Jah

/dʒɑ/ noun

Definition

A name for God used in Rastafarianism and some Christian traditions, often shortened from Jehovah or Yahweh.

Etymology

From Hebrew 'Yah' or 'Jah,' a shortened form of the divine name 'Yahweh.' Adopted into Rastafarianism in Jamaica in the early 20th century as a way to express African spiritual identity and connection to Ethiopian Christianity.

Kelly Says

Jah became central to Rastafarian identity partly as a linguistic reclamation—enslaved Africans adopted the name to assert their own spiritual connection to God independent of European Christianity.

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