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Rastafarian

Rastafarian

3 8.3
Relating to the religion from Jamaica that believes Haile Selassie is holy
  • adjective
  • /ˌræstəˈfɛəriən/
: rastafari
  • He will relate his close encounter with the Rastafarian culture when he smuggles Bob Marley out of Kingston, Jamaica.
  • Rastafarian influence in reggae
  • Rastafarian faith
  • Rastafarian movement

Yeah, it's very wet under this fucking Rastafarian hat.

Examples

  • Marley was also a key proponent of the Rastafarian movement, bringing it into popular culture.

    Blog text (9)
  • Psalms provided a vehicle for the earliest musical expressions of Rastafarian culture and spirit.

    Academic text (2000)
  • Well, not long after, I was passing the evening with this Rastafarian bunch in a squat in Chelsea.

    Fiction book (2001)
  • In this case, the "Africa" central to Rastafarian Pan-Africanism has been symbolically dislodged.

    Academic text (1994)
  • And as the Rastafarian influence in reggae music grew and came to dominate in the 1970s, this obsession became crucially linked to the driving bass and drums of reggae "riddim."

    Academic text (1994)
  • The Rastafarian community celebrates Bob Marley's music as an essential part of their culture.

  • Many Rastafarian festivals feature vibrant displays of music and art, showcasing the movement's rich heritage.

  • During the ceremony, the Rastafarian leader spoke about the importance of peace and unity among all people.

Surface Forms

Rastafarian positive

Morphology

Rastafarian = Rastafari (transparent) = Rastafari + ian

Adjectival/demonymic formation from 'Rastafari' using the productive suffix '-ian', yielding 'relating to' or 'belonging to' Rastafari.

Etymology

The adjective Rastafarian comes from Ras 'chief' and Tafari and means the religion, culture, or style linked to Haile Selassie and the movement that began in Jamaica. So when something is Rastafarian, it is related to those beliefs or to people who follow them.