Dictionary.com

griot

[ gree-oh, gree-oh, gree-ot ]
/ griˈoʊ, ˈgri oʊ, ˈgri ɒt /
Save This Word!

noun
a member of a hereditary caste among the peoples of western Africa whose function is to keep an oral history of the tribe or village and to entertain with stories, poems, songs, dances, etc.
QUIZ
CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?
There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?
Question 1 of 7
Which sentence is correct?

Origin of griot

1955–60; <French, earlier guiriot, perhaps ultimately <Portuguese criado domestic servant, altered in W African coastal creoles
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

British Dictionary definitions for griot

griot
/ (ˈɡriːəʊ, ɡriːˈɒt) /

noun
(in Western Africa) a member of a caste responsible for maintaining an oral record of tribal history in the form of music, poetry, and storytelling

Word Origin for griot

C20: from French guirot, perhaps from Portuguese criado domestic servant
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
FEEDBACK