Ouija

See also: ouija

English

Etymology

The popular belief that the word came from French oui (“yes”) + German ja (“yes”) is a misconception. The name is taken from a word spelled out on the board when it was asked to name itself by Helen Peters, sister-in-law of Kennard Company investor Elijah Bond. It is noted in personal letters that Ouija was the name of a woman in a painting above her head at the time, who it is speculated may have in fact been Ouida.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈwiːdʒə/, /ˈwiːdʒi/

Noun

Ouija (countable and uncountable, plural Ouijas)

1. (countable) A board, having letters of the alphabet and the words yes and no; used with a planchette during a seance to "communicate" with spirits.
2. (uncountable) The use of such a board to attempt to communicate with spirits.

Synonyms

• (board used to communicate with spirits): Ouija board, spirit board, talking board

Translations

a board with letters of the alphabet and "yes" and "no"

• Arabic: وْيْجَا (wyjā)
• Basque: ouija
• Catalan: ouija
• Danish: ouija, ouija-bræt, ånden i glasset
• Dutch: ouijabord
• Esperanto: literumita tabulo, fantomtabulo
• Estonian: ouija laud, ouija tahvel
• Finnish: ouija, Ouija-lauta
• French: Ouija (fr)
• German: Ouija, Hexenbrett, Alphabettafel, Seelenschreiber
• Greek: πίνακας Ouija (pínakas Ouija), πίνακας πνευμάτων (pínakas pnevmáton)
• Icelandic: andaglas n
• Italian: ouija, tavola ouija
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Japanese: ウィジャボード (uija-bōdo)
• Latvian: vīdža
• Lithuanian: vidža lentelė
• Maltese: ouija board
• Polish: ouija
• Portuguese: ouija (pt), tabuleiro ouija
• Romanian: ouija
• Russian: уиджа f (uidža)
• Spanish: güija (es), ouija (es)
• Swedish: ouija-bräda, anden i glaset
• Thai: ผีถ้วยแก้ว (pǐi-tûai-gɛ̂ɛo)
• Turkish: ouija
• Ukrainian: віджа f (vidža), віджі (vidži)
• Welsh: bwrdd ouija m

See also

• ideomotor effect