# first use of voodoo spelling for voudou

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-use-of-voodoo-spelling-for-voudou/252197>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [June 25, 2004, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-use-of-voodoo-spelling-for-voudou/252197 "2004-06-25T15:58:36Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![drhess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/94ad74/32.png) [@drhess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drhess)\
**Post date:** [June 25, 2004, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-use-of-voodoo-spelling-for-voudou/252197/1 "2004-06-25T15:58:36Z")

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The word voodoo seems derived from Lousiana, and/or Haitian, Creole word that might have sometimes been spelled voudou (which likely came from African words brought over by slave trades). I wondering how voodoo became the spelling in English. Since it is often poorly (even horribly) defined compared to how the word is used in the religion, I’m wondering if the spelling voodoo wasn’t started by Hollywood or novelists, etc. Any body aware of the first use of the word with the oo spelling? My dict. doesn’t do that much. :dubious:

Thanks.

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**Author:** ![Gotterfunken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/58956e/32.png) [@Gotterfunken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gotterfunken)\
**Post date:** [June 25, 2004, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-use-of-voodoo-spelling-for-voudou/252197/2 "2004-06-25T17:04:57Z")

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The Oxford English Dictionary cites an 1888 article in the _Daily News_ that spells it “voodoo,” as well as Andrew Lang’s _Myth, Ritual, and Religion_ (1887), which contains a reference to “voodoo” dances.

However, it seems like it was a secondary spelling, “voudou” remaining the dominate spelling for some time. I’m not sure exactly when or why “voodoo” became the preferred spelling (some time after its initial appearance in the 1880s)–perhaps simply because the “oo” spelling corresponded more with spoken English than the “ou” (which seems to correspond more with spoken French). I don’t know if Hollywood (or some other medium of popular culture) played any role in popularizing the “oo” spelling.

Either spelling is an approximation of the Fon (Dahomey) term “vodu” (meaning “gods” or “spirits”).

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**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\
**Post date:** [June 25, 2004, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-use-of-voodoo-spelling-for-voudou/252197/3 "2004-06-25T17:12:16Z")

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OED cites _voudou_ from 1880 and _voodoo_ from 1888.

I just found an 1862 cite(from a British publication) which talked about the religion in Haiti. The article spelled it _Vaudoux_ (which they said was the name of the god) and _voodoo_ used as an alternate spelling. The magazine article said their info was based on a 1797 book about the history of St. Domingo. I don’t have any idea what the actual words were in the 1797 book.

So it looks as if the spellings were both in use in the mid-1800’s, but most likely the original was from French.