Meaning & use
griots
Last updated
“griots” is a form of “griot”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meaning
nounplural
West African storytellers, singers and poets who keep a community's history, family lines and traditions alive by performing them aloud.
Grammar: Plural of griot: the griots sang; one such storyteller is a griot.
Patterns
- griots of somewhere
- trained as griots
West African griots have passed down the history of kings for centuries.
The village gathered to hear the griots sing about their ancestors.
Many musicians in Mali come from families of griots.
Word forms
| singular | griot |
|---|
Common combinations
- West African griots
- West African griots are known for their long oral epics.
- traditional griots
- Traditional griots often play the kora, a stringed instrument.
- griots sing
- The griots sing of battles and weddings.
- family of griots
- She comes from a long family of griots.
- griot tradition
- The griot tradition is an important part of oral culture.
Synonyms and how they differ
- storytellers
- Storytellers is a general word for anyone who tells stories, while griots are a specific cultural role with duties to a community.
- bards
- Bards is the European term for poet-singers, so it would not be used for West African tradition.
- oral historians
- Oral historians describes the record-keeping side only, while griots also perform music and praise.
Word family
Commonly confused: griots or grits?
griots vs grits
Grits is a food made from ground corn, popular in the American South. It sounds somewhat like griots but means something completely different.
Practice
Which role best describes West African griots?
Choose one answer.
Griots keep community history alive through spoken and sung performances. They may advise leaders but are not chiefs, and they are known for performance rather than trade or pottery.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “griots”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.