Meaning
A call for attention or a casual greeting — 'hey!', 'yo!', 'listen up'. 'Yow, wah gwaan?' is a friendly 'hey, what's up?', while 'yow!' on its own flags someone down, opens a statement, or pulls a listener's ear to what is coming next. A staple of dancehall and street speech that has spread widely, it works to hail a friend, seize attention, or mark the start of a point, its exact force set by tone, from a warm greeting to a sharp summons.
Examples
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Yow, wah gwaan, mi bredda?
Hey, what's going on, my brother?
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Yow! Come yah likkle bit.
Hey! Come here for a moment.
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Yow, listen mi nuh.
Hey, listen to me, now.
Origin
An attention-getting call related to 'yo'; widely used in Jamaican and spread through dancehall and hip-hop.
How it’s used
Casual and friendly, for hailing someone or grabbing attention before speaking. Common at the start of a sentence.