What Does Wagwan Mean – Meaning, Origin & Usage
Have you ever been greeted with “wagwan” and been clueless as to what it means? If so, then this is the article for you. Here we will break down what it means and how the greeting originated.
Then we’ll cover how the term is used, with examples, and where it is used before explaining how to respond to the greeting. We’ll then touch on the cultural significance of the term, before detailing how the term has been used in media and pop culture, before wrapping up with other phrases in Multicultural London English (MLE).
And without further ado, let’s get straight to it.
Understanding the term “Wagwan”
The informal slang term “wagwan” is a greeting which is imitative of the Jamaican and Caribbean pronunciation of the phrase “what’s going on?”, which is exactly what it means.
It’s a casual greeting in youth and street culture and is interchangeable with phrases like “What’s up?” “What’s new?” or “How’s it going?”.
There are multiple different ways of writing or spelling out wagwan, including “wagwan”, “wha gwan” or “wa gwan”.
The Caribbean origin of the term “Wagwan”
The date of origin of the greeting “wagwan” is not known, however we can confirm that the term has been cited in print in the 1980’s and onwards in one form or another (as described earlier).
It originated as a Caribbean, especially Jamaican, greeting before it entered British Afro-Caribbean vernacular following the movement of people from Jamaica and the Caribbean to other English speaking countries, such as the UK and Canada.
So many Caribbean immigrants came to London England, and especially South London, after the second world war, that the primarily Jamaican term soon entered the lingo of Multicultural London English (MLE), a social dialect used by young Londoners with roots in Jamaican creole.
This Jamaican English term is also commonly used in Toronto as well, since there are many people of Jamaican heritage living there today.
How the term “Wagwan” is used in everyday conversation, and how to respond when someone asks “Wagwan”, with examples
The greeting “wagwan” can be spoken to initiate a conversation with someone, or it can be preceded with other greetings such as “hey”, “hey man/mus” or “hi”.
Since it’s such a casual and informal greeting, you should restrict using the term to people you already know, such as friends, family or acquaintances. It wouldn’t be appropriate to approach
Here are some examples of how the term can be used in everyday conversation, paired with examples of how to respond to the greeting:
Person 1: “Wagwan, girl? It’s great to see you again after so long!”
Person 2: “Hey girl! “Nagwan, it’s boring” (Nagwan means nothing’s going on.)
Person 1: “Hey wagwan, fam? Enjoy the party last week?”
Person 2: “Hey wagwan? Yeah, good times.”
Person 1: “Wagwan brother? Haven’t seen you for ages!”
Person 2: “Hey, nuttin, nagwan. You?” (Nuttin, nagwan means nothing, nothing’s going on.)
Person 1: “Wagwan, blud? You ready?” (blud means blood, which is slang for family)
Person 2: “Almost, just a second.”
Person 1: “Yo man! Wha gwan? It’s been a minute.
Person 2: “Hey man, it nuttin, nagwan.”
When is it ok to use the greeting “Wagwan”?
While anyone can use the greeting “wagwan”, it may come off as inappropriate in some cases. “Wagwan” is mostly used by working class youth in London, but most people agree that just saying the term is not considered cultural appropriation.
That said however, some people do think it’s a bit “try-hard” for a person completely outside of working class or street culture to say it. Also, since it’s so informal, it’s pretty much never appropriate to say in formal situations, such as when attending a job interview.
How the term “Wagwan” has been used in media and pop culture
The greeting “wagwan” has often come up in reggae music and in hip-hop lyrics, which has helped to make the term popular all over the world.
Additionally, the greeting has also been used in a genre of music called grime, which is a sub-genre of electronic dance music that emerged in London in the early noughties. It’s mostly through this that many people outside of London first heard the term “wagwan.”
Popular grime artists include Wiley, Lethal Bizzle, Cano, Dizzee Rascal, Stormzy, and Skepta.
That said however, for many people, their introduction to MLE slang terms like “wagwan” comes from the London-based TV series Top Boy, which is a gritty British drama that centers around street culture and gang-related crime in London. The series is very popular, highly acclaimed, helping to establish the slang term on a global level.
Other phrases in Multicultural London English (MLE)
Here are some other phrases in Multicultural London English (MLE), and what they mean:
- Blud: An alternative to “mate” that may come from “blood brother”
- Rude boy: Originally Jamaican slang for a bad man or someone who is hardened by the streets
- Oh my days: Used to indicate surprise
- Innit: For “isn’t it”
- Peng: Good or attractive
- Gassed: Full of oneself, or alternately overwhelmed
- Bare: Means “very” or “lots of”
- A wasteman: Someone of little worth
- Hench: Means strong-looking or muscular
- Ends: Neighborhood
Final word
So, in short, the greeting “wagwan” which can also be spelled “wa gwan” and “wha gwan” is imitative of the Jamaican pronunciation of “what’s going on” which is what it means.
The greeting originates from the Caribbean, especially Jamaica, and has spread to areas such as London, England, and Toronto, Canada, where it is often used by the Jamaican creole. The greeting grew in popularity during the 1980’s when it started to be used in print. Since then, the term has become part of Multicultural London English (MLE), a social dialect used by young Londoners with roots in Jamaican creole.
The term is mostly used in South London and Toronto, but has also been popularised through TV and music, specifically through the genres reggae, hip-hop, and grime.
