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Perhaps the most commonly used African word in the English language (and probably the word used in more countries than any other) is "okay," or "O.K," which became popular in the 1830s in America. Clues to its African roots were found in the 19th century black-spoken English of Jamaica and Surinam, as well as the Gullah speech of South Carolina, all of which have numerous forms of the word. Two prime examples from Mande and Wolof cultural groups for the use of similar words are o ke, "that's it" or "all right," in Mande language, and waw kay, which means "all correct," in Wolof culture. The use of the expression "O.K." is first recorded in the speech of black Americans around 1776, but it was probably used much earlier in the 1700s.
1. Tote — English, and especially Southern English, includes this very useful verb, which includes the hybrid expression “totebag.” The word seems to have come from West Africa, including the Gullah language, which still exists in the islands off the South Carolina coast.
2. Gumbo — An African word for okra, which also comes from the Igbo word nkruman. The plant itself is also from Africa. A version of the word, quingombó, exists in Caribbean Spanish.
8. Jive — from the Wolof word jev.
9. Banana — from the Wolof language.
English words have African roots (http://galvestondailynews.com/story.lasso?ewcd=bccbfd7340717bed - broken link)
I found this interesting. I guess with so many west Africans being brought to the Americas they were bound to have some degree of influence on the english and other languages spoken in their particular countries.
The only other theory with at least a degree of plausibility is that the term originated among Black slaves of West African origin, and represents a word meaning 'all right, yes indeed' in various West African languages. Unfortunately, historical evidence enabling the origin of this expression to be finally and firmly established may be hard to unearth.
According to the link below, most are food words for foods originating in Africa (okra, goober, jambalaya, etc.) as well as some music words (jazz, banjo, bongo, etc.).
Origin: initials of a facetious folk phonetic spelling, e.g., oll or orl korrect representing all correct, first attested in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1839, then used in 1840 by Democrat partisans of Martin Van Buren during his election campaign, who allegedly named their organization, the O.K. Club, in allusion to the initials of Old Kinderhook, Van Buren's nickname, derived from his birthplace Kinderhook, New York
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Word Origin & History
OK
1839, only survivor of a slang fad in Boston and New York c.1838-9 for abbreviations of common phrases with deliberate, jocular misspellings (cf. K.G. for "no go," as if spelled "know go"); in this case, "oll korrect." Further popularized by use as an election slogan by the O.K. Club, New York boosters of Democratic president Martin Van Buren's 1840 re-election bid, in allusion to his nickname Old Kinderhook, from his birth in the N.Y. village of Kinderhook. Van Buren lost, the word stuck, in part because it filled a need for a quick way to write an approval on a document, bill, etc. The noun is first attested 1841; the verb 1888. Spelled out as okeh, 1919, by Woodrow Wilson, on assumption that it represented Choctaw okeh "it is so" (a theory which lacks historical documentation);
I did an entire paper, for a college linguistics class, on "tote". Also studied the Gullah language.
If you're interested in this sort of thing read "The Water is Wide" by Pat Conroy. (Also an excellent movie with Jon Voight.) The book is about the descendents of the Gullah speaking slaves who live in South Carolina. (Or did until taxed out of their homes. The area is a major resort now. Hilton Head Island.)
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