I am yoruba and we only have three words for different languages: white (funfun), black (dudu), red (pupa) but my teacher wants to find out what we call blue, green, yellow, brown, and pink.

For example, how do you say these sentences in your language?

Yesterday, i saw a beautiful flower. It was (pink/purple/yellow) ______________

Yesterday, i bought a new blanket. It was (brown/green/pink/purple/red) ________________

Yesterday, i bought a new dress. It was (brown/green/pink/purple/blue) _________________

igbo

Black = oji

White = ocha

Red = Obara

The remaining

That's the problem with my language, there are no other words for colors other than the aforementioned.

White = Ocha
Black = Ojii
Red = Uhie (Uhie Uhie)
Blue = Uri
Green = Ndu Ndu
Brown = Anwuanwu
Yellow = Edo Edo
Pink = ?? Hybrid color. . . uhie uhie still, I guess. So, instead of icha uhie uhie, it would be, ichatu uhie uhie, to express a "dab" of red.

This is as much as I know.

@Topic
Yoruba language doesn't have specific name for the colours you mentioned but we often times associate them to things.
example blue is the colour of the sky and it's oftentimes called awo sanmo(colour of the sky), green is the colour osfand it's oftentimes called awo ewe(colour of leave)

davidif:

I am yoruba and we only have three words for different languages: white (funfun), black (dudu), red (pupa) but my teacher wants to find out what we call blue, green, yellow, brown, and pink.

Very interesting topic

Green (Awo ewe/ leaf color), i heard that lots of time on Yoruba news, but the rest i don't know. I think i took for granted that language programme on TV (WAZOBIA) back in those days .  we're gradually losing our culture

By the way davidf when are you coming back to teach us some German language
Ich bin ein Nigeria, i must confess i fell for that one, u got me writting the whole page

davidif:

I am yoruba and we only have three words for different languages: white (funfun), black (dudu), red (pupa) but my teacher wants to find out what we call blue, green, yellow, brown, and pink.

I used to wonder about this myself.

However, traditional cloth makers might know if there are other words for colors, since they'll use various kinds of dyes and materials when weaving fabrics. Dark blue in particular should have a name because there are blue dye pits up north and there must have been some kind of interaction in the past.

I think yellow is also pupa.


a general overview:

http://www.metmuseum.org/explore/oracle/figures29.html

_{I dont think blue is dudu though I could be wrong.}

Is blue not awo aro?

In Kalabari

Black = Krukru

Blue = bloblo or so toru

Yellow = epe

White = Pina

Green = Inyatoru

By the way davidf when are you coming back to teach us some German language
Ich bin ein Nigeria, i must confess i fell for that one, u got me writting the whole page

@waladis,

HA HA HA HA HA HA.

Green (Awo ewe/ leaf color), i heard that lots of time on Yoruba news, but the rest i don't know.

My father said that brown was awo paali, but i don't know, he also gave me the translation for the following;

buluu- blue
awo bi osan- orange
yelo- yellow
popu- purple
buraun- brown
pinnki- pink

But i told him that this were not original words but just twisting English words by using an accent like calling the color blue, buluu.

Yoruba language doesn't have specific name for the colours you mentioned but we often times associate them to things.
example blue is the colour of the sky and it's oftentimes called awo sanmo(colour of the sky), green is the colour osfand it's oftentimes called awo ewe(colour of leave)

@IFELEKE
Exactly, i think we just use metaphors: we compare them to things for example in order to describe that your cloth is green, you can say "aso e fe jo moto yen (assuming the car one is refering to is green in color).

White = Ocha
Black = Ojii
Red = Uhie (Uhie Uhie)
Blue = Uri
Green = Ndu Ndu
Brown = Anwuanwu
Yellow = Edo Edo
Pink = ?? Hybrid color. . . uhie uhie still, I guess. So, instead of icha uhie uhie, it would be, ichatu uhie uhie, to express a "dab" of red.

Amazing.

