| 释义 |
irie, a. and adv. and int. orig. and chiefly Jamaican.
Brit. |ˈʌɪri|, U.S. |ˈaɪri|, Jamaican |ˈaɪri|
Forms: 19– irey, 19– Irey, 19– I-rey, 19– irie, 19– Irie, 19– I-rie, 19– Iry
[Origin uncertain and disputed.
The word has been explained variously as an alteration of 19th cent. Jamaican English eerie hearty, ‘buckish’ (see P. A. Roberts West Indians & their Lang. (1988) 40–41), as an alteration of free adj. after Rastafarian English I- (see V. Pollard in M. Görlach & J. A. Holm Focus on Caribbean (1986) 164), and as representing a Jamaican pronunciation of all right n. and adj. or all right at right adj. 14c.]
A. adj. and adv. Great, fine, all right; pleasing to the senses; powerful. Also occas. as adv.: well, positively.
1978Gleaner (Kingston, Jamaica) 16 July 23/9 Horace wasn't prepared to leave his wife for Ruby, but..the idea of another woman on the side was both irey and roots. 1980M. Thelwell Harder they Come xiii. 280 ‘How dat soun'?’ ‘It soun' irie, go on, nuh.’ 1983G. Tate in Village Voice (N.Y.) 15 Mar. 34/1 I'm feeling Irie so I am cool. 1989Newsday (Nexis) 30 Dec. ii. 17 If you smoked ‘sensi, you can rock irie’, she rapped, and the crowd exploded. 1999Jamaica Observer (Electronic ed.) 15 July The jerk sandwich does not look really appealing and if truth be told the food is not at all ‘irie’. 2004Q Sept. 77/3 Beenie Man on Reggae. 20 songs that make him feel irie.
B. int. Expressing approval, positivity, good wishes, or brotherhood. Also used (esp. among Rastafarians) as a greeting or farewell.
1980M. Thelwell Harder they Come (1996) xiv. 293 He heard murmurs of approval and even cries of ‘Irie!’ and ‘Gummy!’ 1988P. A. Roberts West Indians & their Lang. ii. 43 Interjecting expressions such as seen, sight is fairly general whereas love, I-rie.., yu no siit, Jah Rastafari still appear to require some implication or indication of Rastafarianism. 1995Select Mar. 8 Sabres Of Paradise carve the Native Tongues rappers up into their trademark techno skank. Irie! 1996R. Allsopp Dict. Caribbean Eng. Usage (at cited word), ‘See you later, dread..!’ ‘Irie!’ 1999A. Levy Fruit of Lemon 293 In Jamaica I could be anything. Irie. |