dupi

English Definition

A ghost or spirit of the dead; an apparition.

Patois Definition

Likkle dupi weh walk bout a nait.

Literal Translation

ghost

Etymology

• Akan/Ga · dupi — ghost, spirit

Cultural Context

Central to Jamaican folk belief systems with West African retentions. Appears across mento, ska, and dancehall narrative traditions as a storytelling device for moral and supernatural themes.

Examples

• "Dem seh a dupi live inna di old house."

  They say a ghost lives in the old house.

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