Meaning
To stand up, or to be standing — from 'tan' (stand, from 'stand') plus 'up'. 'Tan up deh' means stand there / stay put. It also means to be upright, firm, or at a standstill: something 'tan up' can be stalled or stuck, and a person who 'tan up firm' holds their ground. 'Tan up straight' tells someone to stand up straight.
Examples
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Tan up straight when yuh talk to di teacha.
Stand up straight when you talk to the teacher.
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Di car tan up inna di road, it nah start.
The car is stalled in the road; it won't start.
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Him tan up firm an nuh back down.
He stood firm and didn't back down.
Origin
From 'tan' (stand) + 'up'; to stand/be upright. See [[tan]], [[siddung]].
How it’s used
To stand up / be standing; also stalled or firm. See [[tan]], [[siddung]].