Meaning
A smuggler — one who moves goods, and especially contraband, illicitly past customs and borders, from ganja to guns to duty-free goods. The Patois form of 'smuggler', the word belongs to the world of the underground trade, and the 'smuggla' features in dancehall's tales of the hustle, the risk, and the money of moving cargo outside the law. It names the trader who lives by evading the authorities, a figure both feared and, in the music's telling, sometimes admired for his nerve and his gains.
Examples
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Di smuggla move di goods pass customs.
The smuggler moved the goods past customs.
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Coastguard a look fi di smuggla dem.
The coastguard is looking for the smugglers.
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Him turn smuggla fi quick money.
He turned smuggler for quick money.
Origin
The Patois pronunciation of 'smuggler' (final 'r' vocalised).
How it’s used
A smuggler of contraband; a dancehall/underground-economy figure. Compare 'pusha', 'scamma', 'shotta'.