Osun
/ˈoʊ.ʃuːn/noun
Osun is a Yoruba river goddess and the name of a major river and state in southwestern Nigeria.
Did you know?At the Osun-Osogbo Sacred Grove in Nigeria, devotees still honor Osun in an annual festival recognized by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage.
Etymological Timeline
Precolonial Yoruba tradition
Yoruba
Ọ̀ṣun
“A divinity associated with the Osun River, fertility, healing, beauty, and fresh water”
Before the 19th century
Yoruba
Odò Ọ̀ṣun
“The Osun River; odò means “river” in Yoruba”
19th Century
English
Oshun / Osun
“English renderings of the Yoruba goddess and river name in missionary, travel, and ethnographic writing”
20th Century
English
Osun-Osogbo
“The sacred grove and cultural center devoted to Osun near the city of Osogbo”
1967
English
Osun State
“A state of Nigeria named after the river”
Modern English
English
Osun
“A proper name referring to the Yoruba deity, river, state, or associated cultural traditions”