mumu people full everywhere...cheetah does not exists in rain forest, they are mostly in deserts.

yorubas in the rain forest, an ideal habitat of a tiger...

common sense..arun opolo...

yorubas are known to over hunt wild life...tiger may have gone existing...

they are many eulogies describing ekun as stronger than lion kiniun...

can leopard be stronger than lion?

ItooWorWor:

Is lokoja your fatherland

no...na ur motherland

Xisnin:

Wrong analysis.
Ekun is Tiger, an animal need not be local before having a local name and in science
parlance you don't rely on one evidence to make a conclusion.

Ekun gains its reputation by being ferocious and strong and even seen as a rival of the lion.
No person with knowledge of wildlife will compare a leopard to a lion in any way when an
an average lion could snap a leopard's neck if it got the chance.

Only the tiger can match a lion muscle for muscle and pound for pound.

What you people who don't know anything about Yoruba Language and culture fail to realise is that Ẹkùn is a very important animal in Yorùbá traditions
It's hide is worn by hunters and used to decorate sacred sites and palaces
Some priests paint spots on their bodies like ekùn during certain rituals

And these are consistent with the leopard not tiger (that has stripes and is not native to Africa)

The word "Ẹkùn" is not new to Yoruba lexicon but the knowledge of the tiger is new to yorubas

And speaking about Lion against the Leopard... Leopards are better survivors, they are essentially all rounders and yes a leopard can survive a fight with a lion
But Yoruba ancient zoologist were not going around grading animals by who can beat who in a fight

AMOTEKUN2023:
Cobra - Sebe
Ox , Bull - Malu
Dog -Aja
Hedgehog -Ọya
Crocodile -Ọoni
Alligator -Ahọnrihọn
Pig -Ẹlẹdẹ
Vulture -Igun, Gunnugun, Gurugu, Akala
Wood-Carrier -Arigiṣẹgi
Hawks - Asa
Palm Bird -Ologiri
A species of Bird