Meaning
Tamarind — the sour brown pod fruit, and the many things made from it. Above all it names 'tambrin balls', the sweet-and-sour rolled treat. It also names a switch cut from the tamarind tree, once a common tool of discipline.
Senses
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noun The tamarind fruit, and especially the sweet-sour 'tambrin balls' made by rolling the pulp in sugar.
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Mi buy a bag a tambrin balls.
I bought a bag of tamarind balls.
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Di tambrin sour bad.
The tamarind is really sour.
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noun A switch cut from the tamarind tree, used to discipline children.
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Granny tek out di tambrin switch.
Grandma brought out the tamarind switch.
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Behave, before yuh feel di tambrin.
Behave, before you feel the switch.
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Origin
The Jamaican pronunciation of 'tamarind', from Arabic 'tamr hindi' (Indian date), the tree and fruit long naturalised in Jamaica.
How it’s used
The sweet 'tambrin balls' are a beloved treat; the 'tambrin switch' is a memory of old-time discipline. Same tree, two very different associations.
Gloss adapted from A Learner's Glossary of Jamaican, Open Grammar Project, licensed under CC BY 4.0. View the source work · CC BY 4.0