Anansi

[ uh-non-see ]

noun

1. a mischievous trickster character in folk tales of West Africa and, subsequently, the Caribbean who is both a spider and a man, the son of the creator god Nyame.

Word History and Origins

Origin of Anansi¹

First recorded in 1700–10; from Twi ananse “spider,” and the name of a mythological character notable for his cunning and trickery

Example Sentences

“I can speak to arachnids, including their king, Anansi, of course,” she said with pride.

From Literature

Designs in their latest collection feature names like “Anansi,” the West African folklore character, and “Maroon,” the enslaved Africans who escaped and evaded their captors across the Caribbean.

From Los Angeles Times

There are stories there that Mark might have drawn on, and others from beyond its borders: in Anansi stories and Ghanaian folk tales, for example.

From Washington Post

The novel is told in alternating points of view, shifting between each sister, and also a third, unnamed narrator who sounds a lot like what Anansi might sound like.

From New York Times

Sasha and Zora listen rapt as their father tells them about furry, bull-like creatures with glowing red eyes; as their mother tells them of the goddess Mama Dglo, who is part snake, part woman; as both parents speak of the trickster spider Anansi, who is a god and also a weaver of stories.

From New York Times