Zemi
/ˈzeɪmi/noun
A sacred spirit, deity, or religious object of the Indigenous Taíno people of the Caribbean.
Did you know?Zemis were often carved or modeled figures, but the word could refer equally to the spirit represented, revealing a worldview in which sacred power could inhabit an object.
Etymological Timeline
Pre-Columbian Caribbean
Taíno
zemí
“A spirit, deity, or sacred presence; also an object representing or housing that power”
15th Century
Taíno
zemí
“A sacred being or ritual object encountered by Spanish chroniclers in the Caribbean”
1490s–16th Century
Spanish
cemí
“A Taíno idol, spirit, or sacred image, recorded in Spanish accounts”
19th Century
English
zemi
“An English anthropological form for a Taíno sacred object or deity”
Modern English
English
zemi
“A Taíno sacred spirit, deity, or ritual representation”
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