Meaning
A starchy edible tuber — a cornerstone 'ground provision' in Jamaican cooking, boiled and served with saltfish, soups, and stews. Yellow yam, white yam, and yampi are common types. St. Elizabeth is famed for its yam. (Note: 'nyam', a separate word, means to eat.)
Examples
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Bwile some yam fi go wid di mackerel.
Boil some yam to go with the mackerel.
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Yellow yam a di sweetest fi mi.
Yellow yam is the sweetest to me.
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Country people grow dem own yam.
Country people grow their own yam.
Origin
From a West African word (compare Fula 'nyami'); the tuber and its name both crossed with the enslaved. Do not confuse with 'nyam' (to eat).
How it’s used
A staple ground provision. Distinguish from [[nyam]] (to eat), a look-alike but different word.