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Today it means

jollof

a popular West African dish of rice cooked in a spiced tomato sauce

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Where does the word "jollof" come from? It comes from Wolof Jolof, and was adopted directly into English (1900s).

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Where does the word "jollof" come from? It comes from Wolof Jolof, and was adopted directly into English (1900s).

Jollof’s story begins in Wolof: Jolof meant “the Jolof Empire.” Named for the historic Jolof Empire of West Africa. It reached English by 1900s as jollof. Named after the Wolof (Jolof) Empire of Senegal; Ghana and Nigeria famously argue over whose jollof is best. Today, jollof means a popular West African dish of rice cooked in a spiced tomato sauce.

  1. Stage 1 · Wolof · medieval Jolof "the Jolof Empire", named for the historic Jolof Empire of West Africa.
  2. Stage 2 · English · 1900s jollof "a spiced West African rice dish", named after the Wolof (Jolof) Empire of Senegal; Ghana and Nigeria famously argue over whose jollof is best.

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