YorubaPrimer

Êkö Kejìdínlögbõn 28 Lesson Twenty-Eight

	Èè	Ee Éé	Êê	Çç Ëë
	è	e é	ê	ç ë
Èdè			Çdç (a town in Yoruba land)
Yorùbá ni èdè mi.			Çdç ni ìlú mi.
Yoruba is my language.			Çdç is my home-town.
Ètè			Êtê
Ètè mi wú			Àìsàn ni êtê
My lip is swollen			Leprosy is a disease

Erin

Çranko þlá ni erin

The elephant is a big animal.

Êrín

Êrín yìí põjù

This laughter is too much.

Ejò	Çjö
Ejò olóró ni.	Çjö mi ni
It is a poisnous snake.	It is my fault
Èso	Êsö
Eso yìí dùn púpõ	Iÿë yìí gba êsõ.
This fruit is very sweet.	This work requires carefulness.
Ebè	Êbê
Àgbê ti kô ebè láti gbin iÿu.	Êbê ni mo bç ö.
The farmer has prepared the heap	I am begging you.
of earth for planting yams.

Wo ìyàtõ láàárín E e àti Ç ç

Observe the difference between E e and Ç ç

	(Five short of fifty)
Page 45	Ojú-ìwé Karùndínláàádöta

Êkö Kôkàndínlögbõn 29 Lesson Twenty-Nine

	Ò	O Ó	Õ		Ô	Ö
	ò	o ó	õ		ô	ö
Owó	Money			Ôwö		Hand

Owó wà ní ôwö mi.

There is money in my hand.

Òjò	Rain
Òjò	þ rõ.

It is raining.

Oyún Pregnancy

Oyún kejì nìyìí.

This is the second pregnancy.

Oko Farm

Oko Àdùkë nìyìí.

This Aduke’s farm.

Olè Thief

Ôjö	Day
Ôjö	wo nìyìí?

What day is this?

Ôyún Pus

Ôyún wà lójú egbò yìí.

There is pus on this sore.

Ôkô Husband

Ôkô Àdùkë nìyìí

This is Aduke’s husband.

Õlç	Lazy (person)

Õlç ni ó þ di olè.

A lazy (person) becomes a thief.

	Kòkòrò	Insect			Kökörö	Key
			Wo ìyàtõ láàárín O o àti Ô ô
		Observe the difference between O o and Ô ô
						(Four short of fifty)
Page 46						Ojú-ìwé Kçrìndínláàádöta

Êkö Ôgbõn	30	Lesson Thirty

S s ß ÿ

Çsê Leg

Çsê þ dún mí.

My leg is hurting.

Õsê Week

Õsê kan kò tó.

One week is not enough.

Asõ Quarrel

Asõ kò dára.

Quarelling is not good.

Òsì left

Ôwö òsì mi niyìí.

This is my left hand.

Àsè feast

Àsè ìgbéyàwó ni.

It is a wedding feast.

Êÿê Sin

Êÿê ni irö pípa.

Telling lies is a sin.

Ôÿç Soap

Ôÿç yìí dára.

This soap is good.

Aÿô Cloth

Aÿô yìí dára

This cloth is good

Òÿì poverty

Kò sí òÿì níbí.

There is no poverty here.

Àÿç

Àÿç ni.

It is an order.

	Wo ìyàtõ láàárín S s àti ß ÿ
	Observe the difference between S s and ß ÿ
	(Three short of fifty)
Page 47	Ojú-ìwé Kçtàdínláàádöta

Àkàyé

Comprehension

Nísisiyìí, àsìkò wá tó láti lo àwôn êkö tí ç ti kö nínú ìwé yìí láti ìbêrê ní àwôn ojù-ìwé tí ó têlé èyìí.

A óò ÿe àyêwò àwôn àpólà, gbólóhùn õrõ àti ìkíni Yorubá. A óò pàdé çbí Ômôlúwàbí, a óò sì kö nípa Bíÿöõbù Sámúëlì Àjàyí Crowther àti ìtàn iÿêdálê ìjôba ìlê Yourùbá.

Iÿë yá.

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

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 àwôn gbólóhùn tí a kô sílê lësççsç.

Read the sentences written down systematically.

	(Two short of fifty)
Page 48	Ojú-ìwé Kejìdínláàádöta

ÌKÍNI GREETINGS

P

Ìkíni ní oríÿìíríÿìí ìgbà àti fún oríÿìíríÿìí ìÿêlê wöpõ ní àÿà Yorùbá. Díê nínú wôn nìyìí.

Çkáàárõ

Çkáàsàn

Çkúrõlë

Çkáalë Ó dàárõ Ó dàbõ

Çkáàbõ

Çkúulé

Çkú àtijö

Çkú ôjö mëta

ßé àlàáfíà ni?

Çkú ìnáwó

Çkú ìdìde

Çkú àfojúbà

Çkú ìgbádùn

Page 49

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

Good morning. Good afternoon. Good evening.(early) Good evening. (late)

Good night (till morning). Good bye.

