YorubaPrimer
.pdf
Köþsónàýtì YORÙBÀ Consonants
Àwôn Köþsónàýtì Yorùbá
Yoruba Consonants
B
J
R
b
j
r
D
K
S
d
k
s
F
L
ß
f
l
ÿ
G
M
T
g |
GB gb |
H |
m |
N n |
P |
t |
W w |
Y |
h
p
y
Àwôn lëtà tí ó máa þsábà |
The letters that are usually |
ÿòro pe fún àwôn tí kìí |
difficult for non-native Yoruba |
ÿe ômô ìbílê Yorùbá ni- |
speakers to pronounce are - |
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GB gb |
àti |
P p |
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and |
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fún àpççrç |
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for |
example |
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gbà |
gbà |
to take |
pa |
pa |
to kill |
gbé |
gbé |
to carry |
pè |
pè |
to call |
gbç |
gbç |
dry |
pë |
pë |
late |
gbö |
gbö |
to hear |
papa |
pápá |
field |
gbàgbé |
gbàgbé |
to forget |
pçpç |
pçpç |
altar |
gbogbo |
gbogbo |
all |
pupa |
pupa |
red |
gbígbç |
gbígbç |
dry |
púpõ |
púpõ |
many |
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Dán wôn wò |
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Try them |
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Page 5 |
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Ojú-ìwé Karùn-ún |
Fonölöjì Yorùbá Phonology
Ìró ohùn ni òpó èdè Yorùbá.
The tone is the pillar of the Yoruba language.
Ìró ohùn ni òpó èdè Yorùbá. Ìró ohùn èdè ni à þ pé ni Fonölöjì. Ìró ohùn ìpilê mëta ni ó wà ní èdè Yorùbá. Àwôn ni ohùn òkè, àárín àti ìsàlê.
The tone is the pillar of the Yoruba language. Phonology is the speech sounds of a language. There are three basic tones in Yoruba. They are the high, middle and low tones.
A fi àwôn àmì ohùn mëta yìí töka sí wôn.
Àmì ohùn ìsàlê Àmì ohùn òkè Àmì ohùn àárín
These three accent marks are used to indicate them.
( ` ) Grave sign ( ´ ) Acute sign
( ¯ ) Mid tone sign
Àkíyèsí
A kì í sábà fi àmì sí orí õrõ olóhùn àárín àfi lëêkõõkan nígbà tí ó bá yç.
Note
We do not usually place accent marks on words with a mid tone except in some instances when necessary.
Page 6 |
Ojú-ìwé Kçfà |
Fonölöjì Yorùbá Phonology
P
Ìró ohùn ni òpó èdè Yorùbá.
The tone is the pillar of the Yoruba language.
A fi oríÿìí àwõ mëta ya àwôn àmì ohùn õrõ yìí sötõ kí ó lè rôrùn fún àwôn ômôdé àti alákõöbërê láti ÿe àkíyèsí wôn. Ètò
tí a dá sílê yìí ni a pè ní Ètò Bis Bus Afàwõ-ÿe-ìlànà.
We assigned three different colors to distinguish between these three tones to make it easy for children and beginners alike to notice them. We devised this technique and called it the Bis Bus Color Coding Scheme (BCS) ®
dò |
( ˋ ) |
àwõ aró |
blue |
re |
( ) |
( ˉ ) àwõ ewé |
green |
mí |
( ˊ ) |
àwõ pupa |
red |
Page 7 |
Ojú-ìwé Keje |
Fonölöjì Yorùbá Phonology
P
Ìró ohùn
Phonology
Mëta nínú àwôn ohùn orin tí a þ tê lórí dùrù ni a fi þ töka sí dídún ohùn õrõ.
Àwôn olùkö àti akëkõö èdè Yorùbá ti lo àýfàní yìí fún õpõlôpõ ôdún.
Three of the musical notes of the piano are used to simulate the intonation of words. This has been used with good effect by Yoruba teachers and students for many years.
d: |
r: |
m: |
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dò |
( ˋ |
) |
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re |
( |
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( ˉ ) |
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mí |
( ˊ ) |
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Àpççrç |
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Example |
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owó (re-mí) |
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money |
òwò (dò-dò) |
trade |
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ôwö (re-mí) |
hand |
õwõ |
(dò-dò) |
reverence |
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õwö (dò-mí) |
flock |
ôwõ |
(re-dò) |
broom |
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Õwõ (Dò-dò) |
a town in Yoruba land |
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Àkíyèsí.
Lílo ‘do-re-mi’ kì í ÿiÿë ní àÿepé ní ìgbà gbogbo ÿùgbön ó wúlò púpõ fún alákõöbêrê.
