Rastafarian

Rastafarian
/ras'teuh fair"ee euhn, -fahr"-, rah'steuh-/, n.
1. a follower of Rastafarianism.
adj.
2. of, pertaining to, or characteristic of Rastafarianism or Rastafarians.
[ < Amharic ras täfäri Prince Tafari, the pre-coronation name of Haile Selassie (ras prince, orig., head; täfäri an Amharic personal name, lit., (one to be) feared, respected, prp. from passive s. färra (v.) fear, respect) + -AN]

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Member of a political and religious movement among blacks in Jamaica and several other countries.

Rastafarians worship Haile Selassie, considering him the messiah. They believe that blacks are the Israelites reincarnated, who have been subjected to the evil and inferior white race in divine punishment for their sins; they will eventually be redeemed by repatriation to Africa and will compel the whites to serve them. These beliefs, first enunciated in 1953, can be traced to several independent prophets, particularly Marcus Garvey. As the movement grew, ideas of repatriation tended to give way to either black militancy or mysticism. The Rastafarian life usually includes vegetarianism, the wearing of dreadlocks, and the smoking of marijuana.

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Universalium. 2010.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Rastafarian — 1953 (Rastafarite), from Rastafari, Jamaican religion built around writings of Marcus Garvey and belief that Haile Selassie (1892 1975), former emperor of Ethiopia, was God. From Ras Tafari, Selassie s title from 1916 to his accession in 1936,… …   Etymology dictionary

  • Rastafarian — ► ADJECTIVE ▪ relating to a religious movement of Jamaican origin holding that Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia was the Messiah and that blacks are the chosen people. ► NOUN ▪ a member of this movement. DERIVATIVES Rastafarianism noun. ORIGIN… …   English terms dictionary

  • Rastafarian — [ras′təras΄tə far′ē ən, räs΄tə fär′ē ən] n. [< Ras Tafari, earlier name of HAILE SELASSIE] a member of a Jamaican religious sect which holds that Haile Selassie was divine and a savior, that Ethiopia is Eden, and that blacks will eventually be …   English World dictionary

  • Rastafarian — [[t]ræ̱stəfe͟əriən[/t]] Rastafarians 1) N COUNT A Rastafarian is a member of a Jamaican religious group which considers Haile Selassie, the former Emperor of Ethiopia, to be God. Rastafarians often have long hair which they wear in a hairstyle… …   English dictionary

  • Rastafarian — UK [ˌræstəˈfeərɪən] / US [ˌræstəˈferɪən] noun [countable] Word forms Rastafarian : singular Rastafarian plural Rastafarians a member of a black religious group based in Jamaica that believes that West Indians will one day go back to Africa. Its… …   English dictionary

  • Rastafarian — noun Etymology: Ras Tafari, precoronation name of Haile Selassie Date: 1955 an adherent of Rastafarianism • Rastafarian adjective …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • Rastafarian — Ras|ta|fa|ri|an [ˌræstəˈfeəriən US ˈfer ] n [Date: 1900 2000; Origin: Ras Tafari, title of Haile Selassie (1892 1975), Emperor of Ethiopia] someone who believes in a religion that is popular in Jamaica, which has Haile Selassie as its religious… …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • Rastafarian — n. member of the Jamaican religion of Rastafarianism (aspires to freedom and equality of black people and holds that the Messiah is present) adj. pertaining to the Rastafarian religion (sect that originated in Jamaica) …   English contemporary dictionary

  • Rastafarian — noun (C) someone who believes in a religion that is popular in Jamaica, which has Haile Selassie as its religious leader, and has the belief that black West Indians will return to Africa Rastafarian adjective Rastafarianism noun (U) …   Longman dictionary of contemporary English

  • Rastafarian vocabulary — Rastafarian vocabulary, or Iyaric, is part of a created dialect of English. The adherents of Rastafari teachings believe that their original African languages were stolen from them when they were taken into captivity as part of the slave trade,… …   Wikipedia

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