Duppy
/ DUP-ee /Quick answer: Duppy (pronounced DUP-ee) is a ghost or spirit in Jamaican folklore.
What does Duppy mean?
A duppy is a ghost or spirit of the dead. Duppies are central to Jamaican folklore and many people still take them seriously — especially at night, near cotton trees, graveyards and lonely roads.
Where does Duppy come from?
The word is generally traced to West African languages; similar words for ‘ghost’ exist in several of them. Belief in the spirits of the dead came with enslaved Africans and blended with Christian ideas.
How to use Duppy
Folk tradition holds that a duppy can be kept away by salt, by not calling a name at night, and by the nine-night wake that helps a spirit settle. Famous duppies include the Rolling Calf, Ole Hige and the River Mumma. Bob Marley’s song Duppy Conqueror uses the word for someone fearless.
| Jamaican Patois | English |
|---|---|
| Nuh walk deh suh a night — duppy deh deh. | Don’t walk there at night — there are ghosts. |
| Duppy know who fi frighten. | Bullies know who to pick on. |
| Him run like him see duppy. | He ran like he saw a ghost. |
Other spellings
Because Patois is mostly spoken, spellings vary. You may also see: duppie.
Related Patois words
Rolling calf · Ole Hige · Duppy conqueror · Nine night
Frequently asked
What is a duppy?
A ghost or spirit of a dead person in Jamaican folklore.
What does ‘duppy know who fi frighten’ mean?
Bullies pick on people they think are weak.
Look up more words in the Jamaican Patois Dictionary, or see Duppy in the dictionary.