Meaning
The everyday Jamaican greeting — literally 'what's going on?' It works both as a genuine question and as a casual hello, exactly the way English speakers use 'what's up?' without always expecting a real answer. The most widely known of all Jamaican greetings, spread far beyond the island, it opens countless conversations, and a reply might be 'nutten nah gwaan' (nothing much) or 'everyting cool'. Friendly and constant, it is the standard way to hail a person and ask, lightly, how things stand.
Examples
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Wah gwaan, mi bredda?
What's going on, my brother?
Standard friendly greeting between men who know each other.
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Wah gwaan wid yuh today?
What's going on with you today?
Here it is a real question rather than a passing hello.
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Mi seh wah gwaan, but him never answer.
I said what's up, but he never answered.
Origin
A contraction of English "what" and "going on", reshaped by Jamaican phonology: the 't' in "what" is dropped and "going on" collapses into a single stressed syllable, gwaan.
How it’s used
The most widely recognised Patois phrase outside Jamaica, largely through dancehall and the diaspora in London, Toronto and New York. A common reply is "mi deh yah" (I'm here / I'm alright). Casual — use with friends and peers rather than elders or formal settings.