mojo

Where does the word "mojo" come from? It comes from Fula moco'o, passing through Gullah before entering English (1920s).

Mojo’s story begins in Fula: moco'o meant “a medicine man or spiritual healer.” Named a healer or medicine man and the charms he made. By 1700s-1800s, the word had taken hold in Gullah as moco. Carried across the Atlantic by enslaved Fula speakers and adapted in Gullah communities. It reached English by 1920s as mojo. Entered mainstream Black English and then jazz and blues slang. Today, mojo means a magic charm or spell; more broadly, one's personal magnetism, energy, or knack for success.

1. Stage 1 · Fula · long-standing moco'o "a medicine man or spiritual healer", named a healer or medicine man and the charms he made.
2. Stage 2 · Gullah · 1700s-1800s moco "witchcraft, magical power", carried across the Atlantic by enslaved Fula speakers and adapted in Gullah communities.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1920s mojo "a magic charm; personal magnetism or luck", entered mainstream Black English and then jazz and blues slang.