Meaning & use
griot
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Meanings
nouncountablespecialist
A West African storyteller, singer and musician who keeps and performs the history, genealogy and traditions of a community.
Grammar: Has a plural: griots pass stories down through families.
Patterns
- a griot of a people
The griot recited the history of the royal family for hours.
In Mali, a griot often plays the kora while telling an old story.
Her grandfather was a griot, and she learned many songs from him.
nouncountablefigurative
A person today who keeps or shares the stories and history of a community or culture, in a manner like a traditional storyteller.
Grammar: Used figuratively, often with a descriptive phrase: the griot of our town.
Patterns
- the griot of a community
The old teacher became the griot of our neighborhood, recalling every family's story.
The author sees himself as a modern griot.
She works as a griot, collecting oral histories from older residents.
Word forms
| plural | griots |
|---|
Common combinations
- a West African griot
- A West African griot performed at the festival.
- griot tradition
- The griot tradition keeps history alive through song.
- a griot's song
- A griot's song told of the great king.
- play the kora
- The griot played the kora and sang.
- descend from griots
- Many musicians descend from griots.
Synonyms and how they differ
- storyteller
- This is a general word for anyone who tells tales, while griot names a specific hereditary role in West African cultures.
- bard
- This is the European equivalent of a poet-singer, whereas griot belongs to West African tradition.
- troubadour
- This refers to medieval European wandering singers, whereas a griot is tied to a community and keeps its history.
- oral historian
- This is a neutral modern job description, while griot carries cultural and musical weight.
Word family
- griotte noun
- a female griot
- kora noun
- a West African harp-like instrument often played by griots
- oral tradition noun
- history passed on by speech rather than writing
Commonly confused: griot or gris?
griot vs gris
Gris is French for gray and is unrelated; griot is pronounced with a hard g and the ending sounds like 'oh'.
Practice
In Mali, a ___ may perform for hours, singing and telling the history of a family over many generations.
Choose one answer.
A griot is a West African storyteller and keeper of oral history. A grocer sells food, a guide leads travelers, and a guard protects, none of which tell the history.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “griot”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.