Chi
Igbo for "god, spiritual being": the personal guardian spirit each person is believed to have, and the clipped form parents use for dozens of longer names built on the same root.
Meaning and origin
In Igbo thought a person's chi is an individual spiritual guardian and the source of their fortune, distinct from the community's shared deities; the idea runs through Chinua Achebe's novels and essays on Igbo cosmology…
How to pronounce Chi
| Igbo (Nigeria) | chee /tʃì/ |
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About this entry
Drafted with the help of an AI model, then checked by a person. Last checked on 16 September 2026.
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