tutu

From a partial reduplication of tù (“to be cold”). Compare with Olukumi tutùn, Itsekiri tùn. Proposed to be derived from Proto-Yoruba *-tũ̀, ultimately from Proto-Edekiri *-tũ̀.


baba

Adjective sense derives from ideophone sense

bábá owó


ibu

ìlà ìbú


funfun

From the root verb Proto-Yoruboid *-fũ, seem throughout Volta-Niger languages, Urhobo fuanfo, Edo fua (“to be white”), Ayere enfu, Ibibio fia, Ahwai farak, Blench suggests potentially Proto-Niger-Congo *-fu.

Fún mi l'áṣọ funfun.


roro

Compare with Olukumi rírò, Itsekiri oro likely a partial reduplication of a root rò (“to be bitter”). Compare with Igala ìlò (“bitter leaf”)


buluu

Inu ile kan ti a kun ni awo omi buluu ni idile naa n gbe, a bukun fun won pelu oko-ayo kele meji, ati ise to joju.

2007, Caroline Bola Oyewole, Iyawo osingin sonu: e gba wa o!, page 2:

A family lives in a house painted blue, they are blessed with two ayo fields and a good job.


dudu

From dídú, partial reduplication of dú (“to be black or dark”).

ọ̀gẹ̀dẹ̀ dúdú

Ẹyẹ dúdú yẹn rẹwà


fanimọra

→ English: fanimorous

From fa (“pull”) + ẹni (“person”) + mọ́ (“towards”) + ara (“body, self”)


meji meji

/méd͡ʒì méd͡ʒì/

Derived from a reduplication of méjì (“two”).

two each (followed by nouns to be distributed to)


mejeeji

/méd͡ʒèèd͡ʒì/


mẹta mẹta

/mɛ́.ꜜtā mɛ́.ꜜtā/

Derived from a reduplication of mẹ́ta (“three”).

three each (followed by nouns to be distributed to)


mẹtẹẹta

/mɛ́tɛ̀ɛ̀tā/


mẹrin mẹrin

/mɛ́.ꜜɾĩ̄ mɛ́.ꜜɾĩ̄/

Derived from a reduplication of mẹ́rin (“four”).

four each (followed by nouns to be distributed to)


mẹrẹẹrin

/mɛ́ɾɛ̀ɛ̀ɾĩ̄/


mẹrin

Yoruba Varieties and Languages - mẹ́rinview map

mɛ́in駃ÌdàácàBeninIgbó Ìdàácàmírin駃Ọ̀họ̀rí/Ɔ̀hɔ̀rí-ÌjèỌ̀họ̀rí/Ɔ̀hɔ̀rí/ÌjèÌkpòbɛ́mɛ́rin駃Onigbolomɛ́rɛn駃Kétu/ÀnàgóKétumɛ́rin駃Ifɛ̀Akpárémírĩ駃Atakpamɛmɛ́ɛrɛ̃駃Bokomɛ́rɛ̃駃Moretanmɛ́rɛ̃駃Tchettimɛ́ɛrɛ̃駃KuraPartagomɛ́ɛrɛ̃̀駃Mɔ̄kɔ́léKandimɛ́ɛ̃ɛ̃̀駃Northern NagoKambolemɛ́ɛ̃駃Note: This amalgamation of terms comes from a number of different academic papers focused on the unique varieties and languages spoken in the Yoruboid dialectal continuum which extends from eastern Togo to southern Nigeria. The terms for spoken varieties

i.e. Southeast Yorùbá, Northwest Yorùbá, Central Yorùbá, and Northeast Yorùbá

now deemed dialects of Yorùbá in Nigeria

have converged with those of Standard Yorùbá leading to the creation of what can be labeled Common Yorùbá. It can be assumed that the Standard Yorùbá term can also be used in most Nigerian varieties alongside native terms

especially amongst younger speakers. This does not apply to the other Nigerian Yoruboid languages of Ìṣẹkírì and Olùkùmi


marun-un marun-un

/má.ꜜɾṹ má.ꜜɾṹ/

Derived from a reduplication of márùn-ún (“five”).

