African Origin of the word Nike

By Asar Imhotep (October 23, 2013)

The MOCHA-Versity Institute of Philosophy and Research

luntu/lumtu/muntu
This paper is an examination of the Greek word nike, which has become famous, in modern times, as a
result of the sports apparel company by the same name (created by Bill Bowerman and Phil Knight).
Practically all of the dictionaries that have examined this word suggest that the word nike is Greek. In this
brief essay, we suggest that the term is not of Greek derivation, but is indeed African and that this term is
a borrowing into the Greek language: possibly from Egypt.
Before we can get into the heart of our discussion, we must first properly define this term in
Greek. The Online Etymological Dictionary (OED) has the following examination:
Nike: Greek goddess of victory (identified by the Romans with their Victoria), literally "victory,"
probably connected with neikos "quarrel, strife," neikein "to quarrel with." As a type of U.S.
defensive surface-to-air missiles, attested from 1952.

Wikipedia has the following:

In Greek mythology, Nike (Greek: , "Victory", pronounced [nk]) was a goddess who
personified victory, also known as the Winged Goddess of Victory. The Roman equivalent was
Victoria. Depending upon the time of various myths, she was described as the daughter of Pallas
(Titan) and Styx (Water),[1][2] and the sister of Kratos (Strength), Bia (Force), and Zelus (Zeal).[1]
Nike and her siblings were close companions of Zeus, the dominant deity of the Greek pantheon.
According to classical (later) myth, Styx brought them to Zeus when the god was assembling

Page 1 of 18

allies for the Titan War against the older deities. Nike assumed the role of the divine charioteer, a
role in which she often is portrayed in Classical Greek art. Nike flew around battlefields rewarding
the victors with glory and fame. Nike is seen with wings in most statues and paintings. Most other
winged deities in the Greek pantheon had shed their wings by Classical times. Nike is the goddess
of strength, speed, and victory. Nike was a very close acquaintance of Athena, and is thought to
have stood in Athena's outstretched hand in the statue of Athena located in the Parthenon.[3] Nike
is one of the most commonly portrayed figures on Greek coins. [4]
Names stemming from Nike include among others: Nikolaos, Nicholas, Nicola, Nick, Nicolai,
Nikolai, Nicolae, Nils, Klaas, Nicole, Ike, Niki, Nikita, Nika, Niketas, and Nico.

Statuette of goddess Nike found in Vani, Georgia.1

Some of Nikes attributes can be summarized as follows:

Symbol: wings; often depicted with a wreath of victory or a staff; the chariot
Strengths: very fast runner, swift flyer, able charioteer
Weaknesses: can be capricious (inconsistent) in dolling out victory
Parents: daughter of Styx, called a nymph but actually the presiding spirit over the major river of
the Underworld, and Pallas, a Titan. He has three brothers: Zelos rivalry, Kratos strength, and
Bia force.
Other: Some sources give her father as Ares, the God of War. The most famous statue of Nike is
the Nike of Samothrace, a Greek island in the northern Aegean. This statue is now in the Louvre
Museum in Paris.2

In other words, the word nike is a Greek term that means victory and it has been personified as a
winged goddess with the same name. Research has uncovered that many of the Greek gods, in fact, derive
from ancient Egypt (Obenga 1992, Bernal 1987, Diop 1991). This is definitely the opinion of Herodotus
1

Retrieved from Wikipedia October 22, 2013.

See Fast Facts: Nike by deTraci Regula. http://gogreece.about.com/od/greekmythology/a/mythnike.htm
(retrieved October 23, 2013)
2

Page 2 of 18

who took great advantage of the opportunity, in his Book II, to hammer down this belief of the adoption
of Egyptian gods by the Greeks. As Herodotus suggests:
The names of nearly all the gods came to Greece from Egypt. I know from the inquiries I have
made that they came from abroad, and it seems most likely that it was from Egypt, for the names
of all the gods have been known in Egypt from the beginning of time, with the exception (as I
have already said) of Poseidon and Dioscuriand also of Hera, Hestia, Themis, the Graces, and
the Nereids. I have the authority of the Egyptians themselves for this. (Herodotus, Book II 50.2)

We suggest here that the goddess Nike, meaning victory, derives her name from an Egyptian word, and
that Herodotus is correct in his assessmentat least with this goddessas it regards the origin of the
name of Greek gods.

