Meaning
'I' / 'me' / 'myself' in Rastafari speech — a way of saying 'I' that stresses the speaker's whole conscious self. Rastafari 'I-ary' (Iyaric) speech exalts the 'I' sound as a mark of the divine within, so 'I-man' replaces 'me' to affirm dignity and selfhood.
Examples
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I-man nah deal wid dat wickedness.
I don't deal with that wickedness.
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I-man come inna peace an love.
I come in peace and love.
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A so I-man see it.
That's how I see it.
Origin
From Rastafari Iyaric, where the 'I' sound is elevated to signal the God-self within; 'I-man' replaces 'me' to affirm the speaker's full personhood. See [[ini]].
How it’s used
Rastafari speech; asserts dignity and selfhood. Closely tied to 'I and I' (InI). See [[ini]], [[rastafari-iyaric]].