Etymology and History of the Portuguese word “macumba”

Abstract

The aim of this article is to describe the etymology of the word macumba in its various meanings. It is a polysemous word with multiple definitions recorded in Portuguese-language dictionaries. Initially, the article examines the inclusion of macumba in general, etymological, and specialized dictionaries (both religious dictionaries and those focused on Africanisms), showing how its various meanings have been described throughout history. Its primary meaning refers to a set of Afro-Brazilian religious practices, but other meanings include "witchcraft," "offering placed at crossroads," and "a certain percussion instrument," among others. Next, the article analyzes the earliest occurrences of macumba and macumbeiro in 19th-century journalistic texts, which indicate that the meanings "musical instrument" and "set of religious practices" emerged almost simultaneously. Finally, the study revisits etymological hypotheses and different meanings in light of these early occurrences. It proposes that the most probable etymological hypothesis is the convergence of multiple etyma, suggesting that each meaning may have an origin different from the others.