Welcome.

Greetings on meeting you at home. Quite an age.

Have not seen you in a while.

How are you? (are you in good health?

Greetings for spending money. Greetings for coming. Greetings for seeing a visitor. Greetings for enjoying yourself.

(One short of fifty)

Ojú-ìwé Kôkàndínláàádöta

P	ÌKÍNI	GREETINGS
	Õrõ àti èsì		Conversation
Ì - Ìbéèrè	Q - Question	È - Èsì	A - Answer

ÌÇ káàárõ o, Màmá Bísí

ÈO o, káàárõ o.

Ìße dáadáa ni?

ÈA dúpë

ÌÀwôn ômô þkö?

ÈWön wà ní àlàáfíà

ÌBaálé þkö?

ÈÀlàáfíà

ÌNíbo ni ê þlô?

ÈMò þlô söjà. Ó dàbõ o.

O o, ó dàbö

Q	Good morning,	Bisi’s mother.
A	Yes, good morning.
Q	How are you?	(Is it well with you?)

A	Thank you.
Q	How are the children
A	They are in good health.
Q	How is your husband ?
A	Fine.
Q	Where are you going?

AI am going to the market. Good bye.

Yes, good bye

	(Fifty)
Page 50	Ojú-ìwé Àádöta

Çbí Ômôlúwàbí

The Omoluwabi Family

Õgbëni Akíntúndé Àkànbí		Abilékô Ômôlará Àdùkë
Ômôlúwàbí		Ômôlúwàbí
Mr. Akintunde Akanbi Omoluwabi		Mrs. Omolara Aduke Omoluwabi

Miss		Miss		Master
Ôláþrewájú		Olúwafúnmiláyõ		Adéôlá
Ômöboöláþlé		Olúwaÿeun		Adéyçmí
Ôlá		Olú		Adé

Àköbí - First born child		Àbíkëhìn - Last born child
Obìnrin - Female	Obìnrin - Female	Ôkùnrin - Male

	(One over fifty)
Page 51	Ojú-ìwé Kôkànléláàádöta

P

Çbí Ômölúwàbí jókòó láti jç oúnjç àárõ

The Omoluwabi family at breakfast

Çbí Ômôlúwàbí jókòó láti jç oúnjç àárõ. Búrëdì àti çyin díndín ni wön fëë jç, ÿùgbön iÿu àti õgêdê sísè ni bàbá yóò jç ní tire.

Ìyá ti po tíì fún àwôn ômô, kôfí sì ni òun àti bàba yóò mu ní tiwôn.

Kò yá àwôn ômô lára láti jòkòó báyìí. Wôn féë lô sí Makidónálìdì láti lo jç bögà àti fráìsì ni.

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.

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

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

eat burger and fries.

	(Two over fifty)
Page 52	Ojú-ìwé Kejìléláàádöta

P	Çbí Ômôlúwàbí þ jç oúnjç àárõ
	The Omoluwabi family at breakfast

Bàbà gbádùn oúnjç tí a fi töô dàgbà. Kò fëë gbàgbé ìgbà èwe rê. Ojoojúmö ni ó máa þ sô fún àwôn ômô pé: Bögà láàárõ, Bögà lösàn-àn, Bögà lálë

– ó màÿe o!

Page 53

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 !

(Three over fifty)

Ojú-ìwé Kçtàléláàádöta

Abilékô Ômôlúwàbí		Mrs Omoluwabi
(Màmá Ôlá)		(Ola’s mother)

Ômôlará ni orúkô rê. Ó tún þ jë Àdùkë. Oríkì ni orúkô kejì yìí. Ômô ôdún mëêëdögbõn ni. Bàbá Ôlá ni àwôn çgbë rê þ pè e gëgë bí àÿà ìbílê nítorí pé Ôlá ni àköbí àwôn ômô rê.

Màmá Ôlá þ se oúnjç. Oúnjç õsán nìyìí. Êbà ni ó þ rò. Omi gbígbóná ni ó fi þ tç gaàrí tí yóò di êbà yìí.

Ó ti se ôbê êfö sílê. Ó fi çja àti oríÿìíríÿìí çran síi. Àwôn ômô gbádùn oúnjç yìí ÿùgbön bí a bá bi wôn léèrè pé èwo ni ó dára jù nínú êbà àti bögà, wön á pariwo gèèè… wön á ní bögàààà…bögàààa…

Bàbá yóò tún wipe Bögà láàárõ, Bögà lösàn-àn, Bögà lálë - ó màÿe o!

Page 54

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.

Ola’s mother is preparing a meal. This is lunch.

She is preparing eba

She is mixing gaari in hot water then it becomes eba.

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 burgerthey’ll shout gleefully ... and say burgerr...

burgerr...

Dad will say again Burger in the morning, burger in the afternoon, burger at night - what a pity !

(Four over fifty)

Ojú-ìwé Kçrìnléláàádöta