Multicultural Toronto English (MTE) is a multi-ethnic dialect of Canadian English used primarily in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), particularly among young non-White (non-Anglo) working-class speakers. First studied in linguistics research of the late 2010s and early 2020s, the dialect is popularly recognized by its phonology and lexicon, commonly known as the Toronto accent and Toronto slang, respectively. It is a byproduct of the city's multiculturalism, generally associated with Millennial and Gen Z populations in ethnically diverse districts of Toronto. It is also spoken outside of the GTA, in cities such as Hamilton, Barrie, and Ottawa.
History
Linguists trace the origin of Toronto's slang and accent to Jamaican and Somali immigration to Toronto from the 1960s to the 1990s, positing that Toronto's multiethnolect formed as both immigrant groups coalesced into Black Canadian communities. Dialect linguists Laura Baxter and Jacqueline Peters put forward ethnic enclaves such as the Jane and Finch neighbourhood as centres of Black English usage in Toronto; they further argue that the number of loanwords from Jamaican Patois in the dialect demonstrates the linguistic "founder effect" of older and more populous Jamaican communities in these neighbourhoods influencing newer Black immigrants. The development of Toronto slang in Regent Park has been attributed by local journalists to cultural exchange between Jamaican, Somali, Guyanese, and Trinidadian immigrant communities.
Derek Denis, a linguist in the University of Toronto, posits that Somali has an outsized influence on MTE compared to other immigrant languages given the small proportion of Somali speakers in Toronto. He contends that Somali loanwords in MTE originated in Somali immigrant neighbourhoods in Rexdale, and diffused outward into broader Black communities in Toronto, including Jamaican communities. Linguists attribute the development of MTE to societal factors that isolated Black Canadians in Toronto from normative Canadian English, such as the division of Toronto into ethnic enclaves and barriers to socioeconomic mobility for Black Canadians. The popularity of local hip-hop in the GTA, as a counterpoint to the hegemonic influence of hip-hop from the United States, has also been put forward as a vehicle of MTE's diffusion within Black communities.
The adoption of Toronto slang by non-Black communities in the GTA has been attributed to the influence, consumption, and perceived "coolness" of Black culture in Toronto through hip-hop and social media. Schools have been cited as the first sites where Toronto slang diffused between youth, with proposed mechanisms being frequent face-to-face interaction between peers in a multicultural environment, or exposure to slang terms from social media. In 2000, native Toronto rapper Kardinal Offishall released his Billboard-charting single "BaKardi Slang"; it showcased a variety of the city's slang throughout the lyrics and is considered to have popularized T-dot as a nickname for Toronto.
Drake, who is deemed to have popularized the Toronto rap scene in the late 2000s and much of the 2010s, has been cited as the most "globally-visible and well-known representative" of multicultural Toronto speech. Somali rappers in Toronto such as Robin Banks of Driftwood, Top 5 of Lawrence Heights and Layla Hendryx have found local success by incorporating Toronto slang words of Somali origin into their lyrics. Non-mainstream media played a pivotal role in documenting the use and development of MTE, including the Instagram account 6ixBuzzTV and YouTube videos on Toronto slang. Furthermore, mainstream media outlets such as CP24 have featured and incorporated Toronto slang in their news reporting.
Phonology As in Standard Canadian English, this dialect features rhoticity, the Low Back Merger Shift, and fronting (led by women speakers). Canadian raising also still exists, though possibly less so than among Standard Canadian speakers.
The distinct accent features of Multicultural Toronto English include the vowel before a nasal consonant being unraised or only slightly raised and the vowel being monophthongal, both of which are "distinctly non-normative" in 21st-century Standard Canadian English; these are led by men in the Toronto area. Th-stopping is a variable feature, likely adopted from Jamaican Patois, for instance with such words as youth, thing, and them colloquially spelled as yute, ting, and dem.Bigelow, Lauren; Timothy Gadanidis; Lisa Schlegl; Pocholo Umbal, and Derek Denis. 2020. "Whyare wasteyutes a ting?" University of Pennsylvania Working Papers in Linguistics 26(2): Article 3.
