Anansi

See also: anansi

English

Alternative forms

• Ananse, Anancy, Anansy

Etymology

From Akan (and Kromanti) ananse (“spider”).

Proper noun

Anansi

1. A trickster spider (though sometimes taking human form), one of the primary characters in West African and Caribbean folklore.

Translations

trickster spider in West African and Caribbean folklore

• French: Anansi m
• Jamaican Creole: Anansi
• Papiamentu: Nanzi
• Polish: Anansi (pl) m
• Portuguese: Anansi m

French

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /a.nɑ̃.si/, /a.nan.si/

Proper noun

Anansi m

1. (mythology) Anansi (trickster spider in West African and Caribbean folklore)

Jamaican Creole

Alternative forms

• Ananse, Anancy, Anansy

Etymology

Derived from Akan ananse (“spider”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /aˈnansi/
• Hyphenation: A‧nan‧si

Proper noun

Anansi

1. Anansi (trickster spider in West African and Caribbean folklore)
   • 1984, Laura Tanna, Jamaican Folk Tales and Oral Histories, →ISBN, page 99:

     “Anansi gwan an gwan an gwan [ chops with arm ] til im bill off de whole pasture clean.”

     Anansi kept on going [ chops with arm ] until he'd used his machete to clear the entire pasture.

Portuguese

Etymology

Ultimately from Akan ananse (“spider”).

Pronunciation

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /a.nɐ̃ˈsi/

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ɐ.nɐ̃ˈsi/

Proper noun

Anansi m

1. (mythology) Anansi (trickster spider in West African and Caribbean folklore)

Sranan Tongo

Etymology

From anansi, from Akan ananse (“spider”), Twi Akan ananse (“spider”), Awutu ananse (“spider”), Abron ànãnzi (“spider”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /aˈnansi/, [a̠ˈnã̠nsi], [ɑ̟ˈnɑ̟̃nsi]

Proper noun

Anansi

1. (mythology) Anansi (trickster spider in West African and Caribbean folklore)