Ọ̀ṣun
/ɔ̀ʃũː/noun
Ọ̀ṣun is a Yoruba river, deity, and religious tradition associated especially with freshwater, fertility, love, and healing.
Did you know?The Osun-Osogbo Sacred Grove in Nigeria, devoted to Ọ̀ṣun, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and remains an active center of Yoruba religious practice.
Etymological Timeline
Precolonial Yoruba tradition
Yoruba
Ọ̀ṣun
“Name of a sacred river and feminine divinity associated with freshwater, fertility, love, and healing”
18th–19th Century
Yoruba
Òṣun
“Traditional Yoruba form used for the river and its associated deity”
19th Century
English
Oshun
“English-language rendering used in descriptions of Yoruba religion and the Osun River”
20th Century
English
Oshun
“Established English spelling in scholarship, anthropology, and discussions of African diasporic religions”
Modern English
English
Ọ̀ṣun
“Diacritically restored Yoruba spelling used in religious, cultural, and academic contexts”