YorubaPrimer PDF

d Yorb
L , b b k w y pdn r

Yoruba Language - Use it or lose it

YORB
M N K, M N K, M N S
Know how to READ IT, WRITE IT, SPEAK IT

w Knn 1 Book One
tne Kej Second Edition

Alfbt The Alphabet

Fonlj Phonology

Mflj Morphology

Fn For

gb jmka Yorb gby

Yoruba Readers Club International

Lti w By

Adbsl nbj nym
MB. BS., DA., FRCPC MTS

r wj

w y j w kk knn ti d Yorb. A k lti ran
akk alkbr lw lti n m t jinl nn k d
n. r ohn ni p d Yorb. e ptk pp lti foj
s ppe r b ti t ti b ti y lti br. A e w y
gg b w kni n n t akk y fi ma k Yorb
kk lemlem pl wn nkan t dun-j. A fi orr
t wrn t a so ohn r m y r kkan, pl ti
gblhn r e pjwe ppe r. y e ptk pp lti l
m n k, m n k, m n s.

Foreword

This book is a Yoruba language primer. It is written to help the
beginning student acquire a basic knowledge in learning the
language. The tone is the pillar of the Yoruba language. It is very
important to pay attention to proper pronunciation right from the
outset. This book is designed primarily as a tone drill manual using
familiar objects to acquaint the student with Yoruba pronunciation.
A pictorial format with sound clips attached to every word, phrase
and sentence is used to demonstrate pronunciation. This is vital in
order to be able to become proficient in writing, reading and
speaking.

kys
t t a l fn kk r in w y ny:
A fi w brhn k wn r ti d Gs. w
dd ni a l fn d Yorb fi n gb t a b
fi w pupa, w ew tb w ar tka s wn
slcb olhn k, rn tb sl n s-n-tl.

Note:
The convention used for writing the text in this book is as follows:
The English text is rendered in brown, Yoruba text
is in black except where color coded red, green or
blue to indicate syllables with high, mid or low
tones respectively.

Fi orr w k Yorb

Learn Yoruba in Multicolor

kn - Contents

Oj w Page

Alfbt Alphabet
1
Fonlj Phonology
6
Mflj Morphology
10
t wrn I
Fwl rnmp
Pictorial I
Oral Vowels

13
t wrn II
Fwl rnmp
Pictorial II
Oral Vowels

21
t wrn III
Fwl rnmp
Pictorial III
Nasalized Vowels

29
t wrn IV
Knsnt
Pictorial IV
Consonants

33
wn Btn Slb Syllable Patterns
35
Slb rnmp
M m
Syllabic Nasal
N n

38
t wrn V
wn Slb
Pictorial V
Syllables

40
E e O o S s -
44
ky Comprehension
48
kjp r Word List
65

A B

lfbt
Yorb
Alphabet
d re m

YO

R

B
Page 1 Oj-w Knn
A a B b D d E e

F f G g GB gb H h I i

J j K k L l M m N n

O o P p R r S s

T t U u W w Y y

A B D

yt lrn lfbt Yorb ti ti Gs
Differences between Yoruba and English Alphabets

B a b fi w d Gs, k s Compared with English, there is no

gbn Yorb n but Yoruba has

d

re m
d Yorb n Yoruba Language has

Fwl rnmp 7 Oral vowels
mje
Fwl rnmp 5 Nasalized vowels
mrn-n
Ksnt 18 Consonants
mjdnlgn

d Gs n The English language has

Fwl 5 Vowels
mrn-n
Ksnt 21 Consonants
mknllgn

C c Q q V v X x Z z

GB gb

lfbt Yorb Alphabet
Oj-w Kej
Page 2

ln fn ppe lfbt Yorb
Yoruba Alphabet Pronunciation Guide

* Fets ohn m bl.
Listen to the voice of a native speaker.

lfbt Yorb Alphabet
A as in

Add
B

Bee
D

Deep
E

Eight (8)

Egg

F

Fee
G

Give
GB *

Diagraph -
pronounced
together
H

Hit

I

Is
J

Jeep
K

Key
L

Lee
M

Me

N

Need
O

Oh

Or
P*
kp
pronounced
together
R

Reed
S

See

She
T

Tea
U

FOOd
W

Will
Y

Yield

d re m
Oj-w Kta
Page 3

wn Fwl Yorb
Yoruba Vowels

Or kjp fwl mj

There are two groups of vowels
ni w n d Yorb.

in Yoruba.

1. Fwl rnmp

1. Oral (Non-nasalized) vowels
2. Fwl rnmp

2. Nasalised vowels

1. Fwl rnmp - Oral vowels

2. Fwl rnmp - Nasalised vowels

kys: * AN and N ma dn bkann.
Note: AN and N sound the same.

kys: K s EN tb ON nn r Yorb jml.
Note: There is no EN or ON in standard Yoruba vocabulary.

A a E e I i O o U u

*AN an

N n IN in

*N n UN un

Fwl Yorb Vowels
Oj-w Krin
Page 4

wn Ksnt Yorb
Yoruba Consonants

wn lt t ma sb

The letters that are usually
ro pe fn wn t k

difficult for non-native Yoruba
e m bl Yorb ni-

speakers to pronounce are -

ti

and

fn pr for example

gb gb to take

pa pa to kill
gb gb to carry

p p to call
gb gb dry

p p late
gb gb to hear

papa pp field
gbgb gbgb to forget

pp pp altar
gbogbo gbogbo all

pupa pupa red
gbgb gbgb dry

pp pp many

Dn wn w
Try them

B b D d F f G g GB gb H h

J j K k L l M m N n P p

R r S s T t W w Y y

GB gb

P p
Ksnt YORB Consonants
Oj-w Karn-n
Page 5

r ohn ni p d Yorb.
The tone is the pillar of the Yoruba language.

r ohn ni p d Yorb.

The tone is the pillar of the Yoruba
r ohn d ni p ni

language. Phonology is the speech
Fonlj. r ohn pil mta

sounds of a language. There are
ni w n d Yorb. wn

three basic tones in Yoruba. They
ni ohn k, rn ti sl.

are the high, middle and low tones.

A fi wn m ohn
mta y tka s wn.

These three accent marks
are used to indicate them.

m ohn sl
( ` ) Grave sign
m ohn k
( ) Acute sign
m ohn rn
( ) Mid tone sign

We do not usually place accent
marks on words with a mid tone
except in some instances when
necessary.

A k sb fi m s
or r olhn rn
fi lkkan ngb t
b y.
Fonlj Yorb Phonology
Oj-w Kf
Page 6
kys
Note

r ohn ni p d Yorb.
The tone is the pillar of the Yoruba language.

A fi or w mta ya

We assigned three different colors
wn m ohn r y

to distinguish between these three
st k l rrn fn

tones to make it easy for children
wn md ti alkbr

and beginners alike to notice them.
lti e kys wn. t

We devised this technique and
t a d sl y ni a p n t

called it the Bis Bus Color Coding
Bis Bus Afw-e-ln. (BA)

Scheme (BCS)

P

d ( ) w ar blue
re ( ) ( ) w ew green
m ( ) w pupa red

Oj-w Keje
Page 7

Mta nn wn ohn orin

Three of the musical notes of the
t a t lr dr ni a fi

piano are used to simulate the
tka s ddn ohn r.

intonation of words. This has been
wn olk ti akk d

used with good effect by Yoruba
Yorb ti lo fn y fn

teachers and students for many
plp dn.

years.

pr Example

P
r ohn
Phonology
d: r: m:

d ( )
re ( ) ( )
m ( )
Oj-w Kj
Page 8
ow (re-m) money w (d-d) trade
w (re-m) hand w (d-d) reverence
w (d-m) flock w (re-d) broom
w (D-d) a town in Yoruba land

Llo do-re-mi k i n ep
n gb gbogbo gbn wl
pp fn alkbr.
Utilizing do-re-mi does not
work perfectly all the time, but
it is very useful for the beginner.
kys.
Note.

b wn m ohn mrn

We do come across other intonation
pd nn wn w Yorb

marks in both old and modern day
tij ti ti de n.