An African Examination
Other sources accessible to the author for the word nike victory, in Indo-European, do not posit a
derivation of the term beyond the Greek language. Therefore, it is assumed that this word is a Greek
innovation. It is my contention that the word nike is a loan from Egyptian and is rendered nxt
strong, victory, victorious, mighty, stiff, hard, stiffen, become hard, successful; Coptic nchot "victory,
become hard and strong."
The Egyptian form provides us with a wider range of meanings and a central theme can be
ascertained from an examination of variant forms provided in the following table.
Hieroglyphs

Lexeme
nxt

Meaning
victory, strong, victorious, stiff, hard, obdurate [ adjective ]

nxt

hack up, cut up [ verb ]

nxt

powerful [ adjective ]

nxt

strong, victorious, mighty, stiff, hard, stiffen, become hard,

successful [ adjective + verb ]

nxt /
nxtw

strength, force, power, victory [ noun ]

nxt

strong man, champion, bully [ noun ]

nxt

a strong of arm, adult, a champion [ adjective + noun ]

nxt

to be stiff

nxt

a heroic [ adjective ]

Page 3 of 18

nxtw ib

courage, valour, bravery [ noun ]

nxtw

strength, victory, hostages [ noun ]

nxtw

stronghold, fortress [ noun - arch. ]

nxtt

power, strength, triumph, stiffness, rigidity (of organs etc) [ noun bod. ]

nxt

to protect [ verb ]

As we can see here, the variety of associations ranges from courage, bravery, strength, power and
protection. The concept of victory, as seen here, is associated with having the necessary strength and
courage to overcome a seemingly insurmountable obstacle.
Although the Indo-European (IE) languages have another word for victory, the range of
meaning for such terms mirrors that which we find in the Egyptian variations of nxt. For example,
Mallory & Adams, in their book The Oxford Introduction to Proto-Indo-European and the Proto-IndoEuropean World (2006: 281), provides the following commentary on a conceptually relatable word to nxt.
To conquer ones enemy is indicated by *seh- and its derivatives which mean conquer,
victory (e.g. OIr seg strong, NHG Sieg victory, Grk ekhurs Wrm, strong, Hit sakkuriyaovercome, Skt shas- victory, shuri- victorious), and hold fast (it supplies the basic Greek
verb kh hold). The word was also a popular element in personal names among the Celts (e.g.
Gaulish Sego-marus) and Germans (ON Sigurr). Probably originally a nominal root, *gwyehawhich means physical force in both Greek and Indic can also mean overcome (e.g. ON kveita
make an end to, kill, Grk b physical force, violence, Skt jy force, violence, jinti
overpowers, suppresses).3

We see here that victory is connected to strong, conquer, physical force and violence. As
demonstrated above, fundamentally, these meanings for *seh- are inherent in the word nxt. The cognate
term for Egyptian nxt or Greek nike in ciLuba-Bantu is nke "solid, hard, fixed" (syn. ndendende "tenacity,
toughness, persistence").
The -t in the C3 position of nxt is a suffix. This is often mistaken as a feminine affix, but this is
not the case. This suffix brings about a secondary meaning on a noun or adjective that does not have the
suffix.4 It also serves as a nominalizing affix on verbs (i.e., turns verbs into nouns). Moreover, the suffix
can also act as a definite or indefinite article like in Kalenjiin: e.g., chii man, chiito a man; ko
house, koot a/the house. A few examples are in order:

If we are to assume that the s- in *seh- conquer is a causative prefix, then * seh- and nxt might share the
same historical root: i.e., -g- and -x- respectively. Compare the PIE -gh- segment to Egyptian kh-A strong blow
(storm), kh-b name of Set; encounter (the bull), damage, kh-sw malevolence, kh-s haughty, rough. More
investigation is needed here. The root of nxt will be discussed further below.
4
Dr. Taaita araap-Toweett, in his Kalenjin Nouns and Their Classifications masters thesis (1975) introduced the
terms inclusive singular nouns (i.s.n) to refer to all Kalenjiin singular nouns that are in their primary form and do
not, therefore, have the grammatical /-t/ suffix. The Kalenjiin are modern descendents of the ancient Egyptians who
speak a Nilo-Saharan language (see Sambu 2007, 2011).

Page 4 of 18

Egyptian: sr sheep; sr(j).t a particular sheep

Kalenjiin: kechiir sheep; kechiiryet a sheep
Egyptian: aw large; aw.t largeness
Kalenjiin: oo/woo large; oo-into/oo-indo largeness (t>d)
Egyptian: bjn bad, evil (adjective); bjn.t evil (noun)
Kalenjiin: bunyoon enemy (adjective); bunyoot an/the enemy (noun)
Kalenjiin: boon witching; bondit an/the evil or the witchcraft
Egyptian: am eat; am.t food
Kalenjiin: am eat (verb); amiit food or amdit the food (noun)
Egyptian: msyt evening meal
Kalenjiin: amisyeet any meal (both terms deriving from the verb root am eat)
Egyptian: mn be ill; mn.t sickness, disease, wound
Kalenjiin: mian be ill; mian-eet the state of being sick, mion-to/mion-do sickness, disease, illness
Egyptian: mtw to speak, talk; mt.t speech, decree, word
Kalenjiin: mwa speak; mwaeet speech or mwaitaaet announcement. (see also, amda (amta) preach,
inform, which becomes amdaaet (amtaaet) sermons, lessons and information) (Sambu, 2011: 145-146)

