Iyami Oṣoronga

Yoruba

Alternative forms

• Ìyàmi Òṣòròmọ̀nìgà

Etymology

From Ìyàmi +‎ Òṣòròǹgà, perhaps related to the mythical bird, àràmàgàmàgà, which Ìyàmi are believed to take the form of, see ẹlẹyẹ

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ì.jà.mĩ̄ ò.ʃò.ɾò.ŋ̀.ɡà/, /ì.já.mĩ̄ ò.ʃò.ɾò.ŋ̀.ɡà/

Proper noun

Ìyàmi Òṣòròǹgà or Ìyámi Òṣòròǹgà

1. a praise name (oríkì) for supernatural spirits known as the Àjẹ́, Ìyàmi (believed to represent feminine power of creation and destruction. They are often represented in the form of old women, and sometimes associated with witchcraft).

   Synonyms: Òṣòròmọ̀nìgà, Òṣòròǹgà

Notes

• The term is also occasionally pronounced as Ìyámi Òṣòròǹgà, with the term ìyá (“mother”) being used (see àjẹ́), this may simply be a euphemistic form of the word.