baoule
baoule Lexical Profile
• adjective
Relating to the Baoule people, their language, or their culture, especially their renowned sculptural arts and wooden masks.
"The museum recently acquired an exquisite collection of Baoule portrait masks from West Africa."
• noun
A member of an Akan people inhabiting primarily the central and eastern regions of Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast) in West Africa.
"Historically, the Baoule built a highly structured society centered around agriculture and long-distance trade."
The Central Tano (Kwa) language spoken by the Baoule people of Côte d'Ivoire.
"Scholars have documented several distinct dialects of Baoule spoken across different regions of the country."
Word Nuance & Usage
Always capitalized in standard English as 'Baoule' or spelled with a French acute accent ('Baoulé'). The term is used interchangeably as an ethnonym and a glossonym.
• Rhymes for baoule
Word Origin & Etymology
Derived from Baoule oral tradition; it is said to originate from the phrase 'ba ouli' ('the child is dead'), uttered by Queen Abla Pokou after sacrificing her infant son to the river spirit of the Comoé River to lead her people to safety in the 18th century.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.