From Africa to the Americas: Words We Still Speak Today
By: Chimdindu Ken-Anaukwu
Africa’s linguistic footprint stretches far beyond the continent, carried across the Atlantic through the transatlantic slave trade and embedded into languages spoken across the Americas. From English to Portuguese, Spanish to Creole, African words—especially from Yoruba, Kikongo, Igbo, and Wolof—remain in everyday speech, music, and culture.
Whether you’ve greeted someone with “okay,” danced to “samba,” or cooked with “gumbo,” you’ve likely spoken a bit of Africa without even realizing it. Let’s dive into some African-origin words still thriving in English, Spanish, Portuguese, and Caribbean languages today.
1️⃣ Okra – From the Igbo word òkùrù, referring to the slimy but beloved vegetable.
2️⃣ Savanna – From Wolof sabana, referring to grasslands or open plains.
3️⃣ Juke (as in jukebox) – From the Gullah/Geechee word juke (meaning disorderly or rowdy), which traces back to the Wolof word dzug.
4️⃣ Goober (peanut) – From the Kimbundu and Kikongo word nguba, brought over by enslaved Africans who cultivated peanuts in the Americas.
5️⃣ Banjo – From Mandinka bàŋó or Wolof banza, referring to a stringed instrument that influenced American folk music.
6️⃣ Yam – From the Wolof and Fulani word nyami, meaning “to eat.”
7️⃣ Zombie – From the Kikongo word nzambi, meaning "spirit" or "deity," later popularized in Haitian Vodou traditions.
8️⃣ Boogie – From Wolof bugi-bugi, meaning “to dance.”
9️⃣ Jive – From Wolof jev, meaning “to talk playfully or deceive,” now used for lively jazz-style dancing or slang for “talking nonsense.”
🔟 Tote (to carry) – From Kikongo tota, meaning “to lift up” or “carry.”
1️⃣ Mambo – From Kikongo mambu, meaning “word” or “conversation,” later used to describe a style of Afro-Cuban dance.
2️⃣ Malanga (Taro Root) – From Yoruba melan, referring to the edible root.
3️⃣ Ñame (Yam) – From the Wolof word nyami, which also influenced English "yam."
4️⃣ Conga – From Kikongo nkunga, meaning “song” or “chant,” now associated with Cuban music and dance.
5️⃣ Marimba – From Bantu languages, referring to a wooden percussion instrument.
6️⃣ Quimbombo (Okra) – From Kimbundu ngombo, the same root word as “gumbo.”
7️⃣ Mondongo (Tripe Soup) – From Kimbundu mutondu, meaning “gut” or “tripe,” now a beloved dish in Latin America.
8️⃣ Fufú (Mashed Plantains or Yams) – From Twi fufuo, a dish of pounded yams or cassava, common in West African and Caribbean cuisine.
9️⃣ Bembé (Afro-Cuban Drum Celebration) – From Kikongo bembe, meaning “drum” or “ritual dance.”
🔟 Chévere (Cool, Great) – Some linguists trace this to Efik chébere, meaning “good” or “beautiful.”
1️⃣ Samba – From Kimbundu semba, meaning “invitation to dance” or a specific type of belly bump in traditional Angolan dance.
2️⃣ Fubá – From Kimbundu fuba, meaning cornmeal, a staple in Brazilian cuisine.
3️⃣ Batuque – From Kimbundu, meaning a drum or drumming event, now associated with Afro-Brazilian music and dance.
4️⃣ Moleque – From Kikongo mulek, meaning “child,” used informally in Brazilian Portuguese for young boys.
5️⃣ Dendê (Palm Oil) – From Kimbundu ndende, referring to the reddish palm oil widely used in Afro-Brazilian cuisine.
6️⃣ Xingar (To Curse or Insult) – From Kimbundu xinga, meaning “to swear or insult.”
7️⃣ Zumbi (Spirit or Ghost) – From Kikongo nzumbi, meaning “ancestor spirit” or “wandering soul.”
8️⃣ Orixá (Deity in Afro-Brazilian Religion) – From Yoruba òrìṣà, meaning “divine being” in the Candomblé and Umbanda traditions.
9️⃣ Quilombo (Community of Escaped Enslaved Africans) – From Kimbundu kilombo, meaning "war camp" or "settlement."
🔟 Batuque (Drumming Event, Party) – From Kikongo batuque, meaning “drum” or “gathering.”
1️⃣ Krik? Krak! – A storytelling call-and-response in Haitian Creole from West African oral traditions.
2️⃣ Nyam – From Wolof nyami (to eat), widely used in Jamaican Patois for “eat.”
3️⃣ Anansi – From Akan (Twi) folklore, referring to the trickster spider who appears in Jamaican and Caribbean storytelling traditions.
4️⃣ Obeah – From Igbo obìa, meaning “spiritual power” or divination, used to describe Caribbean folk magic and religious practices.
5️⃣ Jumbi – From Kikongo nzumbi, meaning "spirit" or "ghost," similar to “zombie.”
6️⃣ Griot (Storyteller, Historian) – From Mande languages, referring to oral historians in West African culture.
7️⃣ Makandal (Revolutionary Spirit or Secret Society) – From the name of François Mackandal, a maroon leader in Haiti, derived from Kikongo.
8️⃣ Wanga (Magic or Charm) – From Kikongo mwanga, referring to spells or supernatural power.
9️⃣ Tonton (Uncle, Elder Figure) – From Fon and Yoruba tonton, meaning “uncle” or “elder.”
🔟 Cutu (Sacred or Spiritual Object) – From Kikongo nkutu, meaning "sacred bundle" or object used in rituals.
Despite centuries of displacement, African languages left an undeniable imprint across the world. Words, structures, and rhythms persist in the languages of African diasporas, proving that culture cannot be erased.
These words are just a glimpse of Africa’s linguistic influence across the globe. Every time you say samba, yam, gumbo, mambo, or zombie, you’re speaking a piece of African history. These words, carried by enslaved Africans, survived centuries of oppression, blending into new cultures while preserving their roots.
Today, as more people reconnect with African languages through platforms like NKENNE, we celebrate not just the words that survived but the resilience of the people who carried them.
Want to learn more African words? Start your language journey with NKENNE today!