I have always been fascinated by Yoruba people’s creative morphological domestication of Arabic names. There are scores of Yoruba names that are derived from Arabic but which are barely recognizable to Arabs or other African Muslims because they have taken on the structural features of the Yoruba language.
This is not unique to Yoruba, of course. As scholars of onomastics or onomatology know only too well, when proper names leave their primordial shores to other climes they, in time, are often liable to local adaptation. (Onomastics or onomatology is the scientific study of the origins, forms, conventions, history and uses of proper names. Anthroponomastics specifically studies personal names, so this article is an anthroponamastic analysis of Yoruba Muslim names). That’s why, for instance, there are many Arabic-derived personal names in Hausa, the most Arabized ethnic group in Nigeria, that would be unrecognizable to Arabs. Names like Mamman (Muhammad), Lawan (Auwal), Shehu (Sheikh), etc. would hardly make much sense to an Arab.
I am drawn to the onomatology of Arabic-derived Yoruba names because their morphological adaptation to Yoruba’s structural attributes seems to follow an admirably predictable, rule-governed pattern. I have four preliminary observations on this pattern.

1. Bakare. This is the Yoruba rendition of Abubakar (or Abu Bake), the nickname of the first Caliph of Islam. As you can see, the “Abu” in the name is dispensed with, and the “Bakar” part of it is fitted with a terminal vowel. Refer to rules one and two above. Perhaps the most prominent bearer of this name in contemporary Nigeria is Pastor Tunde Bakare, former vice presidential candidate to General Muhammadu Buhari. Pastor Bakare was born a Muslim but converted to Christianity in his teens.

2. Buraimo. I doubt that many non-Yoruba Muslims will recognize this name as Ibrahim, but it is. It follows the second morphological principle I identified in my introductory remarks. The “I” in Ibrahim is dispensed with, and intermediate and terminal vowels are added to produce Buraimo, which is sometimes spelled as Buraimoh. People who follow Lagos politics are probably familiar with the “Baale Buraimo Edu of Epe.”

3. Disu. This is the Yoruba rendition of the Arabic name Idris. The initial vowel in Idris (that is “I”) is eliminated and a terminal vowel (that is, “u”) is added to it. Abdul Karim Disu, the first Nigerian to earn a graduate degree in journalism from Columbia University in 1944, is perhaps the first known Disu in Yorubaland.

Why not give a space after each name for my reading pleasure

its congested oh..

4. Lamidi. I once had a conversation with a friend from Kastina about prominent Yoruba Muslims who bear no Muslim names. I mentioned former Minister of Justice Prince Bola Ajibola, First Republic politician Alhaji Adegoke “Penkelemesi” Adelabu (who is late). My friend interrupted me and mentioned “Alhaji Lamidi Adedibu.” He was shocked when I told him Lamidi was a Muslim name.
“Which Muslim name is Lamidi?” he asked.
“Abdulhamid,” I said.
He was unconvinced. I told him because of Yoruba people’s fondness for the short forms of names, they often dispense with “Abdul” in Muslim names that begin with that prefix. So that leaves us with Hamid. Now, there is something some people call the “h-factor” in Yoruba, which is the tendency for Yoruba speakers to unconsciously eliminate the “h” sound in words in which it is normally pronounced and to add it to words that don’t have it. So “eat” is often pronounced as “heat” and “heat” is pronounced as “it.” Given this phonological characteristic,“Hamid” becomes “Amid,” but the interference of the “l” sound in “Abdul” can also cause it to be rendered as “Lamid.” Now, like all Niger Congo languages, it’s unnatural for words to not have a terminal vowel, so a terminal vowel is added to Lamid to produce Lamidi. My friend was persuaded.

5. Muroino or Muraino. As I explained in my introductory remarks, this is the Yoruba domestication of Imran, the father of Maryam (Mary) in the Qur’an. The initial vowel is eliminated and intermediate and terminal vowels are added.

6. Lasisi. This is Abdulaziz. The “Abdul” in the original name is dispensed with, the “z” sound in the other half of the name is replaced with an “s” sound since there is no “z” in Yoruba phonology and orthography, and a terminal vowel (“i”) is added.

7. Romonu (Raymond). This is the shortened form of Abdulrahman. Its domestication follows the same morphological principle as the preceding name. The only thing to add is that in contemporary times many people who bear Romonu (or Ramonu) tend to Anglicize it to Raymond.

