nkisi

N1K5I1S1I1

noun

A spirit, or an object inhabited by a spirit, in Bantu religious beliefs.

OriginKongo nkisi ← Proto-Bantu *kɪ́tɪ̀ →
Scrabble 9
Ask AI about this wordChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

Meanings

nounnkisi (plural nkisis or minkisi)

plural nkisis · plural minkisi · alternative nkishi

  1. human sciencesA spirit, or an object inhabited by a spirit, in Bantu religious beliefs.

Origin

  1. Proto-Bantu*kɪ́tɪ̀
  2. Kongonkisi
  3. Englishnkisi

Borrowed from Kongo nkisi (“spirit; charm”).

More words from Kongo

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Portuguese inquice
  • inquiceA spirit or object inhabited by a spirit

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

sinik
Cite this entry
APA

nkisi. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/nkisi

MLA

“nkisi.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/nkisi. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “nkisi,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/nkisi.

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