Rastas developed the King’s Iyaric, a language with nuanced differences from British English, which is regarded as ‘Babylon’ culture. Rastas speak a patois, an African rhythm incorporating English language, and is difficult for the white ear to readily distinguish.
"I"
replaces me, you, mine, ours, and us. Rastas affirm “I and I”, leaving no separation in the identity of things. “Me” is felt to turn the person into an object, whereas “I” is about the individual. “I” also shows a personal relationship to God.
“I and I”
is, according to Rastafarian scholar E. E. Cashmore, “an expression to totalize the concept of oneness, the oneness of two persons. So God is within all of us and we’re one people, in fact.” The term is often used in place of ‘you and I’ or ‘we’ among Rastafarians, implying that both persons are united under the love of Jah.
Livity is a life that is natural and earth loving.
Babylon
is the corrupt world of materialism, white man’s rule, the system.
Zion
is the perfect world of balance, individual rights and dignity.
Irie
means positive emotions and peaceful vibrations. Irator replaces “creator”. Idren or Bredren and Sistren refer to the oneness of Rastafarians and are used to describe one’s peers (male “bredren”, female “sistren”).
The dreadlocks
Rastas wear are related to the fear of the Lord, as well as the fear locksmen inspired in the early stages of the movement.
Polytricks
is a Rasta term replacing English “politics”, because so many politicians, etc. turn out, they say, to be more like tricksters.
Red
literally means stoned, or under the influence of cannabis due to reddening of the eyes being a side effect of being under the influence.
Downpression
replaces “oppression”, because oppression holds man down instead of keeping him up (pronounced “op” in Jamaican patois.) Similarly “downgression” equals “violence” (from aggression).
Overstanding
(also “innerstanding”) replaces “understanding”, referring to enlightenment that raises one’s consciousness
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