8. Sulu (and Sulufilu). Most Nigerians are familiar with the name Sulu-Gambari courtesy of the traditional ruling family in Ilorin. Well, the “Sulu” in the name is the Yorubaization of Zulkarnain (which is more correctly transliterated as Dhul-Qarnayn). Since Yoruba has no “z” sound, the “z” in Zulkarnain is replaced with an “s,” and the rest of the name is lopped off. Sulufilu, another Arabic name that is popular with Yoruba Muslims, is the domestication of Zulkifil.

9. Sumonu. That is Usman. Its formation follows the same morphological process that gave birth to names like Bakare, Buraimo, Disu, and Muraino. I used to have a classmate in primary school whose name was Sumonu Lamidi Lasisi.

10. Sunmola. That is Ismaeel. Like Bakare, Buraimo, Disu, Muraino, Sumonu, the first vowel in Ismaeel is chopped off and intermediate and terminal vowels are added to it.

Concluding Thoughts
Several other names came to mind when I thought of this article—names like Waidi (Abdulwahid), Mukoila (Mikail), Muda, (Mudassar), etc. There are also other names that I simply couldn’t trace to any existing Arabic name I know of, but which Yoruba Muslims bear nonetheless. This includes names like Shittu, Gbadamosi (now rendered as Bhadmus, which Hausa people bear as Badamasi), Raji (which many Fulani from northeastern Nigeria also bear), etc. I hope someone reading this can educate me on the origins of these names.
Whatever it is, it is remarkable that Yoruba Muslims have successfully domesticated Arabic names to the point of making them sound like native Yoruba names.

justi4jesu: Why not give a space after each name for my reading pleasure

its congested oh..

tanx bro

i was agonizing about some of dose names 2 e.g. Bakare,lasisi, lamidi but was neva so sure. Tnx 4 info but pls try 2 use paragraphs nxt tym.

All the names mentioned are predominantly borne by muslims of the Yoruba race. So, you don't have to be intelligent to know that the names have got Islamic roots.

Nevertheless, its not a harmful thing to know.

Zubairu

Sayidi

Taawa (tawalkaltu)

experimentist: Zubairu

Sayidi

Taawa (tawalkaltu)

. Risikat - Risqat

Konjour: All the names mentioned are predominantly borne by muslims of the Yoruba race. So, you don't have to be intelligent to know that the names have got Islamic roots.

Nevertheless, its not a harmful thing to know.

..however I still learnt something...

I have some doubts about Lamidi.

I used to think Lamidi is derived from "Lamido" which is the FUlani word for Sarkin/King/Chief .

E.g., Lamido FUlbe = King of Fulanis


This probably infiltrated Yorubaland after the invasion of dan fodion forces into Illorin.

This is very interesting info.God bless you.Meanwhile i will go to politics section to post this topic.

PAGAN9JA: I have some doubts about Lamidi.

I used to think Lamidi is derived from "Lamido" which is the FUlani word for Sarkin/King/Chief .

E.g., Lamido FUlbe = King of Fulanis


This probably infiltrated Yorubaland after the invasion of dan fodion forces into Illorin.

lamidi in yoruba is abdul hamid in arabic for that of lamido is still mean the same thing in arabic

Youngwee:
lamidi in yoruba is abdul hamid in arabic for that of lamido is still mean the same thing in arabic

How does abdul hamid = King/Leader/Chief

It doesnt make sense.

abdul hamid actually means slave of praiser of God.

so its just a personal name combination.


Lamido is a Fulfulde word. Ask Fulaman198

PAGAN9JA:

How does abdul hamid = King/Leader/Chief

It doesnt make sense.

abdul hamid actually means slave of praiser of God.

so its just a personal name combination.


Lamido is a Fulfulde word. Ask Fulaman198.

ar u a Yoruba if yes does Lamidi mean anything in yoruba language

Youngwee:
ar u a Yoruba if yes does Lamidi mean anything in yoruba language

I am not Yoruba. I am just giving my hypothesis.

If its not a Yoruba word then I believe its derived from a Fulfulde word.

But my friend here disagrees and believes it is derived from 2 Arabic words.

This summarizes the ongoing debate between us.

@op good job
@mods front page plsssssssssssssssssssssssss
to u seun

PAGAN9JA:

I am not Yoruba. I am just giving my hypothesis.

If its not a Yoruba word then I believe its derived from a Fulfulde word.

But my friend here disagrees and believes it is derived from 2 Arabic words.

This summarizes the ongoing debate between us.

