Akọsẹjaye

Yoruba

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /à.kɔ̄.sɛ̀.d͡ʒā.jé/

Proper noun

Àkọsẹ̀jayé

1. (Ìṣẹ̀ṣe) An important Yoruba religious process and ceremony performed for a newborn child.
   • It consists of three parts, a ceremony to aid a couple who is struggling to have children, then a ceremony performed while a woman is pregnant to determine if a child is a reincarnated ancestor, and to determine if the child may be an abíkú. Finally, the main part of the ceremony is performed for a child within the first week of their birth. It consists of the consulting of Ifá by a babalawo to determine a child's destiny (àyànmọ́), future, and also to determine if the child has certain taboos (èèwọ̀). This is said to be done by measuring a child's ògo and ìràwọ̀, how glorious and bright a child's destiny is.

   Synonyms: Ẹsẹ̀ǹtáyé, Ìkọsẹ̀dáyé

Further reading

• Kayode, Olaleye S. Àkọsẹ̀jayé: Trend and Status in Yorùbá Communities of South Western Nigeria [1], 2014