Yoruba books.
wn t e gg ni:

The main ones are:

1. m fgn ( ~)

A k lo m y m ntor p k
wl. A ti fi llo fwl mj t
kkan n m tir dp ir wn
r b. Fn pr:
1. The tilde ( ~)

This sign is no longer in use because it is not
useful. The use of two vowels, each with its
own intonation mark is now used in such
instances. e.g.:

rn

l j

can be

orn o--rn sun
tb / or
rn --rn smell

2. m ohn sl ti k pap ( )

Llo m y k wp m nn won
w Yorb. d mi lj p y ya
wn kw wa lnu lti r m t
e jj y lr ork mi -

2. The low-rising tone ( )

This intonation mark is no longer in common use
in Yoruba texts. I am sure it will come as a
surprise for readers of this book to see this
unfamiliar accent mark on my name
nbj, nym
A e y lti m un rrn fn pipe
ork n b ti t by
This is done to facilitate proper pronunciation of
the name as
nbj, nym - re-dm-d-d , re-dm-re-m

Ogunlg nyn ni o ma i ork
n p by
Many people mistakenly pronounce the name
like this
nbj, nym - d-m-d- d, d-m-re-m
Npa llo m y, a yra fn llo
fwl mj fn ork n.
A tn lo m ohn y nn w y
fn nb 1
In using this sign, doubling the vowel for the
name is avoided.
This accent mark is also used in this book for the
number 1
Knn dp / instead of Kn-n-n

P
r ohn
Phonology
Page 9
Oj-w Ksn-n

Mflj Yorb
Yoruba Morphology

t r ni a p n Mflj.

Morphology is the structure of
e ptk lti n m t

words. It is important to have a
pye npa t gg y r s

good knowledge of how a word
b-b (slb) n d Yorb

is divided into its component parts
ntor p y slb kkan

(syllable) in Yoruba because each
ni n r ohn tir.

syllable has its own distinct pitch.

Btn slb pil mta ni a fi Three basic syllable patterns are used
hun r Yorb.

in forming Yoruba words.
wn ni:

They are:

1. ( F ) Fwl ( V ) Vowel

2. ( KF ) Ksnt + Fwl (CV) Consonant +Vowel

3. (M m, N n) Slb rnmp Syllabic Nasal

V Vowel
C Consonant

F Fwl
K Knsnt

Mflj Yorb Morphology
Page 10
Oj-w Kw

Mflj Yorb
Yoruba Morphology

wn or btn mta t wy These are the three different patterns
ngb t a b pn r s b-b that occur when words are split into
slb ny - their component syllables -


Fwl kan d dr gg bi slb odidi kan
A stand-alone vowel as one complete syllable
pr / Example: a, ,

a a ti d We have arrived
ti d You have arrived
ti d He / She has arrived


Ksnt ti fwl pap gg bi slb kan
A consonant and vowel combination as a syllable
pr / Example: b, l, w, l

b Mo b I beg you
l M l m Dont beat me
w J w sb Please come here
l M l I am going

3. M m, N n

gg bi slb kan t k e ara fwl rnmp.
as a syllable that is not part of a nasalized vowel

Abimbl I am born into honour (AYoruba name)
M l I am going
Aj Ad gb - Ades dog is barking
gg, ba y - The Ostrich, king of birds

Page 11
Oj-w Kknl

Mflj (t r) Yorb
Yoruba Morphology

wl lti yra e kys b
hhun r pl slb e is
npa wwo wn r onslb
mj. A r btn mj-

It is instructive to quickly note how
these syllable building blocks work
by illustrating with some bisyllabic
words. Two patterns emerge

1. F KF V - CV

2. KF KF CV-CV

V Vowel
C Consonant

F Fwl
K Knsnt

1. (F - KF) (V - CV)

Fwl t d dr ti knsnt pl fwl pap
A stand-alone vowel and a consonant-vowel combination

A-d Ad Crown
-l l Honor

2. (KF - KF) (CV - CV)
Ksnt ti fwl pap mj sop
Two consonant and vowel combinations

B-b Bb Father
F-l Fl Cap
Page 12
Oj-w Kejl
wn r onslb pp ma
n wn btn pil k
y n orr n.
Multisyllabic words have these
basic patterns above in various
combinations.
kys Note

T WRN LFBT YORB
YORB ALPHABET PICTORIAL

t wrn wn r t br t
s par pl wn fwl kann
Pictorial of words beginning and
ending with the same vowels

Aa Ee Ii Oo Uu

e kys p wn fwl nkan ni
a fi m ohn r s lr.
Note that intonation marks are
placed only on vowels.

fikn lfbt Yorb - Yoruba Alphabet Expanded

Fwli rnmp Oral vowels

A a E e I i O o U u

Ffi r ohn kra lemlem Tone Drill

e ptk lti fi kk r
ohn lemlem s t k
akk alkbr lti br.
rnyn ni j lti fihn
p ro ohn e gg n ss
d Yorb. Nkan t a
lpa ny nnu apkan w
y t tl oj w y.

It is important to incorporate
tone drills into the learning
process for the beginning student
right from the outset. This is
necessary to underscore the
centrality of tonal sounds in
Yoruba discourse. The following
section of this book is designed
to fulfill this purpose.

Page 13
Oj-w Ktl

a-j aj dog
(re-m)
-ga ga chair
(d-re)
a-p ap arm
(re-m)

-gb gb barrel
(d-m)
a-ta ata pepper
(re-re)
-r r lightning
(d-m)

P
d

re m
d re m
I e - Exercise
Tm wn r y s Gs
Translate these words to English

j, gb
p, p
Ara, r, Ar

Read these sentences aloud.
Ka wn gblhn r y sk

Mo n aj kan.
Aj n jk.
Ap s mi ny.

Oj w krnl
a a-*a A

Aa

I have a dog.
The dog is sitting down.
This is my left arm.
This is a big oil barrel

k Knn 1 Lesson One
Page 14

E-w ew leaf
(re-m)
E-d e-d shrimp
(re-m)
-re re idol/statue
(d-re)

-t t lip
(d- d)

-je je seven

P
d

re m
d re m
I e - Exercise
t k
upper lip

t sl
lower lip

Par wn r y.
Complete these words.

a - * arm
* - *a chair

Ee

K n y?
What is this?

a-* ni It is a dog
a-* ny This is a dog

k Kej 2 Lesson Two
e e-*e E

Page 15
(Five short of twenty)
Oj-w Karndnlgn
Tm wn r y s Gs

we
Er, r
te,
d

d

-s s leg/foot
(re-d)
-y y bird
(re -re)

-j j blood
(d-d)

j w n ap y.
There is blood on this arm.

a-p ap arm
(re-m)

P

d

re m
d re m
Tm wn r y s Gs

s, ,
y
j

Par wn r y.
Complete these words.

a-*a pepper
-* thunder

y y f f.

This bird wants to fly.

-d d

Ork l kan n il
Yorb.

The name of a town in
Yoruba land

k Kta 3 Lesson Three
a-*a

I e - Exercise
Page 16
(Four short of twenty)
Oj-w Krndnlgn

I-gi igi Tree
(re-re)
-j j Storm
(d - d)
I-d (y) Id Eagle
(re - d)

-m m breathing

n n possession

Jw w sb
Please come here

I-bi Ibi evil

I-b Ib here

P
d

re m
d re m
I e - Exercise
Tm wn r y s Gs

d
r
t
Iy

Par r y
Complete this word

Ed ml ny?
How many shrimps are these?

Ed m*** ni wn.
They are three shrimps.

Ii

k Krin 4 Lesson Four
i i-*i I

Page 17
(Three short of twenty)
Oj-w Ktdnlgn

o-w ow money
(re-m)
o-ko oko farm
(re-re)
o-d od river
(re-d)

-j j rain
(d- d)

-p p pillar
(d-m)

P
d

re
m
d re m
I e - Exercise

j r

It is raining

Tm wn r y s Gs

w,
k, Ok
j, Ojo
do, Od,
Op, p

Par gblhn Yorb y.
Complete this Yoruba sentence

d mel ni o l s?
How many languages can you speak ?
Mo l s d m***
I can speak two languages.
Mo gb ynb, mo tn l s Yorb
I understand English, and I can also speak Yorb.

Oo
k Karn-n 5 Lesson Five
o o-*o O

Page 18
(Two short of twenty)
Oj-w Kejdnlgn

-k k car
(re-d)
-m m child
(re -re)
-w w hand
(re-m)

-b b monkey

(d- re)

P
d

re m
d re m
I e - Exercise
-r r word

- decoration

M-t mt motor

y
ork l kan n
il Yorb
the name of a
town in Yoruba-land

Tm wn r y s Gs

k, k
w, w,

Par r y.
Complete this word.

