Ouija

Ouija (pronounced wee-juh or wee-jee) refers to the belief that one can receive messages during a séance by the use of a Ouija board (also called a talking board or spirit board) and planchette. The fingers of the participants are placed on the planchette which then moves about a board covered with numbers, letters and symbols so as to spell out messages.

Etymology

The term "Ouija" is derived from the French "oui" (for "yes") and the German "ja" (for "yes"). An alternative story suggests the name was revealed to inventor Charles Kennard during a Ouija séance and was claimed to be an Ancient Egyptian word meaning "good luck," although this is known to be incorrect. It has also been suggested the word was inspired by the name of the Moroccan city Oujda.

Related Topics:
French - German - Ancient Egyptian - Moroccan - Oujda

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Despite its common usage, "Ouija" is a trademark and the word should be capitalized when used in print.

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