A magical charm, fetish, or spirit believed to have power; also used to mean luck or a mystical influence, often associated with West African traditions.
From West African languages, possibly Yoruba 'juju' or related words. Brought to English through the slave trade and colonial contact. The term entered English in the 1600s-1700s through traders in West Africa and became associated with spiritual practices.
Juju is a fascinating example of how colonizers' mockery became mainstream vocabulary—Western traders initially dismissed African spiritual practices as 'juju' (superstition), but the word stuck and is now used respectfully to describe legitimate traditional spiritual systems.
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