Babalawo
/ˌbɑːbəˈlɑːwoʊ/noun
A Yoruba priest or diviner, especially one trained in Ifá divination.
Did you know?Babaláwo comes from Yoruba babá (“father”) + àwọ̀/àwò (“mystery, secret, divination”), and it names the specialist who interprets Ifá, one of West Africa’s most sophisticated systems of sacred knowledge.
Etymological Timeline
Yoruba
Yoruba
babaláwo
“a father-priest or diviner; an Ifá specialist”
Yoruba
Yoruba
babá + àwò
“father + secret, mystery, or divination”
Modern Yoruba religion
Yoruba
Babaláwo
“a priest of Ifá who consults sacred divination verses and signs”
Modern English
English
babalawo
“a Yoruba diviner or priest, especially in Ifá traditions”