saaka-saaka' room is in complete disarray, and 'saaka-saaka' work is sloppy, careless, and badly done. The doubled, rattling sound of the word itself suggests things scattered and thrown together anyhow, and it is a common, expressive put-down for a lack of order and neatness, whether of a place, a piece of work, or the messy, hit-or-miss handling of an affair. Its very shape mimics the disorder it names.

  • Di whole room saaka-saaka.

    The whole room is in a mess.

  • Him do di work saaka-saaka.

    He did the work sloppily.

  • Nuh leave di place saaka-saaka.

    Don't leave the place in disarray.

A reduplicated sound-symbolic word for disorder, of African-derived pattern; a variant/cousin of 'chaka-chaka'.

Messy/disorderly/sloppy; near-synonym of 'chaka-chaka'. Compare 'dugu-dugu' (heavy/crude).