Professional Documents
Culture Documents
My Yoruba Alphabet
My Yoruba Alphabet
My Yoruba Alphabet
MELBOURNE
TORONTO
MY
YORUBA ALPHABET
BY
R. E. DENNETT
AUTHOR OF
Nigerian Studies,'' "At the Back of the Black Man's Mind," ^c.
1916
PL
MY YORUBA ALPHABET-
PRONUNCIATION
the signs now in use. For instance there are the dots
CtCkfVyfUl
s in father.
they.
,, marine.
„ go.
„ rude.
,, aisle.
,, oil.
,, now.
A is
always
"a^
E
"e'
"i'^
"o
u
"u
AI
"ai
01
''oi
AU
"au
INTRODUCTION
Great Author.
X INTRODUCTION
CONTENTS
C, F, V (F)
My Yoruba Alphabet — Pronunciation
Introduction
PAGE
14
16
18
24
26
27
35
38
42
MY YORUBA ALPHABET
CHAPTER I
thing else.
The second of these factors is Morality.
present study relates to the Yoruba people who live as far north of
the equator as the Bavili do south of it, and who are in no way
resulting reciprocity.
possessed — capacity.
constant.
authority.
00
4 MY YORUBA ALPHABET ch. i
CHAPTER II
YORUBA SPIRITUALITY
5D2
And all this, the former not less than the latter, is the
of the heavens.
is an excellent example : —
EMI, MI = I (Person).
MI = To breathe.
EMi = Breath.
EMMI = Spirit, life, soul, influence, agitation.
Ml = To agitate.
11 YORUBA SPIRITUALITY 7
EMI
EMI EMMI
r^s.'.
MI EMI MI EMMI
(To breathe) (That breathes) (To agitate) (That which agitates)
ENI = One.
ELA = A wedge.
ELLA = A splinter.
EBI = Hunger.
race there may have prevailed the idea that all these
succeeds him.
by God.
CHAPTER III
MY YORUBA ALPHABET
Elemental Factors.
Elemental Factors.
I. Authority
{Ofin).
10
MY YORUBA ALPHABET
CHAP.
2. Morality
{MimmS)
ancestor worship.)
heading of Morality.
L, M, N. Liquids.
-MO = To be sensible.
NU = To shine.
ILLO = Precept.
IMMO= Purity.
INU = Disposition.
3. Potentiality
{Ashe).
thus O N I = ON. He it is
mother.)
SH,
s.
Z or S. Sibilan
SHO
To be stubborn
SO
=
To yield.
-SO
To speak.
ESHU
The devil.
ESO
=
Fruit.
OSSO
Much speaking.
Ill
MY YORUBA Ai.PHABET
II
Volition
{Agtdi).
G, K, GB or Q.
Gutturals.
To censure.
To conform,
acquiesce.
To strike.
To knock.
A back-biter.
Manhood.
to
VlTALISATION
{Idagba).
A,IWA(Passion)| ^^^^^^
A, IWA. (Being) / ^ ^ TA
T, D, W. Dentals.
= To produce.
= To be.
= To create or make.
6. Reciprocity.
the movers.
Y, H, J. Exhaled Aspirates.
-YE
YIN
-HE
-J6
AYE
EJJE
7. Capacity.
{ipa).
A, AWON. (They.)
To move.
Respectful answer.
To respond.
Living, alive.
Blood.
B, R, P. Labials.
=^ To meet.
= To issue.
= To cause to suffer.
= Proposal, suggestion.
= Body.
= Fashion, custom.
= Impression.
E
8. Effectivity.
{Ere).
The new " I," EMI becomes the Head of a new generation.
Elemental Factors.
I. Authority.
(Ofin)-
2. Morality
{Afim»io).
3. Potentiality
(As/is/ie).
4. Volition
{Agidi).
5. VlTALISATION
(Idagba).
6. Reciprocity
7. Capacity,
{ipa).
8. Effectivity
i^re).
therein.
e2
CHAPTER IV
it directly to heat.
drawing you."
CHAPTER V
immorality.
of these gods.
