Lucumí language
Lucumí is a lexicon of words and short phrases derived from the Yoruba language in Cuba; it is used as the liturgical language of Santería in Cuba and other communities that practice Santería/Cuban Orisa/Lucumí religion/Regla de Ocha.
The Yoruba language is no longer a vernacular among Yoruba descendants in the Americas from the time of the Atlantic slave trade. Devotees of the Orisa religion as it developed in the Spanish Caribbean use a liturgical language that developed from its remains. Lucumí has also been influenced by Spanish phonetics and pronunciation. Scholars have found some minimal influence from Bantu languages and Fongbe, some of which were spoken by other enslaved Africans who lived in close proximity to Yoruba speakers in the Americas.