With this being said, we suggest that the form nxt is a secondary derivation on a primary form; one by
way of the suffixal /-t/. Forms without the -t suffix can be seen below:
Hieroglyphs

Lexeme
nx

Meaning
succor, protect, protection [ verb + noun ]

nxw

protector, defender [ noun ]

nxw

Helper [ noun - title ]

The /x/ and /S/ sounds in Egyptian often interchange (see Imhotep 2013, Bilolo 2011). With that said, the
following terms may be relevant: nS
expel (from), disown (a woman); nS
to
drive out. The n- in nxt is another morpheme. This leaves -x- as the root and can be seen in the word xw
protection; xwj
protect, exclude, exempt, set aside, avoid, prevent, equip with.
Because this root means valor, strength, victory, courageous, protection, etc., these
characteristics are often associated with battle and war. The -x- root can be seen in such related terms
as r a xt
war, combat, battle5; xrw
battle, war. The /x/ sound also corresponds to
/H/ in Egyptian (dialectical?). Therefore, we have reflexes of aHA
war, combat, battle, fight;
aHAwty
warrior, male, man (x>H). Notice how the -ty suffix provides a secondary
meaning on the primary root in the later example.
The x-r variations of the root in Egyptian are given as k-l in Bantu. The following is from the
Bantu Lexical Reconstruction 3 (BLR3) online database. Note that Proto-Bantu (PB) /l/ is realized as /d/.
5

The word xt can mean stick, staff, cane; wood, timber, tree, woodland, mast, stick, pole, rod and is used in
battles or fights. We also have the word xt a a weapon. So r a xt, basically, means to use a weapon (go to war).

Page 5 of 18

MAIN

be strong; be hard; be difficult

H (V)

1874

tre fort; tre dur; tre difficile

Total Distribution: Regions: 5: NW SW Ce NE SE Zones: 12: B D F G H K L M N P R S
MAIN

1874

DGHLMNRS

be strong; be hard; be
difficult
intoxicate

DER

1877

DER

1878

become intoxicated

BDFGHKLMNR

DER

7002

H_

strength

DER

7026

N7

drunkard

HLM

GHLMP

See also:
MAIN

1872

HL

N 9/10

lion

BCHLR

MAIN

1875

work

DFJ

MAIN

1876

choke

EN

MAIN

1883

HL

bird of prey spp., hawk

spp.

ABCDGJKLMNRS

MAIN

6999

N (5/6),
(7/8),
9/10,
11/10,
(12/13),
(19/13)
V

take; touch

CGJMN

MAIN

7008

HL

N9

crocodile

We should take some time to note how this root in Bantu is applied to and becomes the word for certain
animals that are known to be ferocious and skilled hunters: *kci lion, *kd crocodile, *kd bird of
prey (hawk). As stated earlier, the /x/ and /H/ interchange or are variants of each other. We should also
note that the /A/ sound was historically a /r/ or /l/ (Imhotep, 2013).
With that said, Proto-Bantu *kd bird of prey (hawk) is a dialectical variant of the Egyptian
word Hr or Hrw
The god Horus, which is personified as a hawk/falcon. He is known for revenging
the death of his father and engaging in a long drawn-out battle with his uncle Set. The linguistic
phenomenon of paronymy is at play in this story. Paronymy involves a perceived relationship between
words that sound alike or are similarly pronounced. Egyptologists call this punning. Thus, Hr hawk,
Horus (< PB *kd be strong) is associated with aHA
war, combat, battle, fight and xrw
battle, war.
In Egyptian, the /r/, /A/ and /n/ sounds interchange (Lorpieno, 1995: 33). Often these interchanges
in sound provide slight shades of meaning on the root. It is also my contention that the Egyptian sounds
/q/, /x/, /k/, /H/ and /h/, are in reality variants of each other. With that said, I argue that Egyptian nxt
victory is just a variant of the word qnt victory by way of metathesis on the velar and nasal
consonants in the C1 and C2 positions, respectively. The following table provides the following reflexes of
qnt.

