kumbaya
English
Alternative forms
- kum ba yah
- kumbayah
Etymology
From Gullah. Apparently a corruption of the English phrase “come by here” in a spiritual song.
Pronunciation
- (US) IPA(key): /ˌkum.baɪˈjɑ/, /ˌkum.bɑˈjɑ/
Noun
kumbaya
- The title of the etymological folk song, used with varying degrees of sincerity or sarcasm to refer to the song's evocations of spiritual unity and interpersonal harmony.
Further reading
