Language

Rastas believe that their original African languages were stolen from them when they were taken into captivity as part of the slave trade, and that English is an imposed colonial language. Their remedy for this situation has been the creation of a modified vocabulary and dialect, reflecting their desire to take forward language and to confront the society they call Babylon.

Rastas have also changed some common words to reflect their beliefs. Some examples are:

• "I-tal" is derived from the word vital and is used to describe the diet of the movement which is taken mainly from Hebrew dietary laws.
• "Overstanding" replaces "understanding" to denote an enlightenment which places one in a better position.
• "Irie" (pronounced eye-ree) is a term used to denote acceptance, positive feelings, or to describe something that is good.
• "Livication" is substituted for the word "dedication" because Rastas associate ded-ication with death.
• "Downpression" is used in place of "oppression," the logic being that the pressure is being applied from a position of power to put down the victim.
• "Zion" is used to describe heaven or Ethiopia.
• One of the most distinctive modifications in "Iyaric" is the substitution of the pronoun "I-and-I" for other pronouns, usually the first person. "I", as used in the examples above, refers to Jah; therefore, "I-and-I" in the first person includes the presence of the divine within the individual. As "I-and-I" can also refer to "us," "them," or even "you," it is used as a practical linguistic rejection of the separation of the individual from the larger Rastafari community, and Jah himself.