Saravá is an interjection that has the same meaning as a greeting, commonly used among participants of Afro-Brazilian cults, such as umbanda and candomblé.
The expression saravá can be understood as a synonym for "Save" or "Welcome", used when a participant arrives at the Afro-Brazilian cult, for example.
Example: "Saravá, my brother!"
Etymologically, this term originated from the way in which African slaves pronounced the Portuguese word "salvar", due to the influence of the phonology of the Bantu language: "salava" and, later, "saravá".
Learn more about meaning of Umbanda.
Unfortunately, due to the prejudice that is the target of some social and religious groups, religions Afro-Brazilians and, consequently, most of the expressions that are typical of them ended up acquiring pejorative meanings.
However, the misinterpretation given to the term "saravá" represents the ignorance of people who do not know the real story behind its meaning: a simple friendly greeting.
See more about the meaning of Oxossi.