Page 6 of 18

Hieroglyphs

Lexeme
qnt

victory, might [ noun ]

Meaning

qn

Brave man, Elite Soldier, Hero [ noun - title ]

qni

powerful (of speech), stout (of heart), active [ adjective + verb ]

qni

be strong, valiant, mighty, capable, active [ verb ]

qn

to weaken [ verb ]

qni

eager, strong [ adjective ]

qnw

feats [ noun ]

qnw

brave deeds [ noun ]

qn

offence, audacity [ noun ]

qn

complete, accomplish, cease, bring to an end, to finish off [ verb ]

qnt

brutality, violence [ noun ]

qnqn

castigation, beating, blows [ noun ]

qnqn

to assault [ verb ]

qnqn

to bruise [ verb ]

qnqn

flatten (metal), deal wrongly (with), to be beaten [ verb ]

qnqn

crush, beat (people), kill, pound up (medicines), beat out, to assault [

verb ]

qni

conquer, amount (to), be profuse [ adjective + verb ]

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As we can see here, qn(t), and its variations, have the same meanings as nxt mentioned earlier. We will
now explore parallels of the linguistic term and of the goddess Nike with the Yorb god of iron gn
(<qn.t) of Nigeria.

Nike and gn
In this section, we posit that the goddess Nike (n-k) of the Greeks is a distant variation of the Yorb god
gn (g-n). Although the genders are different, the names and function of each are practically the same:
the consonants are just switched in their names respectively (metathesis). We suggested earlier that Heru
(Horus) is a variation of Nike (shares the same root). Here the /r/ in Heru and /n/ in Nike interchange.
With that said, it would stand to reason that, fundamentally, Nike = gn = @rw. To understand the
connections between these deities, we must first examine the attributes of gn among the Yorb of
Nigeria. The following summary and linguistic examples will come, primarily, from two sources. The
first is Modupe Oduyoyes Words & Meaning in Yorb Religion: Linguistic Connections in Yorb,
Ancient Egypt & Semitic (1996: 79-94). The second is Africas Ogun: Old World and New (1997), edited
by Sandra T. Barnes. Other insights are included using myself, as a practitioner of the tradition, as a
resource.

Origins of the gn Myth

gn is typically associated with the creation of iron that has been forged through the smithy. He is also
the personification of war and technology in general. However, his roots are more ancient and the myth
associated with him is the way our most ancient human ancestors came to terms with the natural
phenomenon of a volcano.
gn, in Yorb liturgical conceptualizations, is the r of creative transformative energy.
He is popularly known as the deity/spirit of hunting, iron, and warfare. His characteristics have expanded
over the years, which range from modern technology to highway safety: anything that includes danger,
metal or transportation. We come to discover through the many myths associated with gn that he is
also a farmer, an artist, an inventor, protector of orphans, a roof over the homeless, a terrible guardian of
the sacred oath, and the lord of the road to sacred wisdom.6
He is a spirit that embodies two images. On the one hand he is a terrifying specter: a violent
warrior, fully armed and laden with frightening charms and medicines to kill his foes. On the other hand,
gn is societys ideal male: a leader known for his sexual prowess, who nurtures, protects and
relentlessly pursues truth, equity and justice.
The early Yorb postulated that an agent on top of the volcanic mountain existed to explain the
phenomenon of fire. This agent is gn. This is proven by examining the story in which gn one day
was coming down from the hill-top wearing clothes of fire and covered in blood (Oduyoye, 1996: 146
n.2, Barnes, 1997: 106). On top of the mountain, the Yorb posited a town of firesymbolically named
r (Cf. Yorb r fire pot, Arabic araa to burn, Hebrew ir heat, Afar ur and Bari yur set on
fire.). Other myths affirm directly this fact; stating that he came to the world from a volcano as it was
erupting and brought with him the ability to forge weapons and tools (Turner and Coulter, 2001: 360). In
the Ijebu dialect of Yorb, red hot charcoal from the fire is called ogunn.7
6

See Clyde W. Ford, A Hero With An African Face: Mythic Wisdom of Traditional Africa (1999:166). Bantam
Books. New York, NY.
7
Westermann (1927) reconstructs many monosyllabic stem words (after his Proto-Western-Sudanic (PWS) roots),
many with optional consonantal Auslaut, or even alternate Auslaut forms, with a following nasal or resonant: ka, kal
crab, ka, kan side, k, kn, kl charcoal. Therefore, Yoruba ogunn charcoal is just a variant of PWS *kn
charcoal.