.
That wat i told u

Youngwee:
ar u a Yoruba if yes does Lamidi mean anything in yoruba language

Lamido is a Fulfulde word in origin.

It is used in every Fulani dialect from Senegal to Sudan.

In Guinea, they say Lamdo instead of Lamido. Yoruba borrowed the word from Fulfulde. Laamu, Laambe they all mean chiefs or king. King in the Yoruba and also Bini language I thought was Oba

Fulaman198:

Lamido is a Fulfulde word in origin.

It is used in every Fulani dialect from Senegal to Sudan.

In Guinea, they say Lamdo instead of Lamido. Yoruba borrowed the word from Fulfulde. Laamu, Laambe they all mean chiefs or king King in the Yoruba and also Bini language I thought was Oba

Yes. King means Oba in all Yoruba languages and Bini too

The current Alaafin of Oyo is named Lamidi II
It's very possible that it's a fulani word cus it means nothing in Yoruba unless we consider that some Yoruba names are shortened. It could be "Olamidi" meaning my wealth is with strong foundation

macof:

Yes. King means Oba in all Yoruba languages and Bini too

The current Alaafin of Oyo is named Lamidi II
It's very possible that it's a fulani word cus it means nothing in Yoruba unless we consider that some Yoruba names are shortened. It could be "Olamidi" meaning my wealth is with strong foundation

Good stuff, It has to be Illorin Fulani influence,if many Yoruba do not recognise the word Lamidi (Lamido) then it's obviously of Fulani origin. Loan words always make their way into several neighbouring ethnic groups.

Fulaman198:

Lamido is a Fulfulde word in origin.

It is used in every Fulani dialect from Senegal to Sudan.

In Guinea, they say Lamdo instead of Lamido. Yoruba borrowed the word from Fulfulde. Laamu, Laambe they all mean chiefs or king. King in the Yoruba and also Bini language I thought was Oba

what i'm trying to say is that Lamidi in yoruba language is the same with Abdul Hamid in Arabic, i dont that of fulani or other language.

i doubt lamidi is the same as lamido.

it could be abdul hamid, but that explanation doesnt answer the question of why the L at the end of abdul, was retained in this one instance but not in others.

it could also instead of dropping the h in hamid, it was simply replaced with l from abdul?

still very puzzling and not really a satisfactory answer, sounds like guesswork but is the only theory which seems to apply.

what is this doing in religion section?

Youngwee: 9. Sumonu. That is Usman. Its formation follows the same morphological process that gave birth to names like Bakare, Buraimo, Disu, and Muraino. I used to have a classmate in primary school whose name was Sumonu Lamidi Lasisi.

10. Sunmola. That is Ismaeel. Like Bakare, Buraimo, Disu, Muraino, Sumonu, the first vowel in Ismaeel is chopped off and intermediate and terminal vowels are added to it.

Concluding Thoughts
Several other names came to mind when I thought of this article—names like Waidi (Abdulwahid), Mukoila (Mikail), Muda, (Mudassar), etc. There are also other names that I simply couldn’t trace to any existing Arabic name I know of, but which Yoruba Muslims bear nonetheless. This includes names like Shittu, Gbadamosi (now rendered as Bhadmus, which Hausa people bear as Badamasi), Raji (which many Fulani from northeastern Nigeria also bear), etc. I hope someone reading this can educate me on the origins of these names.
Whatever it is, it is remarkable that Yoruba Muslims have successfully domesticated Arabic names to the point of making them sound like native Yoruba names.

Biliki (Balkees) Raohufu(Abdul Rauuf) (Abudu Abdullah)

tpia1: i doubt lamidi is the same as lamido.

it could be abdul hamid, but that explanation doesnt answer the question of why the L at the end of abdul, was retained in this one instance but not in others.

it could also instead of dropping the h in hamid, it was simply replaced with l from abdul?

still very puzzling and not really a satisfactory answer, sounds like guesswork but is the only theory which seems to apply.

L was also retained in Lasisi which is short for Abdul Aziz.

You're quite right.

Its interesting to note however, in haruna, the h was not dropped ( could be because there is no prefix of abdul).

Another name like saheed, which sounds like a formal arabic one, is the yoruba version of sa' id ( or more common among the yoruba I should think).

So, the h was inserted before the i and the resulting name actually seems more arabic than even the original version.

Thanx for the conclusions, FUla, macof.

nnofaith: L was also retained in Lasisi which is short for Abdul Aziz.

that what i'm trying to it also happened in Abdul Awwal which retained to Lawali