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Orisha

3 stages from Yoruba to English.

Today it means a deity or spirit in the Yoruba religion, also venerated in Santería and other diaspora traditions

Where does the word "orisha" come from? It comes from Yoruba òrìṣà, passing through Spanish before entering English (1854).

1
Stage 1 of 3
òrìṣà
Yoruba · traditional
"a deity or spirit"
named the intermediary deities and spirits of Yoruba religion
2
Stage 2 of 3
orichá
Spanish · 1700s-1800s
"a Santería deity linked to a Catholic saint"
carried to Cuba by enslaved Yoruba people and reshaped in Lucumí/Santería practice
3
Stage 3 of 3
orisha
English · 1854
"a Yoruba deity"
entered English print in the United States describing Yoruba and Santería religious practice
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