February is Black History Month in the USA and Canada. To celebrate, let’s look at how African languages have influenced our own.
Common Words with African Roots
Here are some popular English words and phrases with their origins in African languages:
1. Cola
The fizzy drink "cola" is about as American as a drink can be. This nut grows on kola trees in African rainforests.
2. Zombie
100 Years of Zombie Evolution in Pop Culture | Time Lapse Video
Zombies have been a big part of modern pop culture since Night of the Living Dead in 1968. You may also know that zombies are associated with Haitian folklore and voodoo. One possible source is the word zumbi from the Kongo language. A zombie is defined as:
- A will-less and speechless human (as in voodoo belief and in fictional stories) held to have died and been supernaturally reanimated.
- The supernatural power that according to voodoo belief may enter into and reanimate a dead body.
- A person held to resemble the so-called walking dead.
- A person markedly strange in appearance or behavior.
This ritual connection may then have spread to Haiti and rituals for reanimating the dead.
Read also: Decoding "Oloribu Omo Ofo Yoruba"
3. Ebony
“Ebony” is a very dense and dark hardwood. It is perhaps most associated with its use in black piano keys and other parts of musical instruments. This is because it has roots in the Ancient Egyptian word hbnj. Carved pieces have even been found in Egyptian tombs, indicating its long history of use. The word came to English via Latin and the Ancient Greek term ébenos.
4. Banjo
You might associate the sound of a banjo with folk and country music.
5. Other Words
Some also claim that “jazz” and “jive” have African origins. In light of this, Face2Face Africa has compiled some of these popular African words and phrases and their origins.
- gerenuk - from Somali.
- nitrogen - from the Egyptian language.
- Ujamaa - from Swahili, "fraternity".
- zebra - of unknown origin, recorded since c.
Additional Terms and Meanings
Here are a few more terms with their definitions:
- Juju: An object of superstitious homage and fear.
- Voodoo: A complicated often ritualistic observance with elaborate trappings.
- Mumbo jumbo:
- Complicated activity or language usually intended to obscure and confuse.
- Unnecessarily involved and incomprehensible language : GIBBERISH.
- Safari: The caravan and equipment of a hunting expedition especially in eastern Africa.
- Ubuntu: A quality that includes the essential human virtues; compassion and humanity.
Maybe you know of some other English words with roots in African languages? Let us know in the comments below!
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