In Kalabari

Black = Krukru

Blue = bloblo or so toru

Yellow = epe

White = Pina

Green = Inyatoru

This is also cool, i didn't know that Nigerian languages had names for yellow or green.

Good thinking poster. I've often thought about this. . . .

All I know is fifun, pupa, and dudu.

Fifun- White or light in color

Pupa- same thing, light in color (usually for skin color)

Dudu- dark or black

FL Gators,
Someone told me that blue is Ayinrin and that yellow is ofee fee but they didn't know what brown was and they used a metaphor instead like (awo paali) which means the color of a carton (i think so), but that there was no original word for it.

davidif:

FL Gators,
Someone told me that blue is Ayinrin and that yellow is ofee fee but they didn't know what brown was and they used a metaphor instead like (awo paali) which means the color of a carton (i think so), but that there was no original word for it.

LOL, I can tell you right now that I just learned something from you today.

I absolutely didn't know yellow, blue and brown has yoruba translation

First the sentences, in Igbo.

Yesterday, i saw a beautiful flower. It was (pink/purple/yellow)
Echi gaara aga, ahuru m otu okoko maara nma. O chara edo edo (yellow).
Echi gaara aga, ahuru m otu okoko maara nma. O mere di ka o ga-acha uhie uhie (pink).
Purple. . ??

Yesterday, i bought a new blanket. It was (brown/green/pink/purple/red)
Echi gaara aga, azuru m otu akwa ohuru. O chara anwu anwu (brown).
Echi gaara aga, azuru m otu akwa ohuru. O chara ndu ndu (green).
Echi gaara aga, azuru m otu akwa ohuru. O chara uhie uhie (red).
Echi gaara aga, azuru m otu akwa ohuru. O mere di ka o ga-acha uhie uhie (pink).
Purple. . ??

Yesterday, i bought a new dress. It was (brown/green/pink/purple/blue)
Echi gaara aga, azuru m otu nwei ohuru. O chara anwu anwu (brown).
Echi gaara aga, azuru m otu nwei ohuru. O chara ndu ndu (green).
Echi gaara aga, azuru m otu nwei ohuru. O chara uri uri (blue).
Echi gaara aga, azuru m otu nwei ohuru. O mere di ka o ga-acha uhie uhie (pink).
Purple. . ??

I also found this website . . http://www.carpe-diem.at/PP/Groh%20-%20Culture%20and%20Colour%20Concepts.pdf
Starting from page 18 to 20, they discuss some Nigerian languages and colors.

I've also been told that in Northern Igboland (Anambra area), there are Igbo equivalents for purple (ododo) and indigo/blue (amaloji).

Chineye, thanks a lot.

FL Gators and ogaga4luv can you please translate those questions.

davidif:

Chineye, thanks a lot.

FL Gators and ogaga4luv can you please translate those questions.

What questions. Mii ki n se Igbo

black=Oji
white=Ocha

Violet=Udara.

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heh. . I wouldn't know, Tpia. This is my first time ever knowing of "ododo". I've never heard that word until I was told that it meant "purple".

Davidif, no problem.

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I decided to do a search as well, and interestingly enough, I found this. . .
http://books.google.com/books?id=rugZliix0dIC&pg=PA139&lpg=PA139&dq=Igbo+ododo&source=bl&ots=IhiurjnulC&sig=6Yy2jiIlX17t_o70KldZkCb09WY&hl=en&ei=4_dUSvPFD5Oqtgf4yYWuCA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1

odòdo n. pourpre (f), violet.

It's an Igbo-French Dictionary.

Anyway, cannot rightly say that "ododo" means "purple", or it means "light skinned", because the word "ododo" is news to me. Where/Whom did you hear "ododo" from, if you don't mind me asking?

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What questions. Mii ki n se Igbo

Awon questions ti mo ko sori original post ni mo sope ko translate.

tpia.:

I first heard the word in the context I originally mentioned, from my mum a few years ago when she was discussing some family history.

Okay. So you're mom's side of the family is Igbo? Which part?
Also, when you first heard "ododo", do you remember how the tones were arranged?

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