Ifá
name
/ī.fá/ /ɪ̄.fá/
Definitions
- the spirit associated with divination, wisdom, and the oracle
- synonym of Ọ̀rúnmìlà
-
synonym of Ìṣẹ̀ṣe (“Yoruba religion”)
Similar words
Other entries with this spelling
Wiktionary records 2 entries spelled “Ifá”. You're reading one of them; here are the others.
Etymology
From Proto-Yoruboid *ɪ́-fá, Ifa divination can be traced linguistically to Volta-Niger, see Proto-Volta-Niger *-fa, however the ultimately etymology of the root is of unknown origin. Cognates exist across Volta-Niger languages, see Igbo Afa, Ewe Afá, Fon Fá, Igala Ífá, Edo Iha, Ebira Eva, Urhobo Epha, and Nupe Eba. Several theories exist among worshippers of Ifá
Used in
Possibly used in
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Related words
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.
Ìṣẹ̀ṣe (“Yoruba religion”)
Source: Wiktionary,
where this word is spelled “Ifa”.
Reference:
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