Orature

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈɒɹətʃə/

Definitions

1. The practice of conveying cultural knowledge and narratives through spoken performances highlights the significance of voice in sharing history and traditions across generations
2. This art form emphasizes the oral transmission of stories, preserving cultural identity and values through collective storytelling experiences
3. The tradition of sharing narratives orally illustrates how voices transmit cultural knowledge and communal history to future generations

Etymology: Orature is a blend of "oral" and "literature," and the blend is credited to Pio Zirimu, a Ugandan linguist and literary theorist who died in 1977. He is said to have coined it in the early 1970s to name the body of spoken verbal art that exists outside written texts, so the word was built to correct the assumption that literature must be written down. The word "orature" is a blend of "oral" and "literature," and the blend is credited to Pio Zirimu, a Ugandan linguist and literary theorist who died in 1977. He is said to have coined it in the early 1970s to name the body of spoken verbal art that exists outside written texts. The word was built to correct the assumption that literature must be written down. Hmm, that repeated the same facts, so here is the rest: a separate and older strand of the history lies in a different word that looks identical in spelling. Scots "oratur" was a variant of "oratour," which in Middle English named a room or place for prayer or private study, such as a chapel or shrine. That sense traces through Old French and Latin "ōrātōrium" back to "ōrātor," meaning speaker, from Latin "ōrō," to speak in public, which rests on "ōs," mouth.