Dogon

noun

Do·​gon ˈdō-ˌgän How to pronounce Dogon (audio)
plural Dogon or Dogons
1
: a member of a people of Mali noted for their sculpture
2
: the language of the Dogon

Examples of Dogon in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
There are other Indigenous cultures that speak about this: the Hopi tribe, the Dogon tribe in West Africa, the Lakota tribes. Allison Noelle Conner, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2024 Following the deal, 800 Wagner employees were deployed, mostly in Mali’s central region, which the French had stayed away from for fear of getting drawn into a complex local conflict between sedentary peasants, the Dogon, and a regional nomadic community, the Fulani. Stephen Smith, Foreign Affairs, 10 Mar. 2022 The restaurant is inspired by Benjamin Banneker, a descendant of the Dogon tribe in Mali and a Black cartographer and writer who helped survey the city in the late 18th century. Kate Kassin, Bon Appétit, 28 Mar. 2024 Banneker’s use of the stars in his work calls back to his grandfather, an enslaved man who historians believe was from the Dogon people of Mali and Burkina Faso, both in West Africa. Zoe Glasser, Washington Post, 24 Jan. 2024 Moreover, the Fowler’s exhibition didn’t simply show that many African cultures, such as the Dogon of Mali or the Bantu-speaking Kongo, were remarkable blacksmiths. Carolina A. Miranda, Los Angeles Times, 5 Aug. 2023 African civilizations studied the stars — from the Dogon people of West Africa to the Yoruba — and the Egyptians developed technology based on celestial observation. Deneen L. Brown, Washington Post, 10 May 2023 The book picks up the mythology of the Dogon tribe of Mali in West Africa. Chandra Fleming, Detroit Free Press, 31 Mar. 2023

Word History

Etymology

Dogon dogõ, a self-designation

First Known Use

circa 1931, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of Dogon was circa 1931

Dictionary Entries Near Dogon

Cite this Entry

“Dogon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Dogon. Accessed 7 Dec. 2024.

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