Aku
Winged termites
Allamanda
A flowering shrub
Atilogwu
A spirited dance traditional to the Igbo people
Boubou
A flowing, wide-sleeved robe
Bournvita
A malted drink
Cassava
A root vegetable, also called yuca
Chaplaincy
The institute for missionary clergy
Chin chin
A fried snack similar to a donut
Cocoyam
A root vegetable, also called taro
Confirmation
A rite of initiation similar to a coming of age ceremony in Christianity. Teenage boys and girls choose the name of a saint to adopt as their own in addition to their given name.
Dogonyaro
A big, strong evergreen tree
Enugu
Capital city of Enugu state in Nigeria
Étagère
A shelf that holds small decorative objects
Extreme unction
Also known as Anointing of the Sick, a blessing with oils performed for the gravely ill.
Fela
Fela Kuti, a prominent Nigerian musician and political activist who was jailed several times for the critical overtones of his music. The creator of Afrobeat, a musical genre blending jazz and funk with traditional African rhythms.
Frangipani
A flowering tree with fragrant blooms
Fufu
A paste made from boiled starchy root vegetables. Fufu is often molded piece by piece into a utensil for soup and then eaten.
Garri
A grain or porridge made from the grain that is produced from the fermented mash of a cassava
Gmelina
A flowering tree with yellow fruit
Harmattan
A dry and duty wind
Hausa
An ethnic group indigenous to northern Africa, or the language spoken by the Hausa people
Highlife
A musical genre popular in Western Africa characterized by jazzy horns and guitar
Igbo
An ethnic group indigenous to southeastern Nigeria, or the language spoken by the Igbo people
Igwe
A royal figure in the village
Ixora
a flowering shrub, similar to jasmine
Malleable
Capable of being shaped by outside forces, pliable
Missal
A book containing instructions and texts for the celebration of Mass throughout the year
Mmuo
Masquerading spirits represented by a parade of masked men. They offer tributes to their ancestral spirits.
Moi moi
Steamed bean pudding
Naira
Currency in Nigeria
NEPA
National Electric Power Authority, organization that regulates power usage
Ninth Mile
An intersection of three major roads near Enugu
Novena
A devotion consisting of a prayer repeated on nine successive days, asking to obtain special graces
Nzu
Clay
Oblate
A person who is specifically dedicated to God
Okpa
Steamed pea paste
Onyeka
Onyeka Onwenu, a Nigerian singer, actress and politician
Osadebe
Chief Stephen Osita Osadebe, a popular Igbo highlife musician
Panadol
Acetaminaphen, a painkiller
Rosary
A series of prayers in traditional Catholic devotion. A rosary also refers to a strand consisting of a bead for every prayer recited in this series.
Soutane
Cassock, an ankle-length robe worn by clergy
Umunna
The extended family of one’s ancestral village
Wrapper
An often colorful piece of cloth that is worn by women in West African countries
