Iman
pronoun EYE-man ˈaɪman
Also spelled: i-man, iyaman
Meaning
'I' or 'me', spoken by a Rastafari to refer to himself while affirming the divine 'I' within. It replaces 'me' with a form built on 'I', the sound Rastafari treat as the presence of Jah in the self.
Examples
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“Iman nah deal wid dat.”
I don't get involved with that.
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“Iman a trod mi own path.”
I am walking my own path.
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“Jah bless Iman an mi family.”
God bless me and my family.
Origin
From 'I' plus 'man', part of the same Iyaric logic as 'I and I': the self is named through the affirming sound 'I' rather than the object form 'me'.
How it's used
Closely related to 'I and I' but usually singular and self-referring. A marker of Rastafari speech.