Vocabulary
Here is a list of common vocabulary in Multicultural Toronto English:
Adjectives "A guy" (used to describe someone who is particularly dangerous or successful, similar to calling someone a "big shot"; not to be confused with "the guy" as both are distinct in their usage) "Amped/Gassed" (to be energetic or excited about something) "Babyfood" (used to describe something as easy) "Bare" (very/a lot/many) [originates from Jamaican Patois] "Beat" (something that looks ugly, can be used to describe an object or person) "Beg" (someone trying to get attention in a pitiful way, similar to being “extra”) [Often used in a playful manner] "Bent" (describes an individual who is upset) "Blem" (describes an individual who is high or intoxicated) [originates from Jamaican Patois] "Cheesed" (pissed, mad, angry) "Certi" (something or someone that is important or of high quality; short for "certified") "Dess" (short for desperate, can also describe something as pitiful) "Deezed" (describes an individual as muscular and strong) "Dutty" (dirty, bad, ugly) [originates from Jamaican Patois] "Dry" (uncool, lame, boring, uninteresting) "Fried" (describes an individual who is high or intoxicated) "Greezy" (something impressive or attractive in a fashionable use) "Likkle" (small, little) [originates from Jamaican Patois] "Live" (used to describe something as lively or exciting, usually an approval or endorsement of an event's atmosphere) "Marved" (hungry, starving) "Merked" (ugly, unattractive) "Miskeen" (pathetic, or poor - frequently used referring to someone who is "civilian" and "innocent," not involved in any crime) [originates from Arabic] "Mod" (crazy, originates from Jamaican Patois) "Moshup" (something that is ruined, messed up or botched, commonly used to indicate a situation has gone away) [originates from Jamaican Patois] "Neatly" (used to emphasize the quality or manner in which an action will be carried out) "Next" (describes something other than what is currently discussed, often emphasizing a disregard or need for an alternative) "Namebrand" (something that is important or of high quality, usually used to describe an individual) "Peng" (describes a person who is attractive) [originates from Jamaican Patois] "Pisst" (describes someone as angry, fired up, or moving with intense energy; distinct from "pissed" through pronunciation and usage) "Proper" (describes something as legitimate or done right) "Quick times" (for something to be done quickly) "Soft" (describes something that is permissible and does not require worry) [originates from Jamaican Patois] "Sick" (used to describe someone who is particularly dangerous or gangster) "Sweeterman/Sweeter-ting” (an attractive person) "Vexxed" (annoyed, upset or irritated) [originates from Jamaican Patois] "Wossy" (something crazy or unusual, usually describing the actions of a person) [originates from Jamaican Patois] "Waste" (describes something as undesirable or dissatisfying) [originates from Jamaican Patois]
Interjections "Abaay, Abaay" (an expression of surprise, similar to "oh my god") [originates from Somali] "Ahlie" (expression to agree with something or "am I lying?") [originates from Jamaican Patois] "Are you dumb?" (to describe someone who behaves stupidly and completely idiotically) "B" (short for "bro") [originates from Jamaican Patois] "Bless up!" (expression of greeting or farewell) [originates from Jamaican Patois] "Dun Know/dunno" (replaces "you already know," "of course," or "I know", and also used as a farewell) [originates from Jamaican Patois] "Eediat ting" (can refer to an event or action that was stupid or embarrassing to the point of disbelief) [originates from Jamaican Patois] "Fend that" (instructing someone to defend themselves, or respond to confrontation) "Fiyah/Fire" (used to refer to a homosexual individual or action) [originates from Jamaican Patois] "Haye, haye" (an adlib that directly translates to "okay, okay" or "alright, alright") [originates from Somali] "Holy!" (pronounced 'holay' and used as an expression of surprise) "Say honest?/say word?" (used to rhetorically emphasize honesty, truth or sincerity, similar to "You serious?" or "Really?") "Soobax" (directly translates to "come outside" or "lets go") [originates from Somali] "Swrong" (short for "what's wrong", typically used in phrases like "swrong with him?") "Gwan easy" (telling someone to "take it easy", or "calm down") [originates from Jamaican Patois] "Inshallah" ("If God wills it") [originates from Arabic] "Jheez" (used to express surprise, excitement or support) "Jokes!" ("that's jokes!", compliments something funny or hilarious) "Khallas" (signifies that something is finished, completed or done) [originates from Arabic] "Mashallah" (used to congratulate someone) [originates from Arabic] "Nyeah eh" ("yeah eh?" or "oh really?", used in a hostile tone) "More life" (used to wish someone good will, most commonly used to replace "happy birthday") [originates from Jamaican Patois] "Nize it/nize that" (to tell someone to shut up or stop talking) "Say less/say no more/don't say a word" (used to enthusiastically or supportively agree to a demand, request, or suggestion) "Seen/Zeen" (A way of saying “got it” or “understood”) [originates from Jamaican Patois] "Top left" (used to emphasize the truth or sincerity of a statement, similar to "I swear" or "I promise") "Wagwan" (an equivalent greeting to "what's up" or "what's going on?") [originates from Jamaican Patois] "Wallahi" ("I swear to God") [originates from Arabic] "Warya" (used to address a man directly, or get his attention) [originates from Somali] "What're you sayin?" ("what you up to?" used as an expression of greeting) [originates from Jamaican Patois] "Y-pree" (used to tell someone to mind their own business or asking them what they're up to) [originates from Jamaican Patois]
Pronouns "Mans" or sometimes "man-dem" (I/me/you/people; first-person singular is the most notable usage) [originates from Jamaican Patois] Mans in 21st-century Toronto English has gained special attention in being applied as a variety of personal pronouns, including (most notably) as a first-person singular pronoun (like I or me), a second-person singular pronoun (like you), or an indefinite pronoun (similar to people or folks). A plural-conjugated verb is required with the use of mans; for example: "Mans are ready" can mean "I am ready", "you are ready", or "we are ready". "What are mans saying?" can mean "What am I saying?", "What are you saying?", or "What are we saying?". The similar usage of man as a pronoun is common in Multicultural London English (MLE), but mans as a singular pronoun is exclusively Torontonian; the two terms likely developed in parallel timeframes, but not with one dialect directly affecting the other.Derek, 2016, p. 8. It is likely that both usages ultimately come from man with a Jamaican Patois or other Caribbean Creole origin, though no Creole uses mans in this exact way. The process of this pronoun emerging from the original noun, man(s), has been happening in Toronto since roughly 2005 to the present.Derek, 2016, p. 4. "Them/dem-mans/man-dem" (them) "Us mans" (we) "You mans" (you, plural)