Agojie

American  

[uh-goh-jee] / əˈgoʊ dʒi /

noun

1. the female military regiment of Dahomey's standing army, originating in the 1700s or earlier and reaching its height in the 1800s, but becoming largely defunct after France's 1894 conquest of the kingdom.

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Etymology

Origin of Agojie

First recorded in 2022; from Fon

Example Sentences

In “The Woman King,” Viola Davis is the head of the Agojie, an all-female unit of warriors who protected the West African kingdom of Dahomey in the 19th century.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 20, 2023

The film centers on the Agojie, the female warriors of the kingdom of Dahomey, in what is now Benin.

From New York Times • Oct. 19, 2022

“The training camp of the Agojie was one mile from my hometown,” he said.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 28, 2022

The industry already knows this: After all, the Agojie inspired the Dora Milaje, T'Challa's royal guard in "Black Panther," but only concerning their battle prowess.

From Salon • Sep. 24, 2022

The film, about the Agojie, the all-female army of the Kingdom of Dahomey in West Africa in the 1800s, got glowing reviews after its debut at the Toronto Film Festival.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 18, 2022