Nbo ni b y w?
Where is this monkey

b n w lr i**
The monkey is on a tree.

k Kf 6 Lesson Six
-*

Page 19
(One short of twenty)
Oj-w Kkndnlgn

u k br r n ojlw Yorb
Words do not begin with u in mainstream Yoruba.

d-d dd black d-r dr organ

(m -m) (d d) musical

P
d

re m
d re m
I e - Exercise

u-b ub

fall

k-ru kru

short

Tt cold
Tut

Tm wn r y s Gs

Kj, Kk
Ff, Ff

Par wn r y
Complete these words
o - * w n - *

money is in hand

Uu

d : r : m : f : s : l : t : d :

d re m
...

fa so la ti do

k Keje 7 Lesson Seven
u *u-*u U

Page 20
(Twenty)
Oj-w Ogn

T WRN LFBT YORB

t wrn wn r t br t
s par pl wn fwl
Pictorial of words beginning
and ending with the vowels

Aa Ee Ii Oo Uu

n orr n

in different ways

wn r t br t s par pl orsr fwl
Words beginning and ending with different vowels

d re m
Page 21
(One over twenty)
Oj-w Kknllgn

Fwl t n m k ( ,,,,,,) k br r n ojlw Yorb
A vowel with a high pitch sound ( ) does not begin words in Yoruba.

-p p bag
(d-d)
-gb gb ram
(d-d)
-gb gb farmer
(d-d)

a-b ab razor a-w aw guinea-fowl
(re-re) (re-m)

P
d

re
m
d re m
I e - Exercise

Ow w nn
p y.

There is money inside
this bag.

Tm wn r y s Gs

gbo, Agbo
wo, Awo
Ab
Ap

Par gblhn y.
Complete this sentence.

** ml ny? How many birds are these?

** m*** ni. They are seven birds.

k Kj 8 Lesson Eight
, a - * a e i o u

Page 22
(Two over twenty)
Oj-w Kejllgn

e-t et ear
(re-m)
-j j two
(d- d)
-so so fruit
(d-re)

e-n en one e-ku eku rat

(re-m)

(re-re)

P
d

re
m
d re m
I e - Exercise
Tm wn r y s Gs.
Translate these words to English.

n, n
j

Par r y
Complete this word

Et ml ni o n?
How many ears do you have?

Et m*** ni mo n.
I have two ears.

gbdn
w kk yin?

Are you enjoying
your studies?
k Ksn-n 9 Lesson Nine
, e-* i o u

Page 23
(Three over twenty)
Oj-w Ktllgn

-j j eight
(d-re)
-ja ja fish
(re -re)
-gb gb necklace
(d-d)

-nu nu mouth -p p peanut
(re-re) (d-d)

P
d

re
m
d re m
I e - Exercise

Tm wn r y s Gs.

gba
p
j,

Par gblhn y.
Complete this sentence.

K ni w nn * * * y?
What is in this * * *?

* * * ni w nn *** y.
It is money that is in this bag.

d Yorb k
ro rr.

Yoruba language is
not difficult at all.

k Kw 10 Lesson Ten
, - * a i u

Page 24
(Four over twenty)
Oj-w Krnllgn

i-w w book
(d-m)
-l l drum
(d-d)
-y y feather
(d-m)

-g g bottle
(d-d)
i-l il house
(re-m)
-l l line
(d-d)

P
d

re
m
d re m
I e - Exercise

Tm wn r y s Gs.

l,
Il,
Iwe

Par gblhn Yorb y
Complete this Yoruba sentence

w ml ny?
How many books are these?

w m*** ni wn.
They are six books.

k Kknl 11 Lesson Eleven
, i - * a e o u

Page 25
(Five short of thirty)
Oj-w Karndnlgbn

o-j oj eye o-l ol mushroom o-mi omi water
(re-m)

(re-m)

(re-re)

o-r or head

(re-m)

P
d

re m
d re m
I e - Exercise
Tm wn r y s Gs.

Oy, y
Ow, wu
Or

Par gblhn y
Complete this sentence

k kel ny?
What lesson is this?

k k***** ni.
It is the twelfth lesson.

-ye ye
wisdom

-w w
thread

k i o !

Greetings for
working (hard).

Oj w wo ny?
What page is this?

Oj w
************** ni.
It is page twenty six.

k Kejl 12 Lesson Twelve
, o - * e i u

Page 26
(Four short of thirty)
Oj-w Krndnlgbn

(Igi) -p p
palm tree
-d d hunter

-k k kan
twenty thousand cowries

ba ba king n n road -b b knife

b ml ny?
b mf ni.

Er dt Game Quiz

P
d

re m
d re m
I e - Exercise

K lrin

Ll - Solo

K n lj?
What has blood?
ja lj.
Fish have blood
b lj
The monkey has blood

k Ktl 13 Lesson Thirteen
, - * a

gb - Refrain

Lj n lj
Has blood, has blood.
Lj n lj
Lj n lj

Page 27
(Three short of thirty)
Oj-w Ktdnlgbn
Tm wn r y s Gs.

p
d, d
k
p,
b
n

Sing it

-j-p jp
tortoise
-p-l pl
brain
-g-d gd
banana

-l-d ld
pig
-d-d dd
flower
-k-r kr
squirel

P
d

re
m
d re m
I e - Exercise
Tm wn r y s Gs.

-j-p, -j-p
-p-l
-g-d
-do-do

Ll - Solo

K n lj?
What has blood?
Igi lj.
A tree has blood.
w lj
A book has blood

gb - Refrain

Lj n lj
K lj
Does not have blood
K lj
Does not have blood

Tree
Book
k Krnl 14 Lesson Fourteen
-*-* -*-* -*-*

Page 28
(Two short of thirty)
Oj-w Kejdnlgbn

T WRN LFBT YORB

t wrn wn r t
par pl wn fwl
rnmp
Pictorial of words that
end with a nasalised
vowel.

wn Fwl rnmp Nasalised Vowels

AN an N n IN in N n UN un

n n N n N n N n N n

AN an N n N n N n UN un

N n N n N n N n N n

P
d re m
Page 29
(One wo short of thirty)
Oj-w Kkndnlgbn

-kan kan one
okan
-sn sn orange -sn sn nine

N

-fn fn mosquito
(ynmynm)
-bn bn gun a-gbn agbn wasp

P
d

re m
d re m
I e - Exercise
Tm wn r y s Gs.

kn, sn
san, fn,
gbn, Agbn,
gbn,
gbn, gbn

AN an

k Kdgn 15 Lesson Fifteen
n n n n un

Page 30
(Thirty)
Oj-w gbn
Ll - Solo

K n lj?
What has blood?
Ew lj.
A tree has blood.
Ow lj
A book has blood

gb - Refrain

Lj n lj
K lj
Does not have blood
K lj
Does not have blood

e-yn eyn tooth -yin yin egg -in in horse

e-rin erin elephant

-rin rin four

-yn yn that one
w yn that book

P
d

re m
d re m
I e - Exercise

Tm wn r y s Gs.

yin, yn,
sn, sn,

Par wn
gblhn y.

K n y?
What is this?

y k?
What of this?

ti y?
And this?
IN in

k Krndnlgn 16 Lesson Sixteen
N IN N n in n

Page 31
(One over thirty)
Oj-w Kknllgbn
Complete these
sentences.

*** ni.
It is a shrimp.

*** ni.
It is a chair.

*** ni.
It is peanuts.

N n

-kn kn tiger o-kn okn rope

-rn rn neck

rn ranko y gn.
This animals neck is long.

o-gn ogn twenty

P
d

re
m
d re m
I e - Exercise

I-kn Ikn
Abdomen
Stomach

Tm wn r y s Gs.

kun, Okun
kn, kn
run
Ogun, gn
Ikn, Ikun

UN un

k Ktdnlgn 17 Lesson Seventeen
N UN N n un n

Page 32
(Two over thirty)
Oj-w Kejllgbn
Par wn
gblhn y.

K n y?
What is this?

y k?
What of this?

y k?
What of this?
Complete these
sentences.

*** ni.
It is one bottle.

*** ni.
They are two hands.

*** ni.
They are three
books

Bb Dr F-l

Ga
Gbngbn
H

Jb Kkr Lw

P
d

re
m
d re m
I e - Exercise
Ga - Tall
H - Boiling
Jb - Accident
B D F G GB H J K L

K wn r tr t br pl ksnt.
Write your own list of words beginning with a consonant.

k Kejdnlgn 18 Lesson Eighteen
Page 33
(Three over thirty)
Oj-w Ktllgbn

Ml N Pupa

Roboto Sr kt

Tb Wr Yr

P
d

re m
d re m
I e - Exercise

M N P R S T W Y

K wn r tr t br pl ksnt.
Write your own list of words beginning with a consonant.

k Kkndnlgn 19 Lesson Nineteen
Page 34
(Four over thirty)
Oj w Krnllgbn

Gg b a ti ly tl n oj-w
kw, wn btn slb Yorb
pn s or mta by:
As previously explained on page ten, there
are three syllable patterns in Yoruba as
follows:



3. (M m, N n) Slb rnmp (Syllabic Nasal)

A tn fi y wa p wl lti yra
e kys b hun r pl slb e
is npa wwo wn r onslb
mj d.
Btn mj s wy -

We also noted that it is instructive to
quickly note how these syllable building
blocks work by illustrating with some
bisyllabic words.
Two patterns emerge -

1. F KF V - CV
a. A - d

b. - dn

e kys p fwl br k l j
fwl rnmp.

