dalilu

D2A1L1I1L1U1

noun

A special protective power or ability, of divine origin, held by certain families in West Africa.

OriginBambara dalilu →
Scrabble 7
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Meanings

noun
  1. uncommonA special protective power or ability, of divine origin, held by certain families in West Africa.

    The social status of jalis is complex. They are important keepers of cultural knowledge, and their dalilu gives them the sole right and power to perform certain types of music.

    2020, Andrew R. Martin, Matthew Mihalka, editors, Music around the World: A Global Encyclopedia, Bloomsbury, →ISBN

Origin

  1. Bambaradalilu
  2. Englishdalilu

Borrowed from Bambara dalilu.

More words from Bambara

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

dalilu. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/dalilu

MLA

“dalilu.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/dalilu. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “dalilu,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/dalilu.

Source: dalilu on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.