Baoulé
/baÊËleÉȘ/noun
A member of an Akan-speaking people of CĂŽte dâIvoire, or the language spoken by them.
Did you know?Baoulé oral tradition connects the name with Queen Abla Pokou, who supposedly sacrificed her child while fleeing across a river; the story is culturally important, but the linguistic derivation remains uncertain.
Etymological Timeline
Before the 18th Century
Akan
Baoulé
âThe ethnonym used for a major Akan people whose historical homeland is in present-day CĂŽte dâIvoire; its deeper linguistic derivation is uncertain.â
18th Century
Baoulé oral tradition
ba ou li
âOften interpreted in the Abla Pokou tradition as âthe child is dead,â referring to the queenâs alleged sacrifice during a river crossing; this is a traditional explanation rather than a securely established etymology.â
18th Century
French records
Baoulé
âThe name began appearing in European descriptions of peoples and regions in the interior of CĂŽte dâIvoire.â
19thâ20th Century
French
baoulé
âA standard French form for the people, their language, and their cultural region.â
Modern English
English
Baoulé
âAn established English proper noun referring to the BaoulĂ© people or their language.â