Mu is to imbibe, and Mu is to sink or to be immersed
and so drowned.
^ Little pots or bits of pot are sent by natives one to the other to
Morality.
CHAPTER VI
Potentiality.
one who is and who has — ON, the one who has the
— Potentiality.
CHAPTER VII
will.
The lightning and thunder deity is believed to carry
persons.
the sun, which cuts the day into four great divisions of
season — iGBa.
Da.
or swell — Wii.
Te means to tread.
fertility.
ikoko.
(JA = to strive).
upon her.
a feather— EI YYE.
are : —
strive.
kingdom.
The foregoing facts should be sufficient to place the
Factor — Reciprocity.
CHAPTER X
husband.
CHAPTER XI
SUMMARY
I.
Vertical and Progressive
Order.
1 = I.
2 = U.
3 = O.
6 = E.
7 - A.
8 = 1, I
II.
Horizontal Order.
I, u,
A.
A
u
1I
^\
\I
A/
u
Nature's Aspirates.
CI = verb to be or to exist.
CI = adv. awhile.
-FO = ,, to wreck.
FA = „ to scrape.
FI = verb to compel.
ILE
FO =
,, to be empty.
FA =
„ to draw.
FE =
FI =
FO =
adv. deeply.
The Liquids.
= earth
LE =
verb to be hard.
■LO =
„ to grind.
LA =
„ to appear.
LE =
adv. exceedingly.
LI =
LO =
XI SUMMARY 29
M.
OMI
MI =
MU =
„ to drink.
MU =
„ to take, to bring.
MA =
mA =
mA =
adv. indeed.
„ not.
-MO =
„ again.
N.
INA
= fire—
verb to be.
NI =
NU =
,, to say.
„ to shine.
NA =
NA =
NI =
„ to spread.
adv. already.
N=
Sibilants.
S.
ESO
= fruit-
—leads to the ideas expressed in :
SE =
verb to cook.
su =
,, to sow.
so =
,, to produce.
SA =
sA =
SA =
,, to evaporate.
conj. for.
SE = verb to shut.
-SO = ,, to heave.
SU = „ to erupt.
SUN = ,, strangely.
-SHE = „ to do.
SHI = ,, to open.
SHO = „ to watch.
SHASHA = „ quickly.
Gutturals.
G.
GB.
K.
OGA ORUN
= tk
GE =
verb
to cut.
GUN =
11
to beat.
GAN =
11
to prog, pierce.
GAN =
adv.
uprightly.
IGBA = time or
GBIN =
verb
to plant.
GBE =
11
-GBO =
11
to grow.
GBA =
11
to conform.
GBA =
adv.
entirely.
IK A = cakulation-
—leads to the ideas expressed in :
KI =
verb
to press.
-KO =
11
to learn.
KU =
11
to die.
kA =
11
to reap.
KA =
11
to count.
KA =
adv.
around.
KA =
conj.
that.
KO =
adv.
not.
KU =
11
suddenly.
Dentals.
TI =
verb
to thrust.
-TE =
11
to tread.
-TO =
11
to touch.
TA =
11
to produce.
TE =
adv.
conj.
that.
TI =
prep.
TI =
conj.
yet.
TI =
adv.
with, against.
TI =
11
heavily.
TUN =
)>
again.
-TO =
11
well done.
XI SUMMARY 31
W.
D.
WIWA =
WI
=
verb
WO
>»
to behold.
wu
=
)5
to swell.
wA
))
to be, to dig.
WA
)>
to divide, to seek for.
WAI
adv.
now, at once.
DE
verb
to tempt.
-DE
to hunt.
DI
to unite.
DO
to cohabit, to encamp.
DU
to deny.
DA
=
to make or to create, and to fuse.
Dfe
prep.
DI
conj.
till.
Exhaled Aspirates.
YI = verb to move.
YE = ,, to lay eggs.
-YO = ,, to rejoice.
YUN = ,, to be pregnant.
YA = ,, to tear.
YA = ,, to give way.
surprise.
YE = adv. slightly.
YO = „ well.
y6 = „ deeply.
