Orúnmìlà
/ɔ̀rúnmìlà/noun
A Yoruba divinity associated with wisdom, destiny, and the Ifá system of divination.
Did you know?In Yoruba religious tradition, Orúnmìlà is regarded as the witness of creation and the divine authority behind Ifá divination, whose verses preserve an immense oral archive of history and moral teaching.
Etymological Timeline
Precolonial Yoruba tradition
Yoruba
Ọ̀rúnmìlà
“The name of a major divinity connected with wisdom, destiny, and Ifá divination; its exact internal etymology is debated.”
18th–19th Century
Yoruba
Orúnmìlà
“A prominent name in Yoruba religious and oral traditions concerning the interpretation of destiny through Ifá.”
19th Century
English
Orunmila
“A transliterated form appearing in European descriptions of Yoruba religion and divination.”
20th Century
English
Orunmila
“An established spelling in English-language scholarship on Ifá, Yoruba religion, and African traditional religions.”
Modern English
English
Orúnmìlà
“A commonly used scholarly and religious form of the Yoruba name, retaining diacritics to reflect Yoruba pronunciation.”