Page 8 of 18

gn (g-n) is not only known among the Yorb, but also among the Sanskrit speakers of India
as Agni (g-n): The Indian god of fire. Sanskrit has a host of terms with this root that relates to fire:
agni/agniH fire, agniparvataH volcano, volcanic cone, agnishalaakaa matchstick, agnishhu in the
fires, agnau in the fire consummation. Also the Slavic god of fire is named Ogoni (Patricia and
Coulter, 2001: 360). There is also Agnar (Norse; Teutonic) hero who is the God of Light.
Turner and Coulter, in their book Dictionary of Ancient Deities (2001: 25), also note that Agni is
spread across many countries with attributes and associations that will become familiar to us throughout
this text, which we can cross compare with gn amongst the Yorb of Nigeria.
Agni/Ogni (Agne, Agnis [Brahamanic, Hindu, tantric, Vedic; India) is also known as Ag, Agni
Yavishta, Agoni (Slavic), Anala, Asani (Lightining), Bhava (Existence), Brhaspati (Lord of
Devotion), Dhumakety, Grahapati, Grhapati (Lord of the House), Hotar (the Invoker), Isana
(Ruler), Jatavedas (All-Knowing), Mahadeva (Great god), Moloch, Narasamsa (Praise of Men),
Ogoni (Slavic), Pasupati (Lord of Cattle), Pav, Pavaka (The Purifier), Pramati, Tudra (Roarer),
Sarva (All), Skambha (Support), Slayer of Rokshasas (Slayer of Evil Spirits), Surya tanunapat
(Son of Self), Trita, Tryambaka, (Three-Mothered or Three-Eyed), Ugra (dead), Vaishwanara
(Universal Man), Yavishta.

The myth of gn is a record of the varied philosophizing of the Yorb on the natural phenomenon of
wild fire put to use by manfor heating, lighting, cooking, hunting, war, metallurgical work and metal
crafts (Oduyoye, 1996: 80-81). The above renderings in Indo-European helps to further demonstrate that
gns origin is in fire and not in hunting (specifically) as proposed by Robert G. Armstrong in his essay
The Etymology of the Word gn in Barnes (1997: 29-38). The association of hunting with gn is
probably the result of an old African method of hunting, which scorched the forests in an effort to drive
out the wild-life. This made the animals easy targets for hunting as they would get caught running out of
the forest from the fires. It may also be a rendering of the word for kill, from the Niger-Congo root k,
k kill (Sumerian hul destroy) (Campbell-Dunn 2009a: 168). The concept of paronymy is not only
characteristic of ancient Egyptian, but is characteristic of African languages and myth-making in general
(see Imhotep, 2011). Thus, they may have seen a commonality in the pronunciation of words for fire,
volcano and killing.
It should be noted that the ancient Irish goddess by the name of Morrigan is associated with
volcanoes, death, creation, violence, sex and war. The popular consensus argues that the word Morrigan is
comprised of the words Mor (great) + rgan queen. I think this is folk etymology. We have a similar
issue with the origins of the word gun (pistol, cannon, rifle, etc.) in English. The current literature
speculates that the word gun derives from Gunnhildr, which consists of gunnr + hildr, both meaning
war, battle. Are we seeing a pattern here? Both Morrigan and Gunnhidr are associated with war and
battles, and the word Morrigan is associated with practically all of the known attributes of gn:
volcanoes, death, creation, violence, sex and war. It is my contention that both the -gan in Morrigan and
the word gun derive from the g-n root for charcoal/fire, which later became associated with iron weapons.
Because fire and the creation of weaponry became associated with violence, power and war, this
later was associated with army generals of war and can be seen in the Japanese word Shogun. The word
Shogun is a contraction of seii taishogun (), which literally means a commander of a force.
It is a military rank and historical title for a hereditary military dictator of Japan. Seii could mean correct
location, correct position, sincere, true heart, correct meaning, good faith. The word taisyo means
general, admiral, boss, or leader. The word gun means army, force, troops (Egyptian qnyt
the Braves (a military corps d'elite); qn 'Brave man, Elite Soldier, Hero"). Remember that gn is a
warrior and the Japanese word Shogun sounds a lot like Yorb Agun conqueror, vanquisher, victor.
Compare Yorb Agun with PIE *seh- conquer, victory.
There are many terms attached to the Yorb term gn that bring about shades of meaning
associated with warfare: ounogun (weapons), ologun (brave warrior), olori ogun (general of the army),
egbe omo ogun (army), ohun elo ogun (arms), opa ogun (war staff), ija ogun (fight or battle), agun (a
Page 9 of 18

rebel, a revolter) and balogun (war chief). It is apparent that gn is a very ancient deity; traceable
possibly to when man first left the continent of Africa to populate the rest of the earth.
It will be later demonstrated (Imhotep forthcoming) that the Egyptian title km wr, an epithet for
Wsir, is equated with Ologun (wr km) a warrior chief of the Yorb. The word km is an epithet of the
god of Athribis. Athribis (in lower Egypt) was one of the military nomes assigned to the Calasirian
militia under the Pharaohs. The Egyptian word km is a dialectical variant of Yorb gn, where n>m.
We also have in Kalenjiin (Nilo-Saharan) kiim strong, hard; kiimnoteet strength, power; kimkim
strong, stiff, firm, fundamental; ciLuba nkama force, might, power, strength; Egyptian gm
strength, power, might. We note also in Egyptian jkm shield (protection weapon) [Wb 139 I]. We
suggest that km wr Great Black is not the proper translation, but something more along the lines of
Great strength or Great warrior. We are supported with a variant, with slight change in meaning, gn
the great ruler. Wr can also mean lord. Compare also to kmA wr

wr

God [Wb V 37].

