Axé
/aˈʃe/noun
A Brazilian term for spiritual energy or blessing, also referring to a popular music genre from Bahia.
Did you know?Axé comes from Yoruba religious language and names a sacred life-force believed to flow through people, objects, rituals, and the orixás.
Etymological Timeline
Before the 16th Century
Yoruba
àṣẹ
“Sacred power, authority, command, or the life-force through which words and rituals become effective”
16th–19th Century
Yoruba diaspora
àṣe / ashe
“A ritual expression of affirmation and spiritual efficacy in West African-derived religions”
19th Century
Brazilian Portuguese
axé
“Spiritual force, blessing, or sacred energy, especially in Afro-Brazilian religious contexts”
Late 20th Century
Brazilian Portuguese
música axé
“A popular music style that developed in Salvador, Bahia, blending Afro-Brazilian rhythms with Brazilian popular music”
Modern English
English
axé
“A loanword used for Afro-Brazilian spiritual energy, blessing, or the Brazilian music genre”