Ashé
/ɑːˈʃeɪ/noun
A Yoruba concept meaning the power, authority, or life force by which something is brought into existence or made effective.
Did you know?In Yoruba religious traditions, àṣẹ is associated with the sacred efficacy of words, blessings, prayers, divination, and ritual action.
Etymological Timeline
Classical Yoruba
Yoruba
àṣẹ
“Authority, command, power, or the capacity to make things happen”
Precolonial Yoruba tradition
Yoruba
àṣẹ
“Sacred efficacy conveyed through speech, blessing, ritual, divine beings, and authorized persons”
19th Century
English accounts
ashe / asheh
“Transliterations used by English-speaking observers and writers for the Yoruba term àṣẹ”
20th Century
African American English
ashe
“A spiritual affirmation or blessing, especially in African diasporic religious and cultural contexts”
Modern English
English
ashé
“A term of affirmation invoking power, blessing, or the realization of an intention”