five each (followed by nouns to be distributed to)


mẹfa mẹfa

/mɛ́fà mɛ́fà/

Derived from a reduplication of mẹ́fà (“six”).

six each (followed by nouns to be distributed to)


mẹfẹẹfa

/mɛ́fɛ̀ɛ̀fà/


maraarun-un

/má.ɾàà.ɾũ̀ṹ/


meje meje

/mé.ꜜd͡ʒē mé.ꜜd͡ʒē/

Derived from a reduplication of méje (“seven”).

seven each (followed by nouns to be distributed to)


mejeeje

/méd͡ʒèèd͡ʒē/


mẹjọ

/mɛ́.ꜜd͡ʒɔ̄/


mẹjọ mẹjọ

/mɛ́.ꜜd͡ʒɔ̄ mɛ́.ꜜd͡ʒɔ̄/

Derived from a reduplication of mẹ́jọ (“eight”).

eight each (followed by nouns to be distributed to)


mẹjẹẹjọ

/mɛ́d͡ʒɛ̀ɛ̀d͡ʒɔ̄/


mẹsan-an

/mɛ́sɔ̃̀ɔ̃́/


mẹsan-an mẹsan-an

/mɛ́.ꜜsã́ mɛ́.ꜜsã́/

Derived from a reduplication of mẹ́sàn-án (“nine”).

nine each (followed by nouns to be distributed to)


mẹsẹẹsan-an

head

mẹ́sẹ̀ẹ̀sàn-án

mẹ́sẹ̀ẹ̀sàn-án

yo-pos

mẹ́sẹ̀ẹ̀sàn-án

mẹ́sẹ̀ẹ̀sàn-án

/mɛ́sɛ̀ɛ̀sɔ̃̀ɔ̃́/


mẹwaa mẹwaa

head

mẹ́wàá mẹ́wàá

mẹ́wàá mẹ́wàá

yo-pos

mẹ́wàá mẹ́wàá

mẹ́wàá mẹ́wàá

/mɛ́.ꜜwá mɛ́.ꜜwá/

Derived from a reduplication of mẹ́wàá (“ten”).

ten each (followed by nouns to be distributed to)


mẹwẹẹwaa

/mɛ́wɛ̀ɛ̀wàá/

Assimilation of mẹ́wàá mẹ́wàá, a reduplication of mẹ́wàá.


jomijoke

/d͡ʒō.mĩ̄.d͡ʒò.kè/

From jẹ̀ (“to roam”) + omi (“water”) + jẹ̀ (“to roam”) + òkè (“upper”), literally “To roam the water and above the water”.


alarabara

From oní- (“one who has”) + àràbarà (“remarkable”), ultimately from àrà (“wonder”) + -bí- (“infix”) + àrà (“wonder”).


afinju

/ā.fĩ́.d͡ʒú/

From a- (“agent prefix”) + fín (“to be meticulous”) + ojú (“face”), literally “Someone who is beauty conscious”.


pataki

Compare Nupe kpàtàkì, Edo kpataki, Fon kpàtàkì.


aragbayamuya

(Ekiti) unfathomable, profound, amazing, mysterious


pẹtẹẹsi

/k͡pɛ̀.tɛ́ɛ̀.sì/

òkè pẹ̀tẹ́ẹ̀sì

ọ̀dẹ̀dẹ̀ pẹ̀tẹ́ẹ̀sì


ilumọọka

/ì.lú.mɔ̃̀ɔ̃́.ká/

ìlú (“town”) + mọ̀ (“knows”) + ọ́ (“third person pronoun”) + ká (“around, everywhere”), literally “The one that the knows the town everywhere”


ọgọrun-un

/ɔ̄.ɡɔ́.ꜜɾṹ/

ogún (“twenty”) + márùn-ún (“five”) or ogún ọ̀rún


ojukoju

/ō.d͡ʒú.kō.d͡ʒú/

From ojú (“face”) + kò (“to touch”) + ojú (“face”).

