òrìṣà
noun
/ò.ɾì.ʃà/
ọ̀rị̀ṣà (alternative, Ekiti), ọ̀ọ̀ṣà (alternative, Ekiti), ọ̀rìsà (alternative), òòṣà (alternative), òòsà (alternative), òrìsà (alternative), òìṣà (alternative), òòchà (alternative), òrìchà (alternative)
Definitions
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orisha (deity in Yoruba religion); god
Similar wordsUsed inolórìṣànoun Òrìṣà-ńláname 6 entries are spelled “Òrìṣà-ńlá”, and the list this came from doesn't say which one is meant — we've linked to the first. Òrìṣà-ńlá A nickname or oríkì name for the divinity Ọbàtálá Òrìṣàńlá alternative form of Òrìṣà-ńlá (“A nickname or oríkì name for the orisha Ọbàtálá”) Òrìṣàálá alternative form of Òrìṣà-ńlá (“A nickname or oríkì name for the orisha Ọbàtálá”) Òòṣàńlá alternative form of Òrìṣà-ńlá (“A nickname or oríkì name for the orisha Ọbàtálá”) Òòṣàálá alternative form of Òrìṣà-ńlá (“A nickname or oríkì name for the orisha Ọbàtálá”) Òòṣà-ńlá alternative form of Òrìṣà-ńlá (“A nickname or oríkì name for the orisha Ọbàtálá”) ÒrìṣàokonamePossibly used inabọrìṣànoun Wiktionary points at “abọrìṣà”. No word here is spelled that way, so we have linked “abọ̀rìṣà”, which matches once tone marks are ignored. It may be a misspelling, or “abọrìṣà” may be a word nobody has written up yet. abọ̀rìṣà An aborisha; a devotee of the orishas.Related wordsimọlẹ̀noun 2 entries are spelled “imọlẹ̀”, and the list this came from doesn't say which one is meant — we've linked to the first. imọlẹ̀ god, earth deity or spirit; ancient ancestor (that are worshipped) ụmọlẹ̀ primordial or ancestral deity; local earth spirit, traditionally associated by the Ekiti people with hills and rivers Ọ̀ọ̀niname
Etymology
From Òrìṣà. The precise etymology of the term is unknown, (possibly from Proto-Yoruboid *Ò-rìsà, Proto-Yoruboid *ɔ̀-rɪ̀cà, or Proto-Yoruboid *Ò-rìcà), but several folk etymologies exist, the main one suggesting it comes from orí (“head, conscience, destiny”) + ì- (“nominalizing prefix”) + ṣà (“to be selected, to choose”), literally “The head that is specially selected”. (This is unlikely though as this term only fits the Yoruba definition of òrìṣà, but not the cognate versions in other languages or even in other Yoruba dialects).
The term òrìṣà, which is a general name for all deities in the Yoruba religion, likely derived from the proper noun form Òrìṣà, in reference to a specific arch-divinity of the sky and creation (now known as Òrìṣàńlá and Ọbàtálá). In other related languages, and some dialects of the Yoruba language, the cognate term has retained its proper noun definition, referring to a specific high-ranking male divinity associated with the sky, creation, and government. These cognates include Itsekiri Òrìtsẹ̀, Igbo Òlìsà, Urhobo Oyise, Èkìtì Yoruba Ọ̀rị̀ṣà, Ọ̀wọ̀ Yoruba Òrìchà, Edo Osa, Oisa, Ebira Oricha, and Fon Lisà
Component words
Used in
Derived from
Listed as a similar word by
These words list this one in their own definitions. This word does not list them back, so Wiktionary records the link in one direction only.
The meaning shown next to each is the one that named this word.
god, earth deity or spirit; ancient ancestor (that are worshipped)
earth spirit
primordial or ancestral deity; local earth spirit, traditionally associated by the Ekiti people with hills and rivers
Words in other languages from this one
These are words in other languages that came from this Yorùbá word, mostly through trade, the Atlantic slave trade, and contact with neighbouring languages.
They are not translations. A word here means what it means in its own language, which may have drifted a long way from the Yorùbá it started as.
orixáPortugueseorishaSpanishorichaFrenchOlichaHaitian CreoleorishaEnglish
Source: Wiktionary,
where this word is spelled “oriṣa”.
Reference:
en-oriṣa-yo-noun-JduUEHxK