Olúkùmí
/ō.lú.kù.mí/noun
Olúkùmí is a Yoruba ethnonym and the name of a Yoruba-speaking community in southwestern Nigeria, also associated with a related diaspora identity.
Did you know?In Cuba, the related form Lucumí became associated with Yoruba-derived ritual language, worship, and the religious tradition commonly called Santería or Regla de Ocha.
Etymological Timeline
Precolonial period
Yoruba
olúkùmí
“A self-designation traditionally interpreted as “my friend”; the precise historical development is debated.”
18th–19th Century
Yoruba diaspora
olúkùmí
“A name associated with Yoruba-speaking captives and communities transported to the Americas.”
19th Century
Cuban Spanish
lucumí
“A term for Yoruba people, their language, and aspects of their religious culture in Cuba.”
19th–20th Century
Afro-Cuban religious usage
lucumí
“The ritual and liturgical language used in Yoruba-derived Cuban religious traditions.”
Modern English
English
Olúkùmí / Lucumí
“A Yoruba community name and a term referring to Yoruba-derived language and religious culture in the Americas.”