gn: God of War

Fire and weaponry are instruments of power, and the g-n root can be seen in the following Egyptian
terms: gn
powerful, respected, gm
strength, power, might. It is my contention that the
Egyptian words gn and gm are variants of the word qnj be strong, valiant, mighty, capable, active.
Strength and valor are characteristics of a warrior/hunter. Iron, steel and other metals, all forged in the
smithy, are also symbols of strength given the hard texture of the metals. gn, as previously stated, is
the patron of iron and war.
Warriors saw the advantages of going to war under the sign of such a patron: gn could ensure
an inexhaustible supply of iron implements of war. Therefore, since gn is the spirit behind fire and
weapons, he becomes the God of war among warriors. The volcanic origins of the myth are still
invoked to imbue a warrior with the violent temper of a volcano. The Egyptian name for their elite
military unite was qnyt
the Braves (a military corps d'elite). The word is a reflex of the name
of the ancient Middle East clan of smith, the Kenites. The name means, belonging to the copper smith.
This word for copper is reflected in Egyptian as gn
copper objects, gnw
metal pots or
vases.
As noted previously, gn is the patron of both warriors and hunters. The difference between war
and hunting is that in war violence is directed at human beings, whereas in hunting the violence is
directed towards animals. In each endeavor the same weapons are used: spear, arrow, javelin, sword, and
now-a-days, the gun (gn). In Yorbland, the hunters predominate in the worship of gn.

gn = Cain of the Bible

As noted by Oduyoye (1996), the name Qayin (Cain) of the Bible is linguistically cognate with gn of
Yorbland. Cain, for the Hebrews, is the patron of violence and was depicted as the being that executed
the first murder. While the Africans venerated gn the patron spirit of iron and war, the Hebrews
vilified him and cursed him to forever be a vegabond.
The word Cain (Qayin) is simply a word designating a craftsman, a metal worker or farmer. It is
seen in the name Tubal-Cain, who in Genesis 4:22 was the one who first forged various implements of
copper and iron. The connection between gn and Qayin is beyond simple parallelism, but is a matter of
themes built off of cognate terms.
Comparative linguistics demands that this type of assertion be backed by evidence that will show
a phonological correspondence between the corresponding sounds in the two words. They must both

Page 10 of 18

stand on both legs: in both form and meaning. We need to show, therefore, that Yorb g-n corresponds
with Semitic q-n/q-m. This can be seen in the following table.

Qayin = Cain = gn
Hebrew

Yorb

qum rise up, stand up

qomah height standing place

qemah flour

Arabic

gn/gun (k) climb (hill)

gn/gun (akaba) climb (a ladder)
gn/gun (esin) ride (a horse)
O gn he is tall
i.e. it is long
gn it is erect
gn yn she is protruding at the
breasts. Her breasts have become
erect.

qaama he rose

ogn war

maqama combat

gn l to settle
a-d-gun-od stagnant waters

aqama to settle, to stay in place

gn to pound (pulverize)
gn yn to pound iyn
gnmu medicinal herbs (pound
into a powder)

qaneh stalk

Qayin Cain
qanah he acquired
miqneh acquisition
qinyah property

gn barren (woman)

aqama sterile

gn to prick
gn thorns (sharp point)
igun edge (sharp corner)
gn god of iron

qamh stalk

Qayn smith

ogn property, inheritance

As we can see, the sound correspondences are regular. Further data exemplifying the correspondence
between Semitic /q/ and Yorb /g/ can be seen below.
foolish
wall
fetters
villages
ape

Arabic
hamuq

Hebrew
qiyr

qe:d
qura
qird

Yorb
mg fool
giri
gdgodo padlock
egur village, countryside
lgd monkey (metathesis)

gn/Akin God of war/bold, valiant man

While the phonological correspondence of Hebrew /q/ with Yorb /g/ seems to have no complications, it
should be noted that the voiced velar /g/ alternates with its voiceless counterpart /k/ in Yorb: in much
the same way as with the /l/ and /r/ liquids in Yorb. For example, in Hausa we have the word gama to
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be complete. Yorb not only has ogn twenty and gn finished product, highest quality, but also
kn it is full (Egyptian qm total up to, amount to, complete; qn complete).
In utterances, such as found in the structure of Yorb gin, the /g/ tends to be devoiced to /k/.
Hence, Agin- does not occur in Yorb; it is Akin. The gn/akin situation is reflected in Ol-gnn/ekn
cat/tiger. This alternation between /g/ and /k/ has been utilized within Yorb to achieve semantic
shading. We posit that this same process is present in the Egyptian language (e.g., nkt/qnt victory;
qnj/gm powerful; gm power).
Yorb /g/