Note that the starting vowel (F, V)
cannot be a nasalised vowel.
2. KF KF CV-CV
a. B-b

b. -gun

c. Sn-y

d. Fun-fun

N d Gs, wn fwl mj pr
nnu lfbt ni o tn l j odidi r
t n tum. wn ni a and i .
N d Yorb, gbogbo wn fwl
a, e, , i, o, , u ti an, n, in, n, un
ni tn l d dr np ara wn gg
b odidi r kan ngb pp.
In the English language, only two vowels in the
alphabet can also be a meaningful word. They
are the letters a and i
(as in A boy, I amhere)
In Yoruba, ALL the vowels, both oral and
nasalised, may stand alone on their own as
distinct words.

WN BTN SLB
SYLLABLE PATTERNS
Page 35
(Five short of forty)
Oj-w Karndnlgj

WN R ONSILB KAN MONOSYLLABIC WORDS

Mo b y

I rejoice with you.

Mo ti d

I have arrived.

Mo r

I see you.

Mo b

I beg you.

M l m

Dont beat me.

dn m

It hurt me.

Mo ti e tn

I have finished.

K lo w?

What did you say?

P
K wn r onslb kan tr sb.
Write your own list of monosyllabic words here.

I e - Exercise
k Ogn 20 Lesson Twenty
WON BTN SLB SYLLABLE PATTERNS
F, KF V, CV
Page 36
(Four short of forty)
Oj-w Krndnlgj

WN R ONSILB KAN MONOSYLLABIC WORDS
Parts of the body

O-r
Head
O-j
Eye
E-t
Ear

I-m -nu -t

-w -ka -d

-s A-p -y

A-b -d A-ra

E-yn -yn A-hn

-fun -kn I-tan

-rn -gbn I-run

I-kn -fun I-an

(yw Wo oj-w Kknllgta fn wn dhn d)
(Hint see page 61 for some answers)

P
Tm wn r y s Gs

r, te,k,p, p,
gbn, Agbn, kan
Ikn, Aya,
K wn y ara n d Gs
Write the parts of the body in English.

Wo wn nb y n.
Look at these numbers too.

En, j, ta, rin, rn,
f, je, j, sn, w

I e - Exercise
k Kknllgn 21 Lesson Twenty-One
F, KF V, CV
Page 37
(Three short of forty)
Oj-w Ktdnlgj

,

SYLLABIC NASAL

M, N gg b i slb
(slb rnmp)
N y yt s y t j ara
r on slb rnmp.

M, N as a syllable
(syllabic nasal) on its own.
This n is different from the
one that is part of a word with
nasalized syllable

m ti n ma dn bkan n
gg b uhn pl ohn
sl, rn tb k t t s i.

m and n sound the same
like uhn with the corresponding
low, mid or high pitch.

N Yorb de-n, mrn t a fi
ll ni p k a ma lo m dp n
ngb t b w lrn r gbn
ogunlg kw ni o lo m
ngb t ba iwj b pp fn
ork

In modern day Yoruba it has been
recommended to replace m with n when
it occurs within a word, but many
writers still retain its use when it
precedes the consonant b, especially in
names.

pr Examples

P
GBLHN SENTENCE

M l uh
I am going

K s kankan uh uh
There is nothing.

K l w? uh
What are you looking for?

ORK NAMES

Abbl - Ab uh bl
Adrel - Ad uh rel

KAN OBJECT

rob - rouhb

k Kejllgn 22 Lesson Twenty-Two
M N
Page 38
(Two short of forty)
Oj-w Kejdnlgj

WN R ONSILB MEJI BISYLLABIC WORDS

A-d Crown

B-b Father

-l Honour

B-t
Shoe

-p Thanks

Re-re Good

-w Beauty

D-d Black

-r Friend

K-k Bicycle

-gb Farmer

J-w Please

I-gba Two hundred

-b Spoon

O-kn Rope

-gbn But

k Ktallgn 23 Lesson Twenty-Three

F - KF , V -CV KF - KF , CV -CV

Page 39
(One short of forty)
Oj-w Kkndnlgj
K wn r onslb mj tr sb.
Write your own list of bisyllabic words here.

I e - Exercise

-b bi spoon k-k kk bicycle b-b bb father

b-t bt shoe f-l fl hat g-l gl head tie

Mo n kk kan
Bb mi l r fn mi.
eun bba.

I have a bicycle
My father bought it for me
Thank you dad.

Tm wn r y s Gs.

Bb
Bt
rob

K ni wn
nkan wnyi?

What are these
things?

1. **** ni.
It is a rope.

2. **** ni.
It is (a box of)
eggs.

3**** ni.
It is an orange.

I e - Exercise
k Krnllgn 24 Lesson Twenty-Four

KF-KF CV-CV

Page 40
(Forty)
Oj-w Ogj

k-k-r kkr -k-t kt f-r-s frs
key pants (trousers) window

p-p-y ppy ga-ra-wa garawa
duck

bucket (pail)

P
I e - Exercise

Tm wn r y s Gs.

Roboto
Rpt

K l w nn oko y?
What is on this farm?

**** **** ni.
They are three horses.

j o r in kta?
Can you see the third horse?

k Kdgbn 25 Lesson Twenty-Five

KF-KF-KF CV-CV-CV

Page 41
(One over forty)
Oj-w Kknllgj

k-ke-r kker
small

p-l-b plb
flat

WN R ONSILB MTA TRISYLLABIC WORDS

F-F-KF , V-V-CV

KF-F-KF , CV-V-CV
a-a-go aago (agogo) clock

b--l bl ball

F-F-KF , V-V-CV

o--rn orn sun

KF-KF-F , CV-CV-V

F-KF-KF , V-CV-CV
b-l- bl aircraft -g-tn gtn sheep

k--b kb
welcome

k Krndnlgbn 26 Lesson Twenty-Six

F-F-KF , V-V-CV KF-F-KF , CV-V-CV

Page 42
(Two over forty)
Oj-w Kejllgj

WN R ONSILB MRIN
TB J B L
WORDS WITH FOUR OR MORE
SYLLABLES

KF-KF-KF CV-CV-CV-CV

t-l-t-l
turkey
la-ba-l-b
butterfly
k-t-k-t
donkey
yn-m-yn-m
mosquito

F-KF-KF-KF , V-CV-CV-CV F-KF-F-KF , C-CV-C-CV

-l-b-s onion a-l-p-p motorcycle -g--g ostrich

WON R ONSLB PP MULTISYLLABIC WORDS

ADBSL (F-KF-KF-KF-KF) The crown has added to our honour
MLWB (F-KF-KF-KF-KF) A virtuous child
MLB (K-KF-KF-F-KF)
-L--F- (F-KF-F-KF-F) Peace, Health
-M-BO-R-O-W (F-KF-KF-KF-F-KF) A child is more important than money
k Ktdnlgbn 27 Lesson Twenty-Seven

KF-KF-KF-KF CV-CV-CV-CV

Page 43
(Three over forty)
Oj-w Ktllgj

e ptk pp lti ma yn wn
lt mta E, O ti S nd pl dt
tb il olr kkr ngb t b
y. e by ni y j k kw
tt m tm t o t s r n.

ti dt ti il olr kkr ni
kt d Yorb fw s. Ffa il
gbr lb sb wn lt y
ld s fin akt.

Llo il olr kkr ni mo frn
j n tmi ntor p:
bj mu n ww lj w
K par t a b fa il sb r.

Wo wn pr sly
It is very important to insert a dot or short
vertical bar under the three letters E, O and S
in a word whenever necessary. In doing this,
the correct meaning of the word can be
quickly known by the reader.

Both the dot and short vertical bar are
approved in Yoruba orthography. Using a
dash under these letters is against
orthographic convention.

My preferred method is the short vertical bar
because:
It is aesthetically pleasing on the page
It is not occluded when words are
underlined.

