The words hip-hop, hippie, and hip all come from the African American hep, “cool” or “up to date,” which ultimately derives from the Yoruba hipikat, “one who is aware, finely tuned to his or her...

The words hip-hop, hippie, and hip all come from the African American hep, “cool” or “up to date,” which ultimately derives from the Yoruba hipikat, “one who is aware, finely tuned to his or her environment.” Other words and phrases derived from West African languages include guy (gay, “people”), dig (dega, “understand”), jamboree (“gathering”), bug (“bother”), bogus (boku, “fraud”), and kick the bucket (kikatavoo, “die”).