Ìpàdé ojúkojú


elede meji

From oní- (“one who has”) + èdè (“language”) + méjì (“two”).


ọlọrọ

/ɔ̄.lɔ́.ɾɔ̀/

From oní- (“one who has”) + ọrọ̀ (“wealth”).

Ó ti dìlú ọlọ́rọ̀.


alailowaya

From oní- (“one that has”) + àì- (“negating prefix”) + lò (“to use”) + wáyà (“wires”).


aloku

From à- (“nominalizing prefix”) + lò (“to use”) + kù (“to be left over”).


olooorun

/ō.lóòó.ɾũ̀/

From oní- (“one who has”) + òórùn (“odor”).


aboyun

From abi- (“prefix”) + oyún (“pregnancy”).


abiyẹ

From abi- (“prefix”) + ìyẹ́ (“feather, wing”).


kayeefi

Likely derived from the Hausa [Term?] language

Ògèdèǹgbé ti ìlú Ìjẹ̀ṣà jẹ́ kàyééfì akọni

Ogedengbe of the Ijesa was a legendary warrior


ojulowo

From ojú (“face”) + ní (“to have”) + owó (“money”), literally “valuable to have”.

compound

ojúlówó ọ̀rẹ́ ni í


afayafa

a- (“agent prefix”) + fi (“to use”) + àyà (“chest”) + fà (“to crawl”), literally “One who crawls on their chest”


nla

From partial reduplication of lá (“to be big”).

bí ìyà ńlá bá gbéni ṣánlẹ̀, ìyà kékèké á gorí ẹni

When a big problem knocks a person down, smaller problems easily ride over him (proverb on a chain of problems)


iṣẹnbaye

/ì.ʃɛ̀.ŋ̀.bá.jé/

From ì- (“nominalizing prefix”) + ṣe (“to do, to practice”) + ẹni (“person”) + ì- (“nominalizing prefix”) + bá (“meet”) + ayé (“life”), literally “The practices that already exist when a person is born”.


yẹpẹrẹ

/jɛ̄.k͡pɛ̄.ɾɛ̄/


niyinlokikiafiyesi

From ní (“to have”) + ìyìn (“praise”) + ní (“to have”) + òkìkí (“fame, charisma”) + àfiyèsí (“attention, observation”), literally “To be showered with praise, to be famous, and to have attention drawn to you”.


fifu

Cognates with Itsekiri fifẹn, Yoruba funfun, Ifè fũfũ, Olukumi fúfún

Fú mi n'áṣọ fifu.


lụkalụka

From Reduplication of lụ́kà (“to be good”)

ọmọ lúkàlúkà ni í


kekere

Compare with Yoruba kéré and kékèké. Also see Olukumi kéré, Igala kékélé, likely ideophonic in origin, proposed to be derived from Proto-Yoruboid *kékélé


tuntun

From a partial reduplication of tun (“to be new”). See Itsekiri titọ́n, Olukumi títún, Ifè titɔ̃, Igala titọ. Proposed to be derived from Proto-Yoruba *-tʊ̃, from Proto-Edekiri *-tʊ̃, ultimately from Proto-Yoruboid *-tʊ̃. Also see Ayere ɛntɔ


kari-aye

From ká (“to surround”) + orí (“head, surface”) + ayé (“world”)


atijọ

/à.tī.d͡ʒɔ́/

From à- (“nominalizing prefix”) + ti (“of”) + ijọ́ (“day”)


adikala

Part of the etymology may come from àlà (“white, pure”)

àgbò adíkálà ni mo rà


diẹ

Ìgbà díẹ̀ ti lọ láti ìgbà tí mo rí yín nígbẹ̀yìn

It has been a little while since I've seen you last


kẹrindinlogun

/ꜜkɛ̄.ɾĩ̀.dĩ́.ló.ɡṹ/