re

Ẹ̀yìn aboyún ré

(medicine) to dislocate, to suffer from a dislocated body part


ago

àgó (canonical)
agó (canonical)
ẹgó (alternative)
ògó (alternative)

Compare with Olukumi agó, Itsekiri ẹgó, Igala àgó, Ayere úgó (“navel”). Proposed to be derived from Proto-Yoruba *à-gó, from Proto-Edekiri *à-gó, ultimately from Proto-Yoruboid *à-gó. It is unclear if this word was used in Standard Yoruba as there are few texts that cite its existence in Standard Yoruba. It is possible that the word had become long obsolete in Standard Yoruba.

(anatomy, Ondo, Ikalẹ, Eastern Akoko, Ọwọ) hip, waist


koko

a kì í mọ̀ ọ́n gún mọ̀ ọ́n tẹ̀ kí iyán ewùrà máà ní kókó


horo

Noun sense derives from ideophone sense, the root may be derived from Proto-Yoruboid *ɣó (“small”), which may link this word as a Doublet of owó (money)


korona

Clipping of èrànkòrónà or fáírọọsì-kòrónà, ultimately from English corona.

(pathology, virology) COVID-19 (disease and virus)

COVID-19 (disease and virus)
COVID-19 pandemic


narun

nárun (canonical)
inárun (alternative)
nọ́run (alternative)

From iná (“fire”) + ọ̀run (“the heavens”), literally “fire from the heavens”

compound

(pathology) a type of skin rash mainly caused by onchocerciasis


kaa

Possibly from Baatonum karà (“garden, fence”)


eela

(pathology) a type of skin inflammation or rash from herpes or eczema


uko

From Proto-Yoruboid *ù-kó, equivalent to ù- (“nominalizing prefix”) + kó (“to gather, to scoop up”). While in Standard Yoruba and Northwest Yoruba, the alternative form ìkó only translates to the beak of the bird (with the term ètè referring to the mammalian lip), in the Central and Southeast Yoruba dialects ùkó, it retains its general meaning as a term for the lip of any mammal and the beak of a bird. Compare with Igala ùkó (“lip”).

af

(chiefly CY, anatomy, zootomy) beak; lip


ẹdọforo

/ɛ̀.dɔ̀.fó.ɾó/

From ẹ̀dọ̀ (“liver”) + fóró (“the act of a light substance rushing in and out”).


sobiya

Kí sòbìyà yóò bá dègbò, olúgàǹbe là á ké sí

Before guinea worm becomes a sore, it is the oluganbe plant that we will call too

(pathology, medicine) Guinea worm disease, dracunculiasis


mudunmudun

Compare with Ifè mɔ̀nɔ̀mɔ́nɔ̀, ultimately of ideophonic or onomatopoeic origin.

cog

mɔ̀nɔ̀mɔ́nɔ̀

Ifè mɔ̀nɔ̀mɔ́nɔ̀

any soft internal organ or body part
(anatomy) bone marrow, marrow

any soft internal organ or body part
bone marrow, marrow

any soft internal organ or body part
(anatomy) brain

any soft internal organ or body part
brain


ọkẹ

Numeral sense derived from noun sense, as one ọ̀kẹ́ (bag), contained around twenty thousand cowries.

Ọ̀kẹ́

Yoruba name, given to a child born with its amniotic sac intact via an en-caul birth


iwọ

Compare with Itsekiri ùghọ́, possibly cognate with Ifè ìfɔ̃́ (“navel”). Proposed to be derived from Proto-Yoruba *ʊ̀-ɣɔ́, *ɪ̀-ɣɔ́, ultimately from Proto-Edekiri *ʊ̀-ɣɔ́, *ɪ̀-ɣɔ́. Originally only referring to the umbilical cord, it has semantically shifted to also refer to the navel, becoming synonymous with idodo


danpara

dáǹpárá (canonical)
ìdáǹpárá (alternative)


ogooro ẹyin

head

ògóóró ẹ̀yìn

yo-pos

ògóóró ẹ̀yìn

yo-noun

ògóóró ẹ̀yìn

ògooro ẹ̀yìn (canonical)
ògóóró ẹ̀yìn (canonical)

/ò.ɡōō.ɾō ɛ̀.jĩ̀/

/ò.ɡóó.ɾó ɛ̀.jĩ̀/

From ògooro (“one that stretches out on a straight line”) + ẹ̀yìn (“back”).


ẹkọ arun-ara

/ɛ̀.kɔ́ à.ɾũ̀.ā.ɾā/

From ẹ̀kọ́ (“study, learning”) + àrùn (“disease”) + ara (“body”), literally “the study of the diseases of the body”.


horo ẹjẹ pupa

/hó.ɾó ɛ̀.d͡ʒɛ̀ k͡pū.k͡pā/


ọba opojẹ

/ɔ̄.bā ò.k͡pó.d͡ʒɛ̀/

From ọba (“king”) + òpójẹ̀ (“artery, blood vessel”), literally “the most important artery”.

compound

(idiomatic, anatomy, cardiology) coronary artery


majata

From má + jẹ + ata, literally “don't eat pepper”.


gogongo

/ɡò.ɡò.ŋ́.ɡò/


furọ

Probably from Baatonum pùrɔ̀ru, a sound change from p-->f may be possible as Yoruba does not have /p/


eyinjija

/è.jĩ̀.d͡ʒì.d͡ʒà/


atọtọ

(vulgar, anatomy) uncircumcised penis; foreskin


ọyan

From ọ- (“nominalizing prefix”) + yàn (“to suckle”). The use of yàn with this noun is restricted to Central Yoruba dialects, while others use mu (“to drink”).
Compare with Igala ẹ́nyà, Olukumi ọnyàn, Itsekiri èyán, proposed to be derived from Proto-Yoruboid *ɛ́-ɲã̀. Perhaps distantly related to àyà (“chest”) or *ɔ́-yà (“wife”), which links to other Volta-Niger words for woman. Etymological evidence suggests that ọyàn served as a more euphemistic name compared to ọmú, and while it has largely replaced ọmú in common day speech, its original euphemistic origins may support the idea that it comes from a non-anatomical root, similar to the developement of euphemisms for genitalia.

af

(anatomy, originally euphemistic) breast


ighaghe

ìghághè (canonical)
ùghághè (alternative)

From ìghá (“midrib of an oilpalm frond”) + ighè (“a root relating to the human rib”). The first part of the word has many Yoruboid cognates, and usually refers to the side or "rib" of a palm frond. It is not clear if the origin comes from the human rib or the palm frond rib. See Ijebu Yoruba ùwá (“human rib”), Standard Yoruba ọ̀wá (“rib of palm frond”), Èkìtì Yoruba ụ̀á (“palm frond midrib”). The second form is also a term referring to the rib, see Àkúrẹ́ Yoruba ụgbáè, ịgbáè, ịgbáyè, Èkìtì Yoruba uè, uyè, iyè. For other dialects that have the "gba" form, see Ìkálẹ̀, Ọ̀wọ̀ Yoruba ugbáyà. First part of the word can be derived from Proto-Edekiri *ʊ̀-ɣá, *ɪ̀-ɣá, also see Proto-Yoruba *ʊ̀-ɣá, *ɪ̀-ɣá.


ụgbae

ụgbáè (canonical)
ịgbáè (alternative)
ịgbáyè (alternative)
ịgbárè (alternative)

From ụgbá (“side”) + iè (“root relating to the human rib”). The first part of this word can be seen in Ìkálẹ̀ Yoruba ugbáyà, and likely means "side," perhaps related to gbá (“to hem the sides of a mat”). The second form is also a root term referring to the rib, in Northern and central Èkìtì dialects, the term is not compounded with anything (Yoruba uè, uyè, iyè). In many other Yoruboid dialects, it is occasionally compounded with something else, see Ondo Yoruba ìghághè. See Olukumi ighè, proposed to be derived from Proto-Yoruba *i-ɣè


ughaghe

From ùghá (“midrib of an oilpalm frond”) + ighè (“a root relating to the human rib”). See Ijebu Yoruba ùwá (“human rib”), Standard Yoruba ọ̀wá (“rib of palm frond”), Èkìtì Yoruba ụ̀á (“palm frond midrib”).

(Ondo, anatomy) alternative form of ìghághè (“rib; rib cage”)


ịgbae

ịgbáè (canonical)
ịgbáyè (alternative)
ịgbárè (alternative)

From ụgbá (“side”) + iè (“root relating to the human rib”). See Olukumi ighè, proposed to be derived from Proto-Yoruba *i-ɣè.

(Àkúrẹ́, anatomy) alternative form of ụgbáè (“rib; rib cage”)


idodo

Yoruba varieties and languages: idodoview map

òdoGRAPHIfɛ̀Akpáréìfɔ̃́GRAPHAtakpamɛìfɔ̃́GRAPHEst-Monoìfɔ̃́GRAPHTchettiìfɔ̃́GRAPHNote: 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


gigisẹ

gìgísẹ̀ (canonical)
gìgìrísẹ̀ (alternative)

From gìgí (“ideophone referring to a thing that sticks out”) + ẹsẹ̀ (“leg”), literally “That which sticks out of the leg”, compare with Itsekiri kikirisẹ̀n


ibadi

From ì- (“nominalizing prefix”) + bà (“to be at the end”) + ìdí (“behind, butt”)


igbaroko

/ì.ɡ͡bā.ɾò.kó/


igunpa

From ìgún (“that which is pointed”) + apá (“arm”), literally “The point part of the arm”, compare with Yoruba orúnkún


udodo

Compare with Igala údo, from Proto-Yoruba *u-do, ultimately from Proto-Yoruboid *ú-do, *í-do. Originally distinct from ìwọ́ (“umbilical cord”) (Sense 2), but the anatomical similarities have made the terms semantically synonymous

(anatomy, chiefly CY, SEY) navel, belly button

(anatomy, chiefly CY, SEY) umbilical cord


ụọ

ụ̀ọ́ (canonical)
ùghọ́ (alternative)
ùwọ́ (alternative)
ìwọ́ (alternative)
iwọ̀ (alternative)

Proposed to be derived from Proto-Yoruba *ʊ̀-ɣɔ́, *ɪ̀-ɣɔ́, ultimately from Proto-Edekiri *ʊ̀-ɣɔ́, *ɪ̀-ɣɔ́. It has semantically shifted to also refer to the navel, becoming synonymous with udodo

ụnụ́ ụ̀wọ́

a pain that develops from the umbilical cord after birth


ughọ

ùghọ́ (canonical)
ùwọ́ (alternative)
ìwọ́ (alternative)
iwọ̀ (alternative)
ụ̀ọ́ (alternative)

Compare with Itsekiri ùghọ́, Olukumi ughọ́. Proposed to be derived from Proto-Edekiri *ʊ̀-ɣɔ́, *ɪ̀-ɣɔ́. Also see Proto-Yoruba *ʊ̀-ɣɔ́, *ɪ̀-ɣɔ́.

(anatomy, Ikalẹ, Ilajẹ, Ọwọ, Ondo) umbilical cord

(anatomy, Ikalẹ, Ilajẹ, Ọwọ, Ondo) navel


iwọrọku

/ì.wɔ́.ɾɔ́.kù/


ojuju

/ō.d͡ʒū.d͡ʒū/

Probably from o- (“nominalizing prefix”) + juju (“partial reduplication of ju "to be infected with pus"”). Compare with Olukumi ózúzú


ugbegbe

ugbègbè (canonical)
gbègbè (alternative)

/ū.ɡ͡bè.ɡ͡bè/