Olú

Extended Meaning

This is one of the most common roots of Yorùbá names, perhaps because it has also been modified in modern Christianity to refer to God. Initially, however, the name only referred to the most prominent version of something. e.g. Olú-Ọmọ (a child considered to be the most prominent, most relevant), Olú-Igbó (the lord of the forest), Olú-Ọ́dẹ (the head hunter), Olúòkun (the lord of the seas), Jagunmólú (He who fights to become the champion), etc. In most modern interpretations, Olú is no longer just an almost nebulous root, it refers to Olúwa, which is Yorùbá's way of referring to the most prominent being, interpreted in modern times to mean Jesus Christ, or God Almighty. Most old names bearing roots related to lesser deities (Ṣàngó, Ògún, Èṣù, Oṣó, etc) have been modernised to merely read Olú. e.g. Èṣùbíyí becomes Olúbíyí, Ògúnmodìmú becomes Olúmodìmu, Fájuyìgbé become Olújuyìgbé, etc.

Gloss

Geolocation

Common in: