YorubaPrimer

ÀWÔN BÁTÀNÌ SÍLÉBÙ

SYLLABLE PATTERNS

Gëgë bí a ti ÿàlàyé tëlê ní ojú-ìwé kçwàá, àwôn bátànì sílébù Yorùbá pín sí oríÿìí mëta báyìí:

As previously explained on page ten, there are three syllable patterns in Yoruba as follows:

1.	( F ) Fáwêlì	( V ) Vowel
2.	( KF ) Köþþsónáýtì + Fáwêlì (CV) Consonant + Vowel
3.	(M m, N n)	Sílébù Àránmúpè (Syllabic Nasal)

A tún fi yé wa pé ó wúlò láti yára

ÿe àkíyèsí bí ìhun õrõ pêlú sílébù ÿe þÿisë nípa wíwo àwôn õrõ onísílébù méjì díê.

Bátànì méjì sì wáyé -

1. F – KF

a. A - dé b. À - dán

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 -

V - CV

ße àkíyèsí pé fáwêlì ìbêrê kò lè jë fáwêlì àránmúpè.

2. KF –KF

a.Bà-bá

b.ßë-gun

c.Sàn-yà

d.Fun-fun

Note that the starting vowel (F, V) cannot be a nasalised vowel.

CV-CV

Ní èdè Gêësì, àwôn fáwèlì méjì péré nínu àlífábëêtì ni o tún lè jë odidi õrõ

tí ó ní ìtumõ. Àwôn ni ‘a’ and ‘ i ’.

Ní èdè Yorùbá, gbogbo àwôn fáwêlì – a, e, ç, i, o, ô, u àti an, çn, in, çn, un ni ó tún lè dá dúró nípò ara wôn gëgë

bí odidi õrõ kan nígbà púpõ.

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 am here)

In Yoruba, ALL the vowels, both oral and nasalised, may stand alone on their own as distinct words.

	(Five short of forty)
Page 35	Ojú-ìwé Karùndínlógójì

Êkö Ogún 20 Lesson Twenty

P

	ÀWON BÁTÀNÌ SÍLÉBÙ	SYLLABLE PATTERNS
	F, KF	V, CV
ÀWÔN ÕRÕ ONÍSILÉBÙ KAN		MONOSYLLABIC WORDS

Mo bá ç yõ Mo ti dé Mo rí ç Mo bê ö

Má lù mí

Ó dùn mí Mo ti ÿe tán Kí lo wí?

I rejoice with you. I have arrived.

I see you.

I beg you.

Don’t beat me. It hurt me.

I have finished. What did you say?

Iÿë ÿíÿe - Exercise

Kô àwôn õrõ onísílébù kan tìrç síbí.

Write your own list of monosyllabic words here.

	(Four short of forty)
Page 36	Ojú-ìwé Kçrìndínlógójì

Êkö Kôkànlélógún 21 Lesson Twenty-One

P

ÀWON BÁTÀNÌ SÍLÉBÙ	SYLLABLE PATTERNS
F, KF	V, CV
ÀWÔN ÕRÕ ONÍSILÉBÙ KAN	MONOSYLLABIC WORDS

Parts of the body

O-rí	Head
I-mú
Ô-wö
Ç-sê
A-bë
E-yín
Õ-fun
Ô-rùn
I-kùn

O-jú	Eye
Ç-nu
Ì-ka
A-pá
Ê-dõ
Ê-yìn
Ô-kàn
À-gbõn
Ì-fun

E-tí	Ear
È-tè
Ì-dí
À-yà
A-ra
A-hön
I-tan
I-run
I-ÿan

Iÿë ÿíÿe - Exercise	(Àyöwí – Wo ojú-ìwé Kôkànlélögöta fún àwôn ìdáhùn díê)
	(Hint – see page 61 for some answers)

Kô àwôn êyà ara ní èdè Gêësì

Write the parts of the body in English.

Wo àwôn nöþbà yìí náà. Look at these numbers too.

Ení, Èjì, Êta, Êrin, Àrún, Êfà, Èje, Êjô, Êsán, Êwá

Túmõ àwôn õrõ yìí sí Gêësì

Translate these words to English

Òrí, Ète,Ìkà,Àpá, Àpà, Àgbôn, Agbön, Õkan Ikún, Aya,

	(Three short of forty)
Page 37	Ojú-ìwé Kçtàdínlógójì

Êkö Kejìlélógún

22 Lesson Twenty-Two

P

ª Ý M N « Þ

Ð ð, Ñ ñ

SYLLABIC NASAL

M, N gëgë bí i sílébù (sílébù àránmúpè)

N yìí yàtõ sí èyí tí ó jë ara õrõ oní sílébù àránmúpè.

m àti n máa þ dún bákan náà

– gëgë bí “ uhn” pêlú ohùn ìsàlê, àárín tàbí òkè tí ó tö sí i.

Ní Yorùbá òde-òní, ìmõràn tí a fi lölê ni pé kí a máa lo m dípò n nígbà tí ó bá wà láàárín õrõ ÿùgbön ogunlögõ òýkõwé ni o ÿì þ lo m nígbà tí ó ba ÿiwájú b pàápàá fún orúkô

Àpççrç

ORÚKÔ NAMES

Abíðbölá - Abí “uhñ” bölá Adéþrelé - Adé “uhþ” relé

ÑÝKAN OBJECT

Òro¸bó - Òro“uhý”bó

Page 38

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 and n sound the same –

like “uhn” with the corresponding low, mid or high pitch.

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.

Examples

GBÓLÓHÙN SENTENCE

Mò þ lô

“uhþ”

I am going

Kò sí ñýkankan	“uhñ uhý”
There is nothing.
Kí lò þ wá?	“uhþ”

What are you looking for?

(Two short of forty)

Ojú-ìwé Kejìdínlógójì

Êkö Kçtalélógún	23 Lesson Twenty-Three

ÀWON BÁTÀNÌ SÍLÉBÙ SYLLABLE PATTERNS

	F - KF , V -CV	KF - KF , CV -CV
ÀWÔN ÕRÕ ONÍSILÉBÙ MEJI		BISYLLABIC WORDS

A-dé	Crown
Ô-lá	Honour
Ô-pë	Thanks
Ç-wà	Beauty
Õ-rë	Friend
À-gbê	Farmer
I-gba	Two hundred
O-kùn	Rope

Iÿë ÿíÿe - Exercise

Bà-bá Bà-tà Re-re Dú-dú Kê-kë Jõ-wö ßí-bí ßù-gbön

Father

Shoe

Good

Black

Bicycle

Please

Spoon

But

Kô àwôn õrõ onísílébù méjì tìrç síbí.

Write your own list of bisyllabic words here.

	(One short of forty)
Page 39	Ojú-ìwé Kôkàndínlógójì

	Êkö Kçrìnlélógún 24				Lesson Twenty-Four
		ÀWON BÁTÀNÌ SÍLÉBÙ			SYLLABLE PATTERNS
				KF-KF	CV-CV

ÿí-bí ÿíbi spoon	kê-kë kêkë bicycle			bà-bá bàbá father

bà-tá bàtà shoe

fì-là fìlà hat

gè-lè gèlè head tie

Iÿë ÿíÿe - Exercise

Kí ni àwôn nýkan wõnyi?

What are these things?

Mo ní kêkë kan	I have a bicycle
Bàbá mi ló rà á fún mi.	My father bought it for me
Ç ÿeun bàba.	Thank you dad.

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

2.**** ni.

It is (a box of) eggs.

3**** ni.

It is an orange.

Túmõ àwôn õrõ yìí sí Gêësì.

Translate these words to English.

Bàbà

Bàtá

Òro¸bó

	(Forty)
Page 40	Ojú-ìwé Ogójì

	Êkö Kçêëdögbõn				25	Lesson Twenty-Five
P
		ÀWON BÁTÀNÌ SÍLÉBÙ				SYLLABLE PATTERNS
		KF-KF-KF				CV-CV-CV

kö-kö-rö kökörö	ÿò-kò-tò ÿòkòtò	fè-rè-sé fèrèsé
key	pants (trousers)	window

ké-ke-ré kékeré

small

pç-lç-bç pçlçbç

flat

pë-pë-yç	pëpëyç	ga-ra-wa garawa
	duck	bucket (pail)

Iÿë ÿíÿe - Exercise

Kí ló wà nínú oko yìí?

What is on this farm?

**** **** ni.

They are three horses.

Ýjë o rí çÿin kçta?

Can you see the third horse?

Page 41

Túmõ àwôn õrõ yìí sí Gêësì.

Translate these words to English.

Roboto

Rçpçtç

(One over forty)

Ojú-ìwé Kôkànlélógójì

Êkö Kçrìndínlögbõn 26		Lesson Twenty-Six
	ÀWON BÁTÀNÌ SÍLÉBÙ	SYLLABLE PATTERNS
	F-F-KF , V-V-CV	KF-F-KF , CV-V-CV
ÀWÔN ÕRÕ ONÍSILÉBÙ MÇTA		TRISYLLABIC WORDS

F-F-KF , V-V-CV	KF-F-KF , CV-V-CV
a-a-go aago (agogo) clock	bö-õ-lù böõlù ball

ká-à-bõ káàbõ welcome

F-F-KF , V-V-CV

o-ò-rùn oòrùn sun

	KF-KF-F , CV-CV-V
		F-KF-KF	, V-CV-CV
	bà-lú-ù bàlúù aircraft	à-gù-tàn àgùtàn sheep
			(Two over forty)
Page 42			Ojú-ìwé Kejìlélógójì

Êkö Kçtàdínlögbõn				27		Lesson Twenty-Seven
	ÀWON BÁTÀNÌ SÍLÉBÙ				SYLLABLE PATTERNS
			KF-KF-KF-KF			CV-CV-CV-CV
ÀWÔN ÕRÕ ONÍSILÉBÙ MÇRIN						WORDS WITH FOUR OR MORE
	TÀBÍ JÙ BËÊ LÔ					SYLLABLES
			KF-KF-KF			CV-CV-CV-CV

tò-ló-tò-ló	la-ba-lá-bá			kë-të-kë-të			yàn-mù-yán-mú
turkey		butterfly		donkey			mosquito
F-KF-KF-KF , V-CV-CV-CV						F-KF-F-KF , C-CV-C-CV

à-lù-bö-sà	onion	a-lù-pù-pù motorcycle		ò-gò-ý-gò ostrich
ÀWON ÕRÕ ONÍSÍLÉBÙ PÚPÕ			MULTISYLLABIC WORDS
ADÉBÙSÖLÁ	(F-KF-KF-KF-KF) The crown has added to our honour
ÔMÔLÚWÀBÍ	(F-KF-KF-KF-KF)		A virtuous child
ÔMÔLÚÀBÍ	(K-KF-KF-F-KF)
À-LÀ-Á-FÍ-À	(F-KF-F-KF-F)		Peace, Health
Ô-MÖ-BO-RÍ-O-WÓ (F-KF-KF-KF-F-KF) A child is more important than money
				(Three over forty)
Page 43				Ojú-ìwé Kçtàlélógójì

Ç ç Ô ô ß ÿ

Ó ÿe pàtàkì púpõ láti máa yán àwôn lëtà mëta E, O àti S nídìí pêlú döõtì tàbí ilà olóròó kúkúrú nígbà tí ó bá yç. ßíÿe báyìí ni yóò jë kí òýkàwé tètè mô ìtúmõ tí o tö sí õrõ náà.

Àti döõtì àti ilà olóròó kúkúrú ni àkôtö èdè Yorùbá fôwö sí. Fífa ilà gbôôrô çlëbùú sábë àwôn lëtà yìí lòdì sí òfin akôtö.

Lílo ilà olóròó kúkúrú ni mo fëràn jù ní tèmi nítorí pé:

Ó bójú mu ní wíwò lójú ìwé Kì í parë tí a bá fa ilà sábë õrõ.

Wo àwôn àpççrç ìsàlêyìí

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.

Êê	Çç	Ëë	Õõ	Ôô	Öö	ßÿ
Êê	Çç	Ëë	Õõ	Ôô	Öö	ßÿ

A rí ilà tí a fà gedegbe lábë ilà olóròó kúkúrú náà. Kò pa á rë.

The line can be seen distinctly below the short vertical bar. It has not obstructed it.

	Ẹ̀	ẹ̀Ẹ ẹ Ẹ́	Òẹ́ọ̀	Ọ́Ọ ọọ́Ṣ	ṣ
	Ẹ̀	ẹ̀Ẹ ẹ Ẹ́	Òẹ́ọ̀	Ọ́Ọ ọọ́Ṣ	ṣ
Ilà tí a fà ti pa döõtì rë.			The dot is cut off by the line

	(Four over forty)
Page 44	Ojú-ìwé Kçrìnlélógójì