adga: 

Probably a reference to Aja, an ethnic group in modern-day Togo and Benin that traces its origins to Tado. Aja also refers to a language in the Gbe family. 

To learn about Aja and the other Gbe languages spoken in the region, see The Gbe Language Cluster.

tome: 

Tome likely means “nation” or “country.” Here, it refers to adga tome, which can be translated as “Aja country.” In the Dutch Creole version of the letter, adge Tome is replaced by the phrase Popo op Africa, or “Popo in Africa.”

To learn about what these terms meant to Damma, see What is Nation?

Neacadda: 

Ne acadda means “For the Queen” or “To the Queen.” Damma, who was living in the Danish West Indies, addressed her letter to Sophie Madgalene, the Queen of Denmark. 

To learn why Damma was writing to the Danish Queen, see The Mystery of Damma’s Letter. 

yo vottomé

This is probably meant to be yovo tomé, which can be interpreted as “a foreign country.” 

In the Dutch creole version, Damma uses the phrase blanco Land, which means “the land of the whites.”

To learn about Damma’s conception of race, see What is Race?

Wodu (Vodu)

Vodu can refer to a specific deity or to a religious system that is widely practiced in the region of West Africa where Damma was born and raised. Damma used the term vodu several times in her Gbe-language letter. It may be her translation for Jesus. 

To learn more about Damma’s conception of God, see What is God?

Martinus: 

Both the Gbe and Dutch Creole letters refer to Friedrich Martin, a Moravian missionary on St. Thomas who was imprisoned in 1738. 

For more on the Moravian Church, see “The Moravian Brethren“

Mau

Mau is a reference to a West African deity, usually spelled Mawu. This is one of the only terms that appears in both the Gbe and Dutch Creole versions of Damma’s letter. 

To learn about Mau and Damma’s conception of God, see What is God?

Gnonù

Damma ended her Gbe letter with a statement about her gender and her identity: she was a “woman (Gnonù) from Poppo.” This line was not included in the Dutch Creole version. 

Damma

The Gbe-language letter is signed “Damma.” Damma’s childhood name was probably “Amma,” a common name given to girls born on a Saturday. As an older woman, the honorific “Da” was likely added, making the name “Damma.” 

This letter is the only reference to the name “Damma.” The Dutch Creole version is signed “Marotta, now Madlena.” Madlena was Damma’s baptismal name, while Marotta was probably the name she was given after her enslavement. 

For more on Damma’s biography, see Damma’s Life.