Meaning
A Jamaican — one from 'the yard' (Jamaica), used especially of Jamaicans abroad in Britain and beyond. Among the diaspora it is a warm badge of home identity, but in British media the word took on a criminal, gangster connotation ('Yardie gangs') that Jamaicans often resent as a stereotype. Tone and setting decide its meaning.
Examples
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Him a true yardie, straight from Kingston.
He's a true Jamaican, straight from Kingston.
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Di yardie dem inna London keep di culture alive.
The Jamaicans in London keep the culture alive.
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Nuh badda wid di 'yardie gangsta' stereotype.
Don't buy into the 'Yardie gangster' stereotype.
Origin
From 'yaad' (yard = Jamaica/home); a Jamaican, esp. abroad. The criminal connotation came from British media, not Jamaican self-use. See [[yaad]], [[back-a-yaad]].
How it’s used
A Jamaican (esp. in the diaspora) — warm in-group, but media-stereotyped as 'gangster'. See [[yaad]], [[back-a-yaad]], [[farrin]].