This has been moved to English YOBA Poem, and may not be updated after 1 December 2023. See YOBA Poem Translations for other languages.
ARAY YOBA poem
Hey, have you heard about the new
word a lick; “yoba“; Your behaviour or attitudes. This is a pronoun used instead of “you” or your. It could also be spelt youba or yourba, but I like Y O B A. It is used to imply positivity, poking fun, lightening the mood, broadening perspectives and seeking to avoid conflict.
The plural is ” theirba” for their Behaviour or attitudes. Generally”ba” can be used as a pronoun suffix, just add to the end of any pronoun. Other constructs can include myba, hisba, herba, ourba etc. Or to be gender neutral themba. Caribbean creole and patois could include I&IBA, unnoba, imba, demba and even sheba.
But stop, YOBA is an international concept. Par example, En Francaise: Votre Comportement ou Attitude. VotreCA, NotreCA, MonCA et SonCA.
Such a concept is required because in the modern world people are sensitive to criticism, negativity or reputational damage perceived as directed at them. You is very difficult to change, whereas behaviour and attitudes are continuously evolving
So mi a beg you a little favour. Du use the “ba” construct when writing. Especially on the internet. Ensure yoba spread far and wide so that it becomes a new word added to the Oxford English dictionary. It will be so cool, that a guy from Jamaica who was very bad at spelling could get a new word in the Oxford English dictionary. At primary school I used to “saw board”. Stand on one leg, and hold up the other leg and an ear with opposite hands. (At the Notting Hill Carnival I was told by a youngish Nigerian guy they used to be punished like that in Nigeria. Perhaps Sawing Board originated in Africa). Never in my born days could I imagine getting a new word in the Oxford English dictionary. But you a go mek it happen. Don’t it. Mi a beg you dat little favour.
No bad boy Johnny. It’s not your backside. Your backside stink might be true, but your backside sucks don’t work. And you know if you talk about her backside fight a go bruk out. It is your behaviour and attitudes. I suppose your behaviour, attitudes and actions, yobaa could work, but you start to sound like a sheep or lawyer then.
Derived from “What we can learn from Will Smith slapping Chris Rock at the Oscars”. (see https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/are-we-done-fighting/202203/humor-and-humiliation )
Now who could have imagined such a good thing would come out of that big slap. Aray and you mek it.
By Aray 5 May 2022
Video available on apple music, Vevo, Amazon Music, Tidal.
Amazon Music
https://www.amazon.co.uk/music/player/albums/B0B112BR6M
Apple Music
https://music.apple.com/gb/album/aray-yoba-poem-single/1623419119
QUB Musique
https://www.qub.ca/musique/album/aray-yoba-poem-jognsrm49uf8b
Tidal
https://tidal.com/browse/album/228214414
Google “Aray Yoba Poem”
Music available on many sites.
The article Humor and Humiliation. What we can learn from Will Smith slapping Chris Rock at the Oscars. Posted March 30, 2022 on psychology today.
https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/are-we-done-fighting/202203/humor-and-humiliation