bata

Where does the word "bata" come from? It comes from Yoruba bàtá, passing through Spanish before entering English (1900s).

Bata’s story begins in Yoruba: bàtá meant “a sacred double-headed drum.” Named the hourglass-shaped, double-headed drum used in worship of Sàngó and other orisha. By 1800s, the word had taken hold in Spanish as batá. Carried to Cuba by enslaved Yoruba people and kept as a central instrument of Santería ritual. It reached English by 1900s as bata. Entered English through ethnomusicology and writing on Santería and Afro-Cuban music. Today, bata means a double-headed, hourglass-shaped drum of Yoruba origin, central to Santería ritual music.

1. Stage 1 · Yoruba · traditional bàtá "a sacred double-headed drum", named the hourglass-shaped, double-headed drum used in worship of Sàngó and other orisha.
2. Stage 2 · Spanish · 1800s batá "a sacred Santería ritual drum", carried to Cuba by enslaved Yoruba people and kept as a central instrument of Santería ritual.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1900s bata "a Yoruba-derived sacred drum", entered English through ethnomusicology and writing on Santería and Afro-Cuban music.