Meaning
A young person — a boy or young man, and a warm term of address for one ('yes, youth', 'gwaan, mi youth'). It also means young people in general ('di youth dem'), and in Rastafari/conscious speech 'di youth' are the rising generation whose future and upliftment the culture cares deeply about.
Examples
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Gwaan, mi youth, mek yuh madda proud.
Go on, young man, make your mother proud.
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Di youth dem a di future.
The young people are the future.
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A bright youth dat, full a promise.
That's a bright young man, full of promise.
Origin
From 'youth' (pronounced 'yute', the 'th' hardened); a young person and a term of address, weighty in conscious-reggae talk of the rising generation.
How it’s used
A young person / term of address ('mi youth'); 'di youth dem' = the young generation. Compare 'son', 'pickney', 'bwoy'.