The Rice University Neologisms Database

A child born with naturally mattted or locked hair that cannot be combed. The natural hair texture is similar to dreadlocks and is not in that state by choice. The word "dada" a word of Yoruba origin, has entered the widely spoken Nigerian English and can be used both as an adjective and a noun. For example one can say, "John’s friend is dada" or "John’s friend has dada hair". In Yoruba, the word is only used as an adjective. “Dada” is used the same way "dreads" is in American English. The only difference is that the word “dreads” is of Jamaican origin and was used to refer to the Rasta men who people feared and "dreaded." With time, since they had unusual matted or locked hair, their hair was referred to as dreadlocks or dreds and the people were also sometimes called dreds. Dada is almost the same thing as dreds. It looks exactly like dreadlocks. The only difference is that since dada is natural, meaning since the children are actually born with unusually curly, tangled or matted hair, they are forced to grow the dreds. Since most children in Nigerian culture wear their hair in its natural state, if it looks like dreds or dada it is assumed that the child is a naturally born “dada.” Adults are seldom referred to as dada because the dreds may be a style done by choice.