Idan is a dialectical slang that has set the social media community agog these past weeks, especially with the recent feat of Hilda Baci on the longest cooking marathon of which the slang has been widely used by Nigerians as a way of cheering her accomplishment. The slang has enjoyed massive attention from netizens and is set to attain more in the upcoming weeks, hence, the need to gather more information on what this viral slang means.
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What is the meaning of Idan?
I would say the right question to ask here should be “What are the meanings of Idan?” because the slang has a variety of meanings which depends on the context it is being used.
To begin, Idan is a dialectical slang whose origin is traced to the Yoruba-speaking people of Nigeria in West Africa, and it is said to mean magic, wonder and several other positive and negative meanings of which it is used. The slang also has Hebrew and Anglo-Saxon ties of which they are used as baby names, and they mean Era or time, and Wealthy respectively.
But, for this article, we will be addressing Idan as slang used by Nigerians.
When was Idan first used as slang?
There is no factual knowledge on when Idan was first used but it gained attention a few days ago when it was used within a thread published by a Twitter user who used it as some sort of expression of his reverence for a Nigerian presidential aspirant-Omoyele Sowore who proceeded to contest the past presidential election despite the odds against him. Of course, this presidential candidate didn’t win the election, but the usage of the slang in the thread was meant to state that he achieved a great feat regardless.
Other Meanings
The slang also mean to deal or deal when it is used in conversations or phrases that suggest secret and illegal activities being carried out.
- In the Street, the slang is used to explain a character of an individual who is regarded as being street smart.
- Idan is also slang used for someone who is regarded to have an exceptional character with excellent mental ability and agility to achieve things generally regarded as impossible.
- As a noun, the slang can also be used in the description of a person who is highly revered in a particular niche and is considered to be the Boss, Don or Godfather.
- Another suitable meaning for Idan is in the supernatural purview where it is used to express illusion and this is what it means as a Yoruba word.
Finally, the meaning of the slang is unlimited as what it means varies with the aim of the word usage and the context it is applied. However, remember that the slang can be used both positively and negatively, so endeavor to use it just the right way you intend to.