japa

See also: ja·pa and japą

English

Alternative forms

• JP (abbreviated)
• jakpa

Etymology

Borrowed from Yoruba jápa and Nigerian Pidgin japa.

Pronunciation

• (Nigeria) IPA^(key): /d͡ʒá.k͡pā/

Verb

japa (third-person singular simple present japas, present participle japaing, simple past and past participle japaed or japa'd)

1. (Nigeria, colloquial) to emigrate from a country for better pay or working conditions.
   • 2023 February 27, Larry Madowo, Bethlehem Feleke, Fridah Okutoyi, “Nigeria's 'japa' trend: Halting exodus of talented Nigerians is a task for the next president.”, in CNN.com, retrieved 25 March 2023:
     • "I am japa-ing, leaving the country because of the opportunities that are available to me abroad."

Noun

japa (uncountable)

1. (Nigeria, colloquial) the emigration of Nigerians, usually for economic opportunities.

Nigerian Pidgin

Etymology

From Yoruba jápa.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /d͡ʒá.k͡pā/

Verb

japa

1. to relocate; to emigrate

Polish

Etymology

Uncertain. Possibly from German jappen, from German Low German gapen, from Middle Low German gāpen.

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /ˈja.pa/

• (Greater Poland):
  • (Chełmno-Dobrzyń) IPA^(key): /ˈja.pa/
• (Masovia):
  • (Far Masovian) IPA^(key): /ˈja.pa/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -apa
• Syllabification: ja‧pa

Noun

japa f

1. (colloquial, derogatory) human face
2. (colloquial or dialectal, Far Masovian, derogatory) human mouth
   1. (Chełmno-Dobrzyń, humorous) open mouth

Declension

Declension of japa

	singular	plural
nominative	japa	japy
genitive	japy	jap
dative	japie	japom
accusative	japę	japy
instrumental	japą	japami
locative	japie	japach
vocative	japo	japy

Interjection

japa

1. (derogatory) shut up!

Further reading

• japa in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
• japa in Polish dictionaries at PWN
• Antoni Krasnowolski (1879) “japa”, in Album uczącéj się młodzieży polskiéj poświęcone Józefowi Ignacemu Kraszewskiemu z powodu jubileuszu jego pięćdziesięcioletniéj działalności literackiéj (in Polish), Lviv: Czytelni Akademickiéj Lwowskiéj; "Gaz. Narod." J. Dobrzańskiego i K. Gromana, Słowniczek prowincjalizmów zebranych w ziemi chełmińskiej i świeckiej, page 303
• Wojciech Grzegorzewicz (1894) “japa”, in Sprawozdania Komisji Językowej Akademii Umiejętności (in Polish), volume 5, Krakow: Akademia Umiejętności, page 109

Portuguese

Etymology

From japonês (“Japanese”) or Japão (“Japan”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈʒa.pɐ/

• Hyphenation: ja‧pa

Noun

japa m or f by sense (plural japas)

1. (Brazil, colloquial, sometimes derogatory) a person from Japan or of Japanese descent

Adjective

japa m or f (plural japas)

1. (Brazil, colloquial, sometimes derogatory) from Japan or of Japanese descent

Derived terms

• japinha (two-gender diminutive)
• japona (feminine augmentative)

Spanish

Noun

japa f (plural japas)

1. female equivalent of japo

Yoruba

FWOTD – 6 August 2024

Alternative forms

• já pa

Etymology

From já (“to dart, dash”) +‎ pa (“intensifier”). Slang term likely popularised by Naira Marley’s 2018 song, Japa.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /d͡ʒá.k͡pā/

Verb

jápa

1. to run away, to flee

   Synonyms: sá lọ, júbà ehoro, họ, na pápá bora, fẹsẹ̀ fẹ́ẹ, sá

   • 2018, Naira Marley (lyrics and music), “Japa”‎^[1], 0:52–1:08:

     Jápa jápa, jápa lọ London // Jápa jápa, já wọ Canada // Jápa jápa, já wọ Chicago // Jápa jápa, já lọ sí Africa

     Japa japa, japa to London // Japa japa, flee to Canada // Japa japa, flee to Chicago // Japa japa, flee to Africa.

2. (colloquial) to japa; to emigrate from a country, typically for better pay or working conditions. [from late 2010s]

   Wọ́n fẹ́ jápa. ― They want to relocate.

   • 2022 November 29, “Ẹ̀yin tí ẹ̀ ń jápa ẹ ṣọ́ra kí wọ́n má baà jà yín ní olè – Lai Mohammed [You who are emigrating, be careful to not get robbed - Lai Mohammed]”, in BBC Yorùbá‎^[2]:

Descendants

• → English: japa
• → Nigerian Pidgin: japa