Look at the examples below.

A r il t a f gedegbe lb il
olr kkr n. K pa r.
The line can be seen distinctly below the
short vertical bar. It has not obstructed it.

Il t a f ti pa dt r. The dot is cut off by the line

Page 44
(Four over forty)
Oj-w Krnllgj

e

d
Yorb ni d mi.
Yoruba is my language.

d (a town in Yoruba land)
d ni l mi.
d is my home-town.

t
t mi w
My lip is swollen

t
sn ni t
Leprosy is a disease

Erin
ranko l ni erin
The elephant is a big animal.

rn
rn y pj
This laughter is too much.

Ej
Ej olr ni.
It is a poisnous snake.

j
j mi ni
It is my fault

so
Eso y dn pp
This fruit is very sweet.

s
I y gba s.
This work requires carefulness.

Eb
gb ti k eb lti gbin iu.
The farmer has prepared the heap
of earth for planting yams.

b
b ni mo b .
I am begging you.

Wo yt lrn E e ti
Observe the difference between E e and

k Kejdnlgbn 28 Lesson Twenty-Eight
Ee

Page 45
(Five short of fifty)
Oj-w Karndnldta

o

Wo yt lrn O o ti
Observe the difference between O o and

k Kkndnlgbn 29 Lesson Twenty-Nine
O
Page 46
(Four short of fifty)
Oj-w Krndnldta
j Day

j wo ny?
What day is this?
j Rain

j r.
It is raining.
Ow w n w mi.
There is money in my hand.
w Hand
Ow Money
yn Pus

yn w lj egb y.
There is pus on this sore.

Oyn Pregnancy

Oyn kej ny.
This is the second pregnancy.

Kkr Insect
Ol Thief

Oko Farm

Oko dk ny.
This Adukes farm.
Kkr Key
k Husband

k dk ny
This is Adukes husband.
l ni di ol.
A lazy (person) becomes a thief.
l Lazy (person)

Wo yt lrn S s ti
Observe the difference between S s and

k gbn 30 Lesson Thirty
S s
Page 47
(Three short of fifty)
Oj-w Ktdnldta
s Leg

s dn m.
My leg is hurting.

Sin

ni ir ppa.
Telling lies is a sin.

Soap

y dra.
This soap is good.
A Cloth

A y dra
This cloth is good
s Week

s kan k t.
One week is not enough.
As Quarrel

As k dra.
Quarelling is not good.
s left

w s mi niy.
This is my left hand.

ni.
It is an order.
poverty

K s nb.
There is no poverty here.

s feast

s gbyw ni.
It is a wedding feast.

ky
Comprehension

Nsisiy, sk w t lti lo
wn k t ti k nn w
y lti br n wn oj-w
t tl y.

It is now time to put into practice
what you have learnt in this book so
far in the following pages.

A e yw wn pl,
gblhn r ti kni Yorub.
A pd b mlwb, a
s k npa Bb Sml
jy Crowther ti tn idl
jba l Yourb.

I y.

We shall examine phrases, sentences,
Yoruba greetings, meet the
Omoluwabi family and learn about
Bishop Samuel Ajayi Crowther and
some basic history of the Yoruba
kingdom.

Get ready to work.

Ka wn gblhn t a k sl lss.
Read the sentences written down systematically.

Page 48
(Two short of fifty)
Oj-w Kejdnldta

kni n orr gb ti
fn orr l wp n
Yorb. D nn wn
ny.

Greetings at various times for various
occasions are very common in Yoruba
culture. Here are some of them.

kr

Good morning.

ksn

Good afternoon.

krl

Good evening.(early)

kal

Good evening. (late)

dr

Good night (till morning).

db

Good bye.

kb

Welcome.

kul

Greetings on meeting you at home.

k tij

Quite an age.

k j mta

Have not seen you in a while.

lf ni?

How are you? (are you in good health?

k nw

Greetings for spending money.

k dde

Greetings for coming.

k fojb

Greetings for seeing a visitor.

k gbdn

Greetings for enjoying yourself.

P
KNI GREETINGS

Page 49
(One short of fifty)
Oj-w Kkndnldta

r ti s Conversation

- br Q - Question - s A - Answer

kr o, Mm Bs
Q
Good morning, Bisis mother.

O o, kr o.
A
Yes, good morning.

e dada ni?
Q
How are you? (Is it well with you?)

A dp
A
Thank you.

wn m k?
Q
How are the children

Wn w n lf
A
They are in good health.

Bal k?
Q
How is your husband ?

lf
A
Fine.

Nbo ni l?
Q
Where are you going?

M l sj.
A
I am going to the market.

db o.

Good bye.

O o, db

Yes, good bye

P
Page 50
(Fifty)
Oj-w dta
KNI GREETINGS

b mlwb
The Omoluwabi Family

kb - First born child bkhn - Last born child

Obnrin - Female Obnrin - Female knrin - Male

Page 51
(One over fifty)
Oj-w Kknlldta
gbni Akntnd knb
mlwb

Mr. Akintunde Akanbi Omoluwabi
Abilk mlar dk
mlwb

Mrs. Omolara Aduke Omoluwabi
Miss

lrewj
mboll

l
Miss

Olwafnmily
Olwaeun

Ol

Master

Adl
Adym

Ad

b mlwb jk lti j onj r
The Omoluwabi family at breakfast

b mlwb jk lti j
onj r. Brd ti yin
dndn ni wn f j, gbn
iu ti gd ss ni bb y
j n tire.

The Omoluwabi family is sitting down
to eat breakfast. They are going to eat
bread and fried eggs but Dad will be
eating yam and boiled plantain by
himself.
Mom had prepared tea for the children.
She and Dad will be drinking coffee.

y ti po t fn wn m,
kf s ni un ti bba y
mu n tiwn.

One of the kids has spilled milk on the
table. Mom is finding out who did it.

K y wn m lra lti
jk by. Wn f l s
Makidnld lti lo j bg
ti frs ni.

The kids are not too excited sitting
down like this. They prefer to go to
McDonalds to
eat burger and fries.

P

Page 52
(Two over fifty)
Oj-w Kejlldta

b mlwb j onj r
The Omoluwabi family at breakfast

Bb gbdn onj t a fi t
dgb. K f gbgb gb
we r. Ojoojm ni ma
s fn wn m p: Bg
lr, Bg lsn-n, Bg ll
me o!

Dad likes the types of food he
was brought up with. He does
not want to forget his youth. He
says to the kids everyday -
Burger in the morning, burger
in the afternoon, burger at
night.What a pity !

P
Page 53
(Three over fifty)
Oj-w Ktlldta

mlar ni ork r. tn
j dk. Ork ni ork
kej y. m dn md-
gbn ni. Bb l ni wn
gb r p e gg b
bl ntor p l ni kb
wn m r.

Her name is Omolara. She also
bears the name Aduke. This
second name is a cognomen.
She is thirty-five years old. His
mates call him Baba Ola as is
the cultural practice because Ola
is his first born child.
Mm l se onj. Onj
sn ny. b ni r.
Omi gbgbn ni fi t
gar t y di b y.

Olas mother is preparing a
meal. This is lunch.
She is preparing eba
She is mixing gaari in hot water
then it becomes eba.

ti se b f sl. fi ja
ti orr ran si. wn
m gbdn onj y
gbn b a b bi wn lr
p wo ni dra j nn b
ti bg, wn pariwo
g wn n
bgbga

She had cooked the vegetable
stew earlier. She put fish and
assorted meat in it. The kids
love this food, but if they are
asked which one is better - eba
or burger- theyll shout
gleefully ... and say burgerr...
burgerr...

Bb y tn wipe Bg
lr, Bg lsn-n, Bg
ll - me o!
Dad will say again Burger in the
morning, burger in the
afternoon, burger at night -
what a pity !

Abilk mlwb
(Mm l)

Mrs Omoluwabi
(Olas mother)

Page 54
(Four over fifty)
Oj-w Krnlldta

Akntnd ni ork r.
tn j knb. Ork ni
ork kej y. m dn
mjdnlgj ni. Bb l ni
wn gb r p e gg b
bl ntor p l ni
kb wn m r.
His name is Akintunde. He also
bears the name Akanbi. This sond
name is a cognomen. He is thirty-
eight years old. His mates call him
Baba Ola as is the cultural practice
because Ola is his first born child.

I olk ni e. gbdn
w kk ti w kk.
He is a teacher by profession.
He enjoys reading and writing.

