Obaba Museum

Have you wondered why there really isn’t an appropriate interpretation for the word, Yoruba despite the value descendants of Oduduwa place on naming?

Perhaps, you may have noticed that naming is of great value to the various peoples now collectively regarded as the Yoruba. For example names of individuals are usually based on foretelling or a consequence of the circumstances surrounding their birth, for example parents may name their child Owolabi hoping the child will bring wealth/good fortune to the family, or Adebisi, meaning one who was added to the crown or was born after the parent took titles. You would notice also that the naming of most Yoruba towns were derived from historical events or qualities and attributes, a vivid illustration is Abeokuta-Abe Okuta Olumo which was a place abode under the Olumo rock, Eba-Odan – Ibadan, and Ibi ti Ile ti yo – Oyo and other neighboring towns like Ile ibinu-Benin. However, these factors appear not partake in the word Yoruba. The question therefore is why do the ‘Omo Oodua’ still retain the name. Stay tuned as we trace the origin of this strange appellation now used to characterise the descendants of Oduduwa.

The Yorubas are one of the three largest ethnic groups of Nigeria, concentrated in the southwestern part of the country. Although a smaller, scattered group live in Benin and northern Togo. They speak a language of the Benue-Congo branch of the Niger-Congo language family.

In their book, ‘The Yoruba from Prehistory to the Present’, Falola and Usman argue that the word Yoruba was already in use in the interior of the Bight of Benin probably before the 16th century. Ahmed Baba also used this term in reference to the Oyo Empire. You should understand that up until the 1800s, there is little evidence to confirm that the Yoruba regarded themselves as Yoruba, the term was often an external label. They usually referred to themselves based on their subgroups and geo-location, for example, the Egbas, Ife, Okun, etc.

The name Yoruba was the Hausa name for Oyo people, it was popularized by Hausa usage. As a result of bitter experiences in trade with the Oyo Kingdom where they usually felt cheated and short-changed they developed a stereotypical tag where they referred to the people of Oyo as ‘Yaribanza’ which means cunning, dubious or unreliable. This was later corrupted to Yorubawa or Yoruba. The extension of the term to all speakers of dialects related to the language of the Oyo dates to the second half of the 19th century. It is greatly due to the influence of Bishop Samuel Ajayi Crowther, the first Anglican bishop in Nigeria. Crowther himself was an Oyo Yoruba who compiled the first Yoruba dictionary as well as introducing a standard for Yoruba orthography. The accounts of Crowther coupled with its usage by Colonial officials gave credence to the name.

The Egbas are know to have resisted that label by the Hausa/Fulani as there are alternative names like ‘Aku’, derived from the first words of Yoruba greetings (such as Ẹ kú àárọ? “good morning”, Ẹ kú alẹ? “good evening”) which has survived in certain parts of their diaspora as a self-descriptive, especially in Sierra Leone and Okun which usually refers to the Yoruba speaking nations within present day Kogi state, Nigeria.

The native term the Yoruba people call themselves, is “Ọmọ Káàárọ̀-oòjíire,” literally meaning, ‘The People who ask ‘Good morning, did you wake up well?’ Of course the cultures of greeting is one of the striking features of the Yoruba culture, they are known for their many different greetings in many situations. Another term used is, ‘Ọmọ Oòduà,’ meaning ‘Children of Oduduwa,’ referencing the semi-legendary king who is believed to be the founder and ancestor of the modern Yoruba people. The Yorubas usually regard themselves also as ‘Omoluwabi’ which is a philosophical and cultural concept that’s native to them. The concept signifies character, courage, hard work, humility, respect and honour. In clear terms an Omoluwabi is a person of honor and integrity who believes in hard work, respects the rights of others, and gives to the community in deeds and in action. I don’t know o, but if you ask me, I would say that the Omoluwabi is a preferable tag to the Hausa/Fulani imposed name.

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References

Aribidesi Usman and Toyin Falola, ‘The Yoruba from Prehistory to the Present’.

Noah Yusuf(2020) ‘Yoruba names as a Reflection of People’s Cultural heritage’.

Wikipedia