HO = „ to boil.
HU = „ to germinate.
HA = „ to crack.
HA = adv. indeed.
R.
IE =
verb to be.
JI =
„ to forgive.
Ji =
„ to awake, to steal.
lu =
„ to throw.
J6 =
„ to dance.
JA =
„ to break.
jA =
,, to strive.
JA =
„ to pass through.
JU =
adv. more.
Labials.
OHIN =
intelligence — leads to the ideas expressed in :
RI ==
verb to see.
-RE =
,, to daub.
RIN =
„ to walk.
RE =
„ to go.
RO =
„ to cultivate.
r6 =
,, to sound.
RU =
„ to bear, to carry.
RAN =
„ to command.
RA =
,, to buy, to redeem.
RA =
,, to perish.
RI =
adv. never.
-RE =
pron. thy.
RE =
„ his.
IB A = dominion — as that of a parent (obi) — leads to the
ideas expressed in :
BI =.
-B(5 =
-BO =
,, to arrive.
BU =
,, to bake.
BU =
,, to abuse.
bA =
BA =
„ to meet.
bA --
„ to be bent.
BA =
prep, with.
BA :=
adv. never.
BE =
„ thus.
BI =
I SUMMARY
-PE = ,, to endure.
PE = „ to be full.
Pfi = „ to call.
-PO = „ to be plentiful.
-PO = ,, to vomit.
PE = conj. that.
PU = adv. precipitately.
33
I. Authority = Ofin.
CI = to be.
FI = to push.
= MiMMO.
-LO = to enquire.
-MO = to be sensible.
NU = to shine.
SHO = to be stubborn.
SO = to yield.
-SO = to speak.
GAN = to censure.
GBA = to acquiese.
KAN = to knock.
,, (^Creation) = Ida.
TA = to produce.
WA = to be.
DA = to create.
-HE = an answer.
-YE = to change.
-JE = to answer.
34
MY YORUBA ALPHABET
CHAP. XI.
7. A. Capacity = I pa.
8. I. Effectivity {Effect)
RA = to issue.
BA = to meet.
PA = to cause to suffer.
ARA = custom.
ABA = suggestion.
APA = impression.
ERE.
SYNTHESIS II. HORIZONTAL ORDER.
I. U. A.
Spirit.
Thou.
HU =toger- J A = to strive.
minate.
BO = to be full PA = to cause
of leaves. to suffer.
3. O, ON = SHE =todo.
He, etc.
6. E,ENYIN =
Yot
YE =to lay
eggs.
7. A, AWON= RI =tobe.
They.
CHAPTER XII
Universal Order.
1. Authority.
groves.
2. Morality.
3. Potentiality.
4. Volition.
The Sun.
5. Vitalisation.
The Moon.
6. Reciprocity.
that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in
7. Capacity.
on the altars.
CHAPTER XIII
energy.
O
meaning of the elemental factors, and in this way
I. Authority, i, f or v, f, c. ofin.
heaven."
2. Morality, u, i, m, n. mimmo.
Lord thy God in vain : for the Lord will not hold him
kingdom come."
ASH SHE.
I AM.
5. VlTALISATION, A, W, D, T. WIWA.
" Give us this day our daily bread " is the fifth
6. Reciprocity, e, y, h, j. ifiji.
lYONU is compassion.
7. Capacity, a, r, b, p. ipa.
8. Effectivity.
of His Authority,
CHAPTER XIV
3. Potentiality, ness, s.
4. Volition, q, k, g.
Great Creator.
5. Vitalisation, t, d, w.
He is wedded to it.
6. Reciprocity, h, y, j.
young.
7. Capacity, r, b, p.
Authority (Ofin).
Morality (Mimo).
Potentiality (Ashe).
or Z
•^ Note ; please read each Hst from top to bottom to obtain the
physical, vegetable and animal order in production.
Volition (Agidi).
ViTALiSATioN (Ida).
Reciprocity (Ifiji).
Capacity (Ipa).
Sunshine
RIRAN ORUN
comprehensive whole.
Los Angeles
Foi
PL8821 .D41m