Post by Harry Agina (@HarryAgina)

Afro-Scope Presents:
ETYMOLOGY BY ASMAU SULEIMAN, FEATURING "VOODOO" FROM WEST AFRICA
(July 26, 2026)

Greetings!
I am Harry Agina. As always, I wanno introduce Asmau Suleiman for today's Afro-Scope's AfroLinguistic etymology with a prelude. My prelude is to inform you that the evolutionary journey of today's word covered three continents before it made it to its present form. That included the state of Louisiana in southern USA, and the Caribbean, both on the North American continent. Also in the evolution was Europe, involving the French version of the word that the American state of Louisiana in the USA adopted in its contribution to the evolution. In its present form after evolutionary transformations and adaptations from its African original form, it entered the mainstream reference works like the Oxford English Dictionary. That was in the mid-19th century.

In its English form as "voodoo," it first appeared in written records during the 1840s. It was officially recognized in major reference works like the Oxford English Dictionary by the mid-19th century. This happened because of its regular use in American publications.

Yeah, I know, my foregoing lines are kind of complicated and unclear in meaning. But what really matters to Afro-Scope is informing you that the origin of the word that went through all that evolutionary journey is the African continent. Yes sir, yes ma'am, Africa is where the word you know now as VOODOO started all the linguistic transformative or evolutionary journey from its original African word. Now, it's time for me to bring in our gorgeous philosophically poetic, or poetically philosophical etymologist, Asmau Suleiman. She will give you the African word that evolved into VOODOO. She will also uncomplicate my complications above. Here we go:

Hi. I'm Asma Suleiman, and this is the Afro-Scope Project, where some African words are celebrated... and some are still being chased. Today's etymology is about VOODOO.

Many words travel...
Some travel so far that the world forgets where they began. Voodoo is one of such words that have travelled several continents in its evolution. Come with me through this link as we follow the journey from Africa to the global dictionaries: https://afro-scope.com/2026/07/26/afrolinquistic-etymology-by-asmau-suleiman-featuring-voodoo-from-west-africa/

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