Odù
/ò.dù/noun
In Yoruba Ifá divination, an odù is one of the 256 sacred signs or textual configurations used to interpret a consultation.
Did you know?Each odù traditionally contains a vast body of verses, proverbs, myths, and ritual instructions preserved through generations of Yoruba oral tradition.
Etymological Timeline
Precolonial period
Yoruba
odù
“A sacred sign or configuration used within the Ifá divination system”
Precolonial period
Yoruba
odù Ifá
“An Ifá sign together with the oral verses and teachings associated with it”
19th Century
Yoruba
odù
“A recognized category in the established corpus of Yoruba divination knowledge”
20th Century
English
odu
“A sign or chapter of the Ifá divination corpus, especially in anthropological and religious writing”
Modern English
English
odù
“One of the 256 signs or textual configurations interpreted in Ifá divination”
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