Onj t gbdn j ni b
ti b il. tn frn iyn
ti b f. ugbn iyn y
k e ti iu ss t a gn
nn od. Iyn rr ni. Y
j b-b.
K j bg rr
His most favourite food is eba and
okra stew. He also likes pounded
yam and vegetable stew. But this
pounded yam is not the one made
from boiled yam that is pounded in
a mortar with a pestle. It is just
powder stirred in hot water. He eats
it grudgingly.
He does not eat burger at all.

b - cassava meal

gbni mlwb
(Baba l)

Mr. Omoluwabi
(Olas father)

Page 55
(Five short of sixty)
Oj w Karndnlgta

kk Pot
r Kf Coffee maker
r omi Water tap

r afwo
Dish washer
Ata Pepper
Iy Salt
r dn Cooker

P
y fin mlwb gb onj.
Mrs. Omoluwabi preparing a meal

Page 56
(Four short of sixty)
Oj w Krndnlgta
wrn lti w Abilk Valerie Dmill Onym
Artwork by Mrs Valerie Damilola Onayemi
Ibi dn Kitchen

Omi gbgbn Hot water

Omi tutu Cold water

m dn mw ni l.
ptn ork r ni
lrewj. tn j
mboll. un ni kb
wn b r.

Ola is ten years old
Her full name is Olanrewaju
She is also called Omobolanle.
She is the first child of her
parents.

ir ni frn j n il-
w. tn gbdn k m
Sys. jff nn orin
kk ti dr tt. ma
j ij bl ltij, gbn
nsisy er bl
gbjswn ni gbdn
lti ma gba pl wn
lgb r.
Her favorite subject at school
is Arithmetic. She also loves
Science. She is proficient in
music (singing and playing the
piano). She did ballet dancing
in the past but nowadays she
loves playing basketball with
her mates.

l

Oj w ksn-n
Ola

Page 57
(Three short of sixty)
Oj w Ktdnlgta

m dn mj ni Ol.
Obnrin ni un n. ptn
ork r ni Olwafnmily.
tn j Olwaeun.

Olu is eight years old
She is also a girl.
Her full name is
Oluwafunmilayo. She is
also called Oluwaseun.

gbdn dr tt ti w
kk. k d Faras ni
frn j. ma b wn
lgb r gb bl or papa
n sm. tn gbdn lti
lw.

She enjoys playing the
piano and reading. French
is her favorite subject. She
plays soccer with her
mates in the summer. She
also likes to swim.

Onj t gbdn j ni dd
ti mn-mn, gbn k fi
bg, kr ynb ti wn
onj mdnmndn ir.

Her favorite food is fried
plantain and steamed bean
cakes, but she does not
joke with burger, cookies
and other junk food.

Ol

Olu

Page 58
(Two short of sixty)
Oj w Kejdnlgta

m dn mf ni Ad.
mdknrin ni. ptn
ork r ni
Adl. tn j Adym.
un ni bkhn wn b r.

Ade is six years old. He is a
boy. His full name is
Adeola. He is also known as
Adeyemi. He is the last child
of his parents.

gbdn er bl or pp
n soma. tn gbdn er
hk or as n wnt.
ma gb bl gbjswn
n.
gbn ju gbogbo r l,
gbdn w kk yl lr
bb ni o tb lr r
knpt.

He enjoys playing soccer in
the summer. He also enjoys
playing ice hockey in the
winter. He also plays
basketball. But above all he
loves reading and writing
either on paper or on the
computer.

w n lti gba br
knrin.

He would love to have a
junior brother.

Ad

Ade

Page 59
(One short of sixty)
Oj w Kkndnlgta

N Yorb, okn t so b p
lgbra pp. Gbogbo b ni a k
s m y ti bb. Ntor n, k
s tum pipe fn gbn tb
br y ti bb ti m wn.
Bb gb, bb kker, y gb,
y kker, gbn ti br ni
gbogbo wn.
In Yoruba culture, the family ties are very
strong such that members of the extended
family are usually regarded as belonging to
the same nuclear family. There is no distinct
translation for uncle, aunt, cousin - but they
are junior or senior father or mother, brother
and sister.

Bb
Father
Obnrin
Female

y
Mother
knrin
Male

gbn
Older sibling
mdbnrin
Girl

br
Younger sibling
mdknrin
Boy

kb
First born child
dmbnrin
Adolescent female

bkhn
Last born child
dmknrin
Adolescent male

Bb gb
Grand father
na
In-law

y gb
Grand mother
fsn
Fiance

yw
Wife

k
Husband

P
B FAMILY

Page 60
(Sixty)
Oj w gta

Or Head

Irun Hair

Oj Eye
t Lip Et Ear
gbn Chin Im Nose
jk Shoulder nu Mouth
y Chest rn Neck
gnp Elbow Ap Arm
Ikn

Abdomen
Stomach
w Hand
Itan Thigh ka w Finger
Ornkn Knee cap s
Foot
Leg

knn; Nail ka s Toe

P
WN Y ARA
PARTS OF THE BODY
Page 61
(One over sixty)
Oj w Kknllgta
BB SML JY CROWTHER
BISHOP SAMUEL AJAYI CROWTHER
Sml jy Crowther j akk kn-n-n n il-k gga Fourah Bay n orl-
d Sr. A b i n l ogn t j bi ibs ml kan s l syn n ap
gus r. wn aknilr j i gb n dn 1821 gbn a gb a sl lhn dn
kan, s di akk n il-w ajhnrere n 1823. j mw t mye pp n
il-kgga (1828) s di lfa n 1843.
Npas i pile r nn rnj r s agbgb od ya (1841) y t ln fn
dsl wn il i ajhnrere n Igbb, n, Lkja, ks, Bn, Abnm ti
Bgm, a yn n s ip Bb Agbedemj l-Orn frk tt kj il jba
babnrin Orl-d Gs n 1864.
tay nn i ajhnrere, gbgbgun ti w r kk, ti i olkni ( tm
w dr s Yorb, s e w grm fn d Yorb, b ti Nup). n m
i wsn ti i il kk. k ip ptk ninu akitiyan b d Yorb e di kk
sl. di olgb n j kn-n-n, n o kejl, dn 1891.
(Il-i al fn kde rhn jba pap, njr) (My Translation)

Samuel Ajayi Crowther, the first student of Fourah Bay College, Sierra Leone, was born at Osogun
a few kilometers south of Iseyin. He was kidnapped by slave traders in 1821, rescued a year later
and became a mission school boy in 1823. He had a brilliant college career (1828) and became a
clergyman (1843).
As a result of his pioneering work in the Niger
expedition (1841) which eventually led to the
founding of missions in Igbebe, Onitsha, Lokoja,
Akassa, Bonny, Abonema and Buguma, he was
nominated and ordained Bishop of Western Equitorial
Africa beyond the Queens Dominion in 1864.
He distinguished himself in such areas as evangelism,
crusade against slave trade and education (translation of
Prayer Book into Yoruba, authored grammar books for
Yoruba, Ibo and Nupe languages ), medicine and
architecture. He played a vital role in how the Yoruba
language was first reduced to writing. He died on 1st
December 1891.
(Federal Ministry of Information, Nigeria)

Page 62
(Two over sixty)
Oj w Kejllgta
JBA ORL-D YORB
YORUBA KINGDOM
wn Yorb ti orl-d wn ti w fn gb pp wj dn 1000 A.D.
(gbrn dn lyn ik Olwa wa), d wn s ti w fn, kr tn, gbrn
dn mj. wn ya nyn mrn t w darap m wn m bl Yorb
lrn dn 700 s 1000 A.D. k orr tuntun ti w w.

B tile j p plp tn dyb ni w npa pil il Yorb, y t tay t
a s gbgb ni y t s p Il-If ni il b wn. Il-If d gg agbra r n
dn 1300 ngb t a fi tnganran e wn i n. gbn n kk par dn
1400, agbra jba r wale, s fi y sl fn ti jba y t w n rw il
Yorb.

Jj ba, sn ti i n e j ptk n bl. y s fd mule n wn
orl-d Karbn ti Brsl nbit a k o l n gb w r n kk grn-n
dn kejdnlgn. ba Adsj Adrm t a b n dn 1889 ni ni
kejdnldta Il-If. jba lrn dn 1930-1981. e akitiyan pp fn
dgbsk bl Yorb.
(My translation)

The Yoruba people and their homeland took shape long before 1000 A.D. and their language
is at least 2000 years old. Between 700 and 1000 A.D. an influx of immigrants merged with
the Yoruba indigenes, injecting into the area new influences and ideas.