Yorb /k/

Egyptian

ciLuba

Ogn God of iron, war,

hunting

akinbravery, brave,
valor
Okun strength
akoni brave person,
hero
okn (lion) heart
heart

qn/qni be brave, be
strong
qn.t brutality, violence,
valor

di-kima, bu-kitu, mu-kale

brave
lu-kana brutality
Cye-nge war
bu-kole force, energy,
strength

xrw battle, war

xrw.yt war
xrw.yt war
xrwyw war, rebellion,
revolt
Hrw terror, dread,
fright

gn to pound

kn to hammer
kn to be powder
smooth

ogn twenty (cf. Hausa

gama)

kun to be full

gn finished product,
grade1

okan 1 integer

igun angle, edge,

extremes
gun perspiration
(moisture)
gn thorns
olgnn cat

kun ends, limits

ikunmoisture in the
nostrils
ikn stalk, reed
ekun tiger (cat family)

qny(t) elite corps

qn brave man, hero,
soldier, mighty, capable,
active
qma to hammer out, to
create
qm complete, total up
to, amount to
km complete, total up
to, amount to
km finished, end,
complete
xm to bring to end
hn to limit, km put to
an end
qn mat

Kanda "to refuse permission,

forbid, prohibit, restrain,
command or order not to do,
disapprove" [n+l>nd]
kala strength, power
nkama force, might, power,
strength

Mu-kanda to pound
ka-koono(u) powder
(<koona scrape, shave,
grate)
nkum end

Nkamukilu<kamuka(<kama
finished)
nkum finished, -kama
stop le-kela to quit
-kama end, mu-kalu limit
Cya-shima moisture,
humidity (k>sh)
Mu-nkan-gi thorns

knnn lion (cat

family)

As we can see here, the Yorb g-n root semantically and phonetically corresponds with Greek nike and
Egyptian nxt/qnt in terms of bravery, strength, violence and war. The ciLuba-Bantu /l/ sound also
corresponds with Egyptian /n/ and the above themes can be seen in ciLuba hale (also kule) to be crazy,
deranged, wild, foolish, mad, reckless, vicious, violent (to become<hala). The /k/ sound can also
alternate with /sh/ in ciLuba, so we have the following reflexes: -shil() "severe, hard, tough, scary,
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stiffened, stiff, strong, solid"; -kol -shil() "a great strength." This corresponds to Egyptian xrw war,
battle, which has a reflex: kAhA
difficult, strong, wild. We also have in Egyptian
Drj firm, hard, efficient [Wb V 599], where /D/ historically derives from /g/. See also nTrt fixed [Wb II
366]. The /T/ sound in Egyptian derives from Afro-Asiatic /k/.

Conclusion
The Greek word nike means victory and was personified as a goddess that was associated with war,
politics, sport, courting, love and childbirth.8 We posited that this term is actually African and derives
from the Egyptian term nxt victory, mighty, obdurate, stiff, hard, support, stiffen, become hard,
successful, strength, force, strong man, champion, bully, strong of arm, adult, a hero, to protect." This is
reflected in ciLuba-Bantu as nke "solid, hard, fixed" (syn. ndendende "tenacity, toughness, persistence").
Some semantic shading occurs with an alternation of phonemes, and by way of metathesis, which
can be seen in the word qnt victory, might, brutality, violence"; qn 'Brave man, Elite Soldier, Hero"; qnj
"be strong, valiant, mighty, capable, active, conquer, amount (to), be profuse." This form of the word is
cognate with the patron of war and violence in Yorb: gn, which has by-forms of the word rendered
akin bravery, brave, valor; okun strength; akoni brave person, hero; okn (lion) heart heart.
gn, like the goddess Nike, was also associated with war, politics, sport, courting, love and childbirth
(as a god of fertility).
Another association with gn is his role as a fertilizing agent of the earth. In Imhotep
(forthcoming), I have demonstrated the linguistic correspondence between Yorb gn and Igbo ogwu.9
His role as a spirit of fertility corresponds with the Igbo goddess of fertility Ogwugwu.10 Ogwugwu
literally means well or hole or pit (Umeh 1997). In the town of Ekwulumi, the spirit of fertility is
named Uku, and helps barren women to bare children. gn, in his positive creative aspect, symbolizes
order. gn is also involved in procreation (as farming is an act of creation). gn presides over the
beginning of life and the cutting of the umbilical cord, and he is there at the end of life as well. gn, it is
said, is the hoe that opens the earth to bury you (gn okoko yeri ogu).
Praise poems associated with gn are often sexual in nature. The themes are aimed at
illuminating the generative aspects of gn. For example:
O epn janna bim sil Ijanna.
A gb sok luku oko r oj!
He made his penis lengthen to father a child in the house of Ijanna.
We heard how the penis struck those in the market!
We therefore equate the goddess Nike with Yorb gn. Both names come from a root cognate with
Egyptian nkt/qnt. Although the Egyptians did not deify the latter terms, they deified a variant of this root
as the god @rw (Horus), where x>H and n>r. As noted in Proto-Bantu, *kd bird of prey (hawk) is a
dialectical variant of the Egyptian word Hr or Hrw
The god Horus, and derives from the same root
as PB *kd be strong; be hard; be difficult. In ciLuba we have Nkulu, Nkole, Ngal, nGole, Cyal, Kal;
ciKololo hawk, bird, raven. These terms can also refer to a prominent man. We note as well that the
goddess Nike is depicted with wings, just like @rw (Horus) among the ancient Egyptians.
Egyptian H-r is k-l in ciLuba. The k-l root in ciLuba has the following reflexes:

See www.goddessnike.com/goddess_nike_and_her_roles.php (retrieved October 23, 2013)

Linguistically, names that correspond with gn (g-n) in Yoruba will drop the final -n in Igbo (-g-).
10
Ogwugwu is also the spirit of the dark forests.
9

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kale, kala11: to be strong, strong, well, vigorous, arduous, firm, steady, solid, hard, immovable,
fixed, steadfast, powerful, robust, tough (as meat), violent, severe, serious (matter), fertile, or rich
or productive (soil), loud (voice); kala (v): to be strong, be full grown, be mature, be firm, be
steady, be stable, be solid, develop, grow, be mature, to exist, to be.

Thus, Nike is a variant of gn (Akin; Qayin/Cain), which are both variants of @rw (Horus). They refer
to the courage, strength and valor needed in times of war and in the hunt. The inspiration comes from
witnessing the wonder and damage done by ancient volcanoes. When surmounted by immeasurable
challenges, it is the spirit of the volcano (an erupting fire; bravery) that allows one to triumph over
adversity. These terms also refer to the instruments of war, which are needed to ensure victory or
success in any battle. The one who has the most advanced weapon, and can wield the weapon most
efficiently, will have the upper hand in a fight.
It is strength, determination and the willingness to never give up (persistence, be stubborn) that
will ensure success in life. These are the characteristics needed in all sports and that is the spirit of what is
captured in the name for the modern sports apparel company: Nike. Although Nike and gn are different
genders, it should be noted that gn is also a goddess in Yorbland (Barnes 1997). We noted that
Yorb g-n can also correspond to Egyptian k-m. Therefore, worthy of consideration is kmjt goddess
[Wb V 130].
Another interesting parallel exists between gn and Nike. However, it is not between the deities
themselves, but between gn and the Nike swoosh symbol on the logo for the apparel company.

The famous swoosh looks like a check sign. But it also looks like the traditional swords of Yorbland,
which can be seen in the image below.

11

It should be noted that within ciLuba, the /l/ is often interchangeable with /m/. The /l/ corresponds to Egyptian /m/
and /n/ as well.

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Above is a figure carrying a ceremonial sword called udamalore sword of the well born, from the Yorb people
of Owo, Nigeria | Ivory | Late 19th century. The udamalore is a ceremonial sword worn by the Olowo, ruler of
Owo, and his high-ranking chiefs. It shows the wearer is considered well born, mature, powerful and influential, a
person who is like the elephant. This fragment is from the tip of the sword blade and portrayed a chiefly figure
crowned with a coral openwork cap holding a sword. The cap originally had a bird, the emblem of spiritual powers,
projecting from its side. The shape of the blade may be inspired by the shape of an elephants trunk. The figure
above is currently being held in the Smithsonians National African Museum of Art, Washington, DC (Object
Number: 2005-6-80).

As we can see here, the Nike swoosh and the Yorb udamolare sword are very close in shape. I
do not argue that the Nike Company borrowed this shape and modified it from Africa; just that it is
ironic that an instrument of gn would find symmetry in design with a modern sports company that
bears its name unknowingly. Millions of consumers are walking around with a bit of African religion at
the soles of their feet. Maybe this is the secret to Michael Jordans success!
Asar Imhotep

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Meeussens Proto-Bantu Reconstructions

http://linguistics.berkeley.edu/CBOLD/Docs/Meeussen.html
Tower of Babel
http://starling.rinet.ru/
Yorb Dictionary
http://www.yorubadictionary.com/

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