Squat

verb SQUAT skwɑt

Also spelled skwat, squat dung

To crouch down on the heels — 'squat dung' means to hunker down low, as country people do to rest, to cook over a coal fire, to wait by the roadside, or to talk a while. A common, comfortable resting posture in a land of hard ground and few chairs, squatting is a natural way to pause and pass the time. The word also stretches to settling somewhere temporarily, occupying a spot or a piece of land, and it belongs to the plain, physical vocabulary of everyday rural and yard life.

  • Him squat dung by di fire a roast breadfruit.

    He hunkered down by the fire roasting breadfruit.

  • Di man dem squat dung a play domino.

    The men crouched down playing dominoes.

  • Squat dung deh an wait fi mi.

    Crouch down there and wait for me.

From 'squat' (to crouch); a common resting and cooking posture in rural life.

To crouch/hunker down ('squat dung'); also to settle temporarily. Compare 'kotch'.