Note.
Utilizing ‘do-re-mi’ does not work perfectly all the time, but it is very useful for the beginner.
Page 8 |
Ojú-ìwé Kçjô |
Fonölöjì Yorùbá Phonology
P |
Ìró ohùn |
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Phonology |
À þ bá àwôn àmì ohùn mìíràn pàdé nínú àwôn ìwé Yorùbá àtijö àti ti òde òní.
Àwôn tí ó ÿe gógó ni:
1. Àmì fàágùn ( ~ )
A kìí lo àmì yìí mö nítorí pé kò wúlò. A ti fi lílo fàwêlì méjì tí õkõõkan ní àmì tirê dípò irú àwôn õrõ bëê. Fún àpççrç:
We do come across other intonation marks in both old and modern day Yoruba books.
The main ones are:
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.:
õrùn |
lè jë |
oòrùn |
o-ò-rùn |
sun |
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can be |
tàbí / or |
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òórùn |
ò-ó-rùn |
smell |
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2. Àmì ohùn ìsàlê àti òkè àpapõ ( ˇ )
Lílo àmì yìí kò wöpõ mö nínú àwon ìwé Yorùbá. Ó dá mi lójú pé yóò ya àwôn òýkàwé wa lënu láti rí àmì tí ó ÿe àjèjì yìí lórí orúkô mi -
2. The low-rising tone ( ˇ )
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 –
Ônäbàjò, Ônäyçmí
A ÿe èyìí láti mú un rôrùn fún pipe orúkô náà bí ó ti tö báyìí
Ônàábàjò, Ônàáyçmí
Ogunlögõ ènìyàn ni o máa þ ÿi orúkô náà pè báyìí
Õnábàjò, Õnáyçmí
Nípa lílo àmì yìì, a yçra fún lílo fáwêlì méjì fún orúkô náà.
A tún lo àmì ohùn yìí nínú ìwé yìí fún nö¹bà 1
Kïnní dípò
Page 9
This is done to facilitate proper pronunciation of the name as
-re-dòmí-dò-dò , re-dòmí-re-mí
Many people mistakenly pronounce the name like this
-dò-mí-dò- dò, dò-mí-re-mí
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
/ instead of Kìn-ìn-ní
Ojú-ìwé Kçsàn-án
Môfölöjì Yorùbá Morphology
Môfölöjì Yorùbá
Yoruba Morphology
Ètò õrõ ni a þ pè ní Môfölöjì. Ó ÿe pàtàkì láti ní ìmõ tí ó péye nípa ètò gígé çyô õrõ sí êbù-êbù (sílébù) ní èdè Yorùbá nítorí pé çyô sílébù kõõkan ni ó ní ìró ohùn tirê.
Morphology is the structure of words. It is important to have a good knowledge of how a word is divided into its component parts (syllable) in Yoruba because each syllable has its own distinct pitch.
Bátànì sílébù ìpilê mëta ni a fi þ |
Three basic syllable patterns are used |
hun õrõ Yorùbá. |
in forming Yoruba words. |
Àwôn ni: |
They are: |
1. |
( F ) Fáwêlì |
( V ) Vowel |
2. |
( KF ) Köþþsónáýtì + Fáwêlì (CV) Consonant + Vowel |
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(M m, N n) |
Sílébù Àránmúpè Syllabic Nasal |
F |
Fáwêlì |
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V |
Vowel |
K |
Könþsónáýtì |
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C |
Consonant |
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Page 10 |
Ojú-ìwé Kçwàá |
Môfölöjì Yorùbá Morphology
Môfölöjì Yorùbá
Yoruba Morphology
Àwôn oríÿìí bátànì mëta tí ó þ wáyé nígbà tí a bá pín õrõ sí êbù-êbù sílébù nìyìí -
These are the three different patterns that occur when words are split into their component syllables -
1. ( F ) Fáwêlì ( V ) Vowel
Fáwêlì kan dá dúró gëgë bíi sílébù odidi kan
A stand-alone vowel as one complete syllable
Àpççrç / Example: a, ç, ó
aa ti dé We have arrived
çç ti dé You have arrived
óó ti dé He / She has arrived
2. ( KF ) Köþþsónáýtì + Fáwêlì (CV) Consonant + Vowel
Köþsónáýtì àti fáwêlì àpapõ gëgë bíi sílébù kan
A consonant and vowel combination as a syllable
Àpççrç / Example: bê, lù, wá, lô
bê |
Mo bê ö |
I beg you |
lù |
Má lù mí |
Don’t beat me |
wá |
Jõö wá síbí |
Please come here |
lô |
Mò þ lô |
I am going |
3.M m, N n
gëgë bíi sílébù kan tí kì í ÿe ara fáwêlì àránmúpè. as a syllable that is not part of a nasalized vowel
Abimbölá |
I am born into honour (AYoruba name) |
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Mò þ lô |
I am going |
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Ajá Adé þ gbó |
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Ade’s dog is barking |