Although several traditions concerning the origins of the Yorubas exist, one of the more
commonly held belief is that Ife is their birthplace. Ifes power reached its zenith around
1300 A.D., culminating in the production of the famous Ife bronzes. However, towards the
end of 1400 A.D., its political influence declined making way for the rise of the Oyo
kingdom in Northern Yorubaland.

Kingship, religion and craftsmanship have remained the main
focus of Yoruba culture. Its cultural influence is remarkably
strong in the Caribbean and Brazil where it was exported
during the era of the slave trade in the eighteenth century.
Born in 1889, Oba Adesoji Aderemi (1930-1981) was the
forty-eighth Oni of Ife, who contributed immensely to
Yoruba cultural development

( Federal Ministry of Information, Nigeria)

ba Adsj Adrm

Page 63
(Three over sixty)
Oj w Ktllgj

ORL-D

COUNTRY

Njr
Knd
Amrk
Kb
Brsl
Trndd ti Tbg
Nigeria
Canada
America
Cuba
Brazil
Trinidad & Tobago

PNL

PROVINCE / STATE

Jj
dh
Ohy
Kalifn
tr
Mnst
Mgn
Klrd

Georgia
Idaho
Ohio
California
Ontario
Minessota
Michigan
Colorado

L CITY / TOWN

tw
kg
Wntn
Br
Filadlf
Mlwk
Minipls
Mym
tlt

Ottawa
Chicago
Washington
Barrie
Philadelphia
Milwaukee
Mineapolis
Miami
Atlanta

P
ORK D NN WN ORL-D, PNL TI L
NAMES OF SOME COUNTRIES, STATES/PROVINCES AND CITIES/TOWNS

Page 64
(Four over of sixty)
Oj w Krnllgta
kjp r lt lgbmgb

Vocabulary - in functional groups

r
sn
rl
Al
ru

kk
j
Wkt
j
s
O
dn

n
n (n)
la
tnla
jta
jrin
jarn-n

s t kj
s t b

Orn
p
rw
fruf
Ay
run
j

--r
-sn
-r-l
a-l
-ru

-k-k
-s-j
w-k-t
o-j
-s
o-
-dn

-n
-n (-n)
-la
-tn-la
-j-ta
-j-rin
-ja-rn-n

-s t
k-j
-s t
b

o-- rn
--p
-r-w
-f-ru-f
a-y
-run
-j
morning
afternoon
late
afternoon
evening
(after dark)
night

time
minute
hour
day
week
month
year

yesterday
today
tomorrow
two days
ago
three days
ago
four days
ago
last week
next week

sun
moon
star
sky
earth
heaven
rain
rw
Gs
l-orn
w-orn

w
Pupa
Funfun
Dd

Il
Yr
dd
yw
Gbngn
Balw
Ilkn
Frs
giri
j

b
b
mga
wo

Ab

Ife
kk

Akk
Olk
-r-w
g--s
-l-o--rn
-w-o-o-rn

-w
pu-pa
fun-fun
d-d

i-l
y-r
-d-d
-y-w
gbn-gn
ba-l-w
i-l-kn
f-r-s
-gi-ri
-j

-b
-b
-m-ga
-wo

a-b

i-fe
-k-k

a-k-k-
o-l-k
north
south
east
west

color
red
white
black, dark

house
room
porch, lobby
hall
bedroom
bathroom
door
window
wall
attic

spoon
knife
fork
porcelain
bowl, plate
enamel or
plastic bowl
pan
cup, tumbler
pot

student/pupil
teacher

Page 65
(Five short of seventy)
Oj w Karndnldrin
kjp r lt lgbmgb
Vocabulary - in functional groups

Ebi
gb
Onj
Omi
b
ran
ja

A
Fl
kt
Bb
r
Gl
Bt
bs
Pt
inm

Argb
gb
d
md
we

knrin
Obnrin
Ak
Abo

e-bi
--gb
o-n-j
o-mi
-b
e-ran
-ja

a-
f-l
-k-t
b-b
-r
g-l
b-t
-b-s
p-t
in-m

a-r-gb
-gb
-d
-m-d
-we

-kn-rin
o-bn-rin
a-k
a-bo

hunger
thirst
food
water
stew
meat
fish

cloth,garment
cap
trousers, shorts
tunic, blouse
loin cloth
head-tie
shoe
socks
panties
undergarment,
chemise

elderly person
elder
adolescent, youth,
child
youth, young
folks, children,
childhood
man
woman
male
female

Bb
y
gbni
y-fin
Abilk
Omidan
Adlb

Gbn
Tt
Lwr

Onl
lej
g
m-i
m-d

br
dhn
s
k

Il

br
pin
Iwj
yn (hn)
I
Er

b-b
-y
-gb-ni
-y--a-fin
a-bi-l-k
o-mi-dan
a- d-l- b

gb-n
t-t
l-w-r

o-n-l
-le-j
-g
-m-i-
-m--d

-b--r
-d-hn
-s
-k

i-l

-b-r
-pin
i-w-j
-yn (-hn)
i-se;
e-r

father
mother
Mr.
Mrs?
Mrs
Miss
Miss?

hot (adj)
cold (adj)
lukewarm

host
guest
master
apprentice
servant

question
answer
reply
top, hill,
mountain
ground

beginning
end
front
back
work
play

okanlldta

Page 66
(Four short of seventy)
Oj w Krndnldrin
kj r - Onrur
Vocabulary - Miscellaneous

y
Agbra
gbr
gby
moye
kjp
kk
kk
m
fn

wrn
wn
wn
y
Aya
y
Ay

Dra
Dkt
Dp

k
gb
gb

Gg
Gidigidi
Gbynj

dl

--y
a-gb-ra
-gb-r
-gb-y
--mo-ye
-k-j-p
-k-k
-k-k
-m
--f-n
-
-
-
-w-rn
-wn
-wn
-y
a-ya
-y
a-y

d-ra
d-k-t
d-p

-k
-gb
-gb

g-g
gi-di-gi-di
gb-yn-j

-d-l

living
power
torrent
world
countless
collection
time
first
sign
benefit
habit, custom
hawk (bird)
order
picture
net
they
chest
wife
space
world

good
doctor
to thank

lesson
association
side

accordingly
very much
to try

a place abroad

dp
ln
Il-wsn
Il
m
mrn
ran

rk

e
I
ro
tm
yt

Kkiri
Kw
Kw
K

K
K
M
M
M

Ojoojm
Ohn
Oldar
Ogunlg
r
r
n
n

ptk

-d-p
-l-n
i-l--w-sn
i-l
-m
-m-rn
-ran

-r-k

-e
i-
-s-ro
-t-m
-y-t

k--ki-ri
k-w
k-w
k

k
k
m
m
m

o-jo-o-j-m
o-hn
o-l-da-r
o-gun-l-g
-r
-r
-n
-n

p-t-k

thanksgiving
procedure
hospital
floor, ground
knowledge
advice
generations,
sight
African teak
tree
custom, habit
work
difficulty
meaning
difference

everywhere
read
write
to learn,to
teach
to refuse
write
clean
to know
to mould

everyday
voice
director
very many
word
wealth
road
art

important

Page 67
(Three short of seventy)
Oj w Ktdnldrin
APPENDIX 1

wn dhn r Yoruba
Yoruba Word List Answers

Page 14 Page 17

Aj
j
gb
p
p
Ara
r
Ar

A-j
-j
-gb
-p
-p
A-ra
-r,
A-r

Dog
Attic
Adult
Scar
Prodigal
Body
Fashion
Relation

d
Ib
Ibi
r
gb
t

-d
I-b
I-bi
-r
-gb
-t

Reason
Place
Evil
Dew
Wave
Beam
Page 15 Page 18

we
Er
r
te
d

-we
E-r
-r
-te
-d

Youth
Play
Profit
Intention
Language

w
k
Ok
j
Ojo
do
Od
Op
p

-w
-k
O-k
-j
O-jo
-do
O-d
O-p
-p

Trade
Stone
Penis
A name
Coward
Zero
Mortar
Widow
Bother
Page 16 Page 19

j
s
y

-j
-s
-y

Vow
Verse
High esteem

k
k
k
k
w
w
w

-k
-k
-k
-k
-w
-w
-w

Vehicle
Husband
Hoe
Spear
Respect
Broom
Flock
kys: wn r ml kan n tm t ju kan l. kan pr ni a tka s nb.
Note: Some words have more than one meaning. Only one has been indicated here.

wn dhn r Yoruba

Page 20 Page 25

Kk
Kk
Kj,
Ff,

K-k
K-k
K-j
F-f

Rather
A name
Dull
Cassava meal

l,
l
l
Il

-l
-l
-l
I-l

Town
Drum
Line
Okro

Page 22 Page 26

gbo
Agbo
wo
Awo
Ab
Ap

-gbo
A-gbo
-wo
A-wo
A-b
A-p

Concoction
Circle
Plate
Cult

Sheath

Oy
y
Ow
wu
Or

O-y
-y
O-w
-wu
O-r

Title
Harmattan
Envy
A town
Head

Page 23 Page 27

n
n
j

-n
-n
-j

Today
Over-measure
Gap between
teeth

p
d
n

-p
-d
-n

Gratitude
Dunce
Art

Page 24 Page 28

gba
p
j

-gba
-p
-j

Whip
Peanut
Case

-j-p
-p-l
-g-d
-do-do

-j-p
-p-l
-g-d
-do-do

Turtle
Toad
Incantation
Truth

wn dhn r Yoruba

Page 30 Page 37

kn
sn
san
fn
gbn
Agbn
gbn
gbn

-kn
-sn
-san
-fn
-gbn
A-gbn
-gbn
-gbn

Heart
Afternoon
Revenge
Elephant
Coconut
Basket
Chin
Wisdom

r
te
k
p
p
gbn
Agbn
kan
Ikn
Aya

-r
-te
-k
-p
-p
-gbn
A-gbn
-kan
I-kn
A-ya

Head
Lip
Finger
Arm
Prodigal
Coconut
Bee
One
Stomach
Chest

Page 31 Page 40

yin
yn
sn
sn

-yin
-yn
-sn
-sn

You (plural)
Nut
Religion
Shame

Bb
Bt
rob

B-b
B-t
-ro--b

Barley
Shoe
Orange (fruit)

Page 32 Page 41

kun,
Okun
kn
kn
run
Ogun
gn
Ikn
Ikun

-kun,
O-kun
-kn
-kn
-run
O-gun
-gn
I-kn
I-kun

Ocean
Strength
Cry
Fullness
Heaven
War
god of iron
Phlegm
Abdomen

Roboto
Rpt

Ro-bo-to
R-p-t

Round
Flat


Preface to first Edition

N ay de n, ogunlg wn m bl Yorb ni di ni t s
dl di il yl fn gb d, tb n dr p tt. Npa by, wn
dara p m wn ran mlb bb l wn tij, wn ran
Yorb il Brsl, Kb, Trinidd ti Tbg, kkiri l
Karbn ti kjp Il Amrk ti gbogbo wn t fn kkiri
gby.
di rnyn fn ww ly e ti bl lti n wn w,
magasnnn ti orr wn kan m t a fi kpt e n
rwt t d, e ti bl Yorb k b n pare lrn wn
wny ti ran wn. Ir wn kan by wn pp n ll
y. plp wn w k d t a m w lti il k wl pp
fn i y. Ln kn-n-n, a e wn fn k d n il Yorb ni,
s k wn lti k d il n d n ni. N n kej w, wn
gbgb r t w nn wn e jj s ni t dgb n dl.

B til j p e ptk lti fi e ti bl hn nn wn w
y, t s j p ohun t a lpa ny, t, s y k a fi wn
kan t j mm fn akk kn un lti fi f wn mra, k f
wn s dr.

Pp nn wn l t wn m Yorb p s n l kr ni
d il-w sl fn kk wn m wn n d bl. wn olk t
yda ara wn fn i y gbn t k e p wn k d jinl s
w lrn wn t bj t ir wn il-w b. wn b tb
aya ti k pp b ara wn n ip olk-d fn wn t
snm wn, gbn l n kan l fn i y, j ro fn
wn. w y w fn ss le y di r. k d Yorb w nn t
k wn il-w gga ml kan n dl by. wn w t w
fn k y l ro fn alkbr t k bkt fn grm l n
br gbn t kn f mn n k, mn n k fn gbdn lsn
ni. d t a fi e wn w w y ny. ma gbdn w kk
yin.

Preface to first Edition

In recent times an increasing number of Yorubas are taking up residence abroad
either temporarily, but for extended periods of time, or permanently. In a way,
they are joining the descendants of their forebears cousins of generations past,
people of Yoruba heritage in Brazil, Cuba, Trinidad & Tobago, all over the
Caribbean and the United States of America and indeed a great many others
scattered worldwide.

In order to ensure the long term survival of the Yoruba culture in generations
unborn, it is necessary for these groups to have at their disposal books,
magazines, computer programs and other resources that will help them
appreciate their roots. There is a dearth of such material at the present time.
Many of the books available for language learning are imported and may not be
particularly useful for this purpose. In the first place, the books are designed for
use in Yoruba-land and as such are written entirely in Yoruba. Secondly the
theme of the writings is usually not familiar to users growing up abroad. Whilst it
is essential to convey aspects of Yoruba culture in the writings, and indeed this is
the ultimate objective, it is essential to incorporate themes familiar to the reader
to attract and sustain their interest.

Several communities abroad have established Yoruba schools to teach their
children Yoruba language and culture. These schools are usually manned by
volunteer teachers who are not necessarily trained experts. Parents and spouses
also find themselves in the position of wanting to teach but with no resources.
This book is designed to alleviate this problem. Yoruba language features in the
curriculum of some academic centers abroad. The material available for these
studies may be too academic for the average person whose immediate concern is
not to master the intricacies of the grammar but to find a practical way to learn
the language in a fun way. This is the purpose for which these series have been
created. Enjoy your studies.

dup Ptk
Special Acknowledgement

Mo dupe pp lw jgbn-gb mw Adby Baball t
wn e yw tjde knnn w y t wn s e tne
wn e mi ljfara.
jgbn Baball j gbtag onm-jnl Yorb. Olr ka
m d ti Ltr frk n Yunifst l k, Njr ni
wn j fn plp dn k wn t fhnt nibi-i.
A ma ri yn b o.

jgbn Adby Baball di olgb n j kdgn, o
kejl, dn 2008. Sn re o, Bb.

I am indeed very grateful to Emeritus Professor Adeboye Babalola who, at
short notice, reviewed the first edition of this book and corrected my
mistakes.
Professor Babalola is a renowned Yoruba scholar who was for many years
the head of Department of African Languages and Literatures, University
of Lagos, Nigeria, prior to his retirement.
We are following your footsteps.

Professor Adeboye Babalola was deceased on December 15, 2008 at the
age of 82. May his gentle soul rest in peace.

P

Bwo ni o ti r w y s? What is your impression about this book?

K ni wn kan t o f r
nn tne r n j iwj?
What are the changes you would like to see
in a future edition?

Kw s wa. Write to us

r npa kw y

Dkt Adbsl nbj nym j Ongn
Akunnilorun -j-ni n Il-wsn-an Royal
Victoria n lu Br, tr, Knd. un s tn
ni oldar il i Bis Bus International t wn
e tjde k m lrsrs n plu Kpt.
un ni atwjade magasnnn ongbdgby
Yorb: M n k, M n k. un s ni oldsl
gb jmka Yorb Il rw Amrk y t
w fn fn wn m Yorb n dl lti j k
rrn fn wn lti k d ti bl wn.

w y ni kk nn w wn w t a e fn wn m gb y
ti gbogbo wn t j nyn lti k de Yorb kkiri gby. A
e tp ti wo kpt t a m s CD-ROM n bmu pl w y
lti tb m k d y rrn fn wn.
Dkt nym gbgb p npa mm i y wy, un ti e t
tir, w y k wn b, aya tb k ti wn t w n ip lti
j olk de Yorb fn lmrn lo i y fn dgbsk
bl wa. Algm ti b m r tn, m j k s w m r.

Dr. Adebusola Onabajo Onayemi is a specialist Anesthesiologist at the Royal
Victoria Hospital, Barrie, Ontario, Canada. He is also the Executive Director of
Bis Bus International, a Yoruba language Multimedia Publishing Company. He is
the publisher of Yorb: M n k, M n k. (Know how to Write it , Know
how to Read it ) a bilingual Yoruba/English magazine. He is the founder of Yoruba
Readers Club of North America which was established to give Yoruba children in
the diaspora a practical way to learn their language and culture.
This is the first of a series of books designed for use by members of the club
and indeed all who have the desire to learn Yoruba worldwide. There is also a
companion tape and CD ROM to facilitate this process.
Dr. Onayemi believes that in doing this work, he is fulfilling an obligation and
the completion of the task now rests on the shoulders of parents, spouses and
others who find themselves in position to teach Yoruba to use this resource to
promote our common heritage.

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