Pomba Gira

Portuguese

Alternative forms

• Pombajira, Pombagira

Etymology

Borrowed from Kimbundu pambu la njila (“crossroads”). Compare Swahili njia panda (“crossroad”). The "r" instead of an "l" in "Gira" also happens in other languages. Such cognates include Kikuyu njĩra, Chichewa njira, and Mwani njira.

Proper noun

Pomba Gira

1. an Afro-Brazilian spirit evoked by practitioners of Umbanda and Quimbanda in Brazil