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Ògòýgò, ôba çyç |
- |
The Ostrich, king of birds |
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Page 11 |
Ojú-ìwé Kôkànlá |
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Môfölöjì Yorùbá Morphology
Môfölöjì (Ètò õrõ) Yorùbá
Yoruba Morphology
Ó wúlò láti yára ÿe àkíyèsí bí hìhun õrõ pêlú sílébù ÿe þÿisë nípa wíwo àwôn õrõ onísílébù méjì. A óò rí bátànì méjì-
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
1. (F - KF) (V - CV)
Fáwêlì tí ó dá dúró àti könþsónáýtì pêlú fáwëlì àpapõ A stand-alone vowel and a consonant-vowel combination
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A-dé |
Adé |
Crown |
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Ô-lá |
Ôlá |
Honor |
2. |
(KF - KF) |
(CV - CV) |
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Köþsónáýtì àti fáwêlì àpapõ méjì àsopõ
Two consonant and vowel combinations
Bà-bá Bàbá
Fì-là Fìlà
Àkíyèsí
Àwôn õrõ onísílébù púpõ máa þ ní àwôn bátànì ìpilê òkè yìí ní oríÿìíríÿìí õnà.
Father
Cap
Note
Multisyllabic words have these basic patterns above in various combinations.
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F |
Fáwêlì |
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V |
Vowel |
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K |
Könþsónáýtì |
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C |
Consonant |
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Ojú-ìwé Kejìlá |
Page 12 |
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ÀTÇ ÀWÒRÁN ÁLÍFÁBËÊTÌ YORÙBÁ
YORÙBÁ ALPHABET PICTORIAL
Àtç àwòrán àwôn õrõ tí ó bêrê tí |
Pictorial of words beginning and |
ó sì parí pêlú àwôn fáwêlì kannáà |
ending with the same vowels |
Aa Ee Çç Ii |
Oo Ôô Uu |
ße àkíyèsí pé àwôn fáwêlì nìkan ni a þ fi àmì ohùn õrõ sí lórí.
Note that intonation marks are placed only on vowels.
Àfikún Álífábëêtì Yorùbá - Yoruba Alphabet Expanded
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Fáwêli Àìránmúpè |
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Oral vowels |
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Á á |
É é |
Ë ë |
Í í |
Ó ó |
Ö ö |
Ú ú |
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A a |
E e |
Ç ç |
I |
i |
O o |
Ô ô |
U u |
À à |
È è |
Ê ê |
Ì |
ì |
Ò ò |
Õ õ |
Ù ù |
Fífi ìró ohùn köra lemölemö |
Tone Drill |
Ó ÿe pàtàkì láti fi kíkö ìró ohùn lemölemö sí ètò êkö akëkõö alákõöbêrê láti ìbêrê. Õrànyàn ni ó jë láti fihàn pé ìro ohùn ÿe góþgó ní sísô èdè Yorùbá. Nýkan tí a þlépa nìyìí nínu apákan ìwé yìí tí ó têlé ojú ìwé yìí.
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 |
Ojú-ìwé Kçtàlá |
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Êkö Kïnní |
1 |
Lesson One |
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P |
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dò re mí |
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Aa |
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à a á |
a-*a |
À A Á |
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a-já ajá dog |
à-ga àga chair |
a-pá apá arm |
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(re-mí) |
(dò-re) |
(re-mí) |
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à-gbá |
àgbá barrel |
a-ta ata pepper |
à-rá |
àrá lightning |
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(dò-mí) |
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(re-re) |
(dò-mí) |
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dò |
re |
mí |
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Iÿë ÿíÿe |
- Exercise |
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Read these sentences aloud.
Ka àwôn gbólóhùn õrõ yìí sókè
Mo ní ajá kan.
Ajá náà jókòó.
Apá òsì mi nìyìí.
I have a dog.
The dog is sitting down. This is my left arm. This is a big oil barrel
Túmõ àwôn õrõ yìí sí Gêësì
Translate these words to English
Àjà, Àgbà Àpá, Àpà Ara, Àrà, Ará
Page 14 |
Ojú ìwé kçrìnlá |