Igziabeher

Igziabeher (Amharic: እግዚአብሔር /əgzi'abəher/) means literally "Lord of the Universe", i.e. God, in the Ethiopic or Ge'ez language, as well as modern Ethiosemitic languages including Amharic, the official language of Ethiopia.[1]

Igziabeher in Ge'ez is composed of `əgzi (Lord or ruler), plus a euphonic -'a added to the vowel to signify the possessive construct (i.e., "ruler of"), followed by bihier ("universe, expanse, nation"). Another, more generic Ethiopic word meaning "god" (including the deities of any other religion) is አምላክ (`amlak).

Igziabeher is also used within the Rastafari movement as a name of Jah (God). It may be heard in the reggae music of prominent artists such as Peter Tosh (who recorded a song named "Igziabeher (Let Jah Be Praised)" on his album Legalize It), The Abyssinians, Third World, and many others.

Notes and references

  1. AmharicDictionary. "God". SelamSoft. Retrieved 1 October 2013.
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