Ananse
/əˈnænsi/noun
A spider trickster figure in Akan and wider West African folklore, also known as Anansi.
Did you know?In Akan tradition, Ananse is often linked with Nyame, the sky god, in stories explaining how wisdom and storytelling became available to humanity.
Etymological Timeline
Precolonial period
Akan
ananse
“Spider; a spider-associated trickster figure”
18th–19th Century
Twi
Ananse
“Akan folklore character portrayed as clever, deceptive, and verbally powerful”
19th Century
English
Anansi
“A borrowed name for the West African spider trickster, especially in Caribbean storytelling”
20th Century
Caribbean English
Anancy
“A folkloric spider hero and trickster in Jamaica and other Caribbean traditions”
Modern English
English
Ananse
“A variant spelling used in English-language writing about Akan folklore and the African diaspora”
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