How did zombies get their name? - ProProfs Discuss
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How did zombies get their name?

Asked by J. Lautner, Last updated: Mar 26, 2024

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B. Lucian

B. Lucian

I fell in love with Literature when i was a child and since i gained more consciousness, I've pursued it as a career and I'm lovin' it.

B. Lucian
B. Lucian, Literature Professor, Diploma in Classic Literature, Denver, Colorado

Answered Oct 04, 2019

The word ‘zombie’ was coined in the year 1819. This was used by a Brazilian poet named Robert Southey. The term that he used is not actually “zombie” but “zombi.” This refers to an Afro-Brazilian that is called “Zumbi.” The name was coined probably because of the term “nzambi” which means God, and “Zumbi’ actually means fetish. People who try to create zombies usually play God.

They feel they can make the dead come alive. However, because they are not God, they end up creating creatures that are half alive and half dead. There are some changes with the zombie archetype over the past years. Right now, zombies become alive not only because of magic but also because of parasites.

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Ken Wilson

Ken Wilson

Want to learn new things and share my knowledge

Ken Wilson
Ken Wilson, Marketing Analyst, MBA, Miami

Answered Mar 05, 2019

The word “zombie” came from Haiti where the storytelling about zombies began. There are two distinct languages in Haiti called Haitian French and Haitian Creole. In Haitian French the word zombie came from the word zombie and in Haitian Creole it was from zonbi. This word “zombie” came from the storytelling that people from Haiti began telling their children.

The word “zombie” came from Haiti where the storytelling about zombies began. There are
This is Haitian folklore. It was believed that zombies were raised from the dead and this was part of the voodoo religion in Haiti. Zombies were controlled by their masters. There is a voodoo priest who may be involved with the zombies. Then these stories would be told to their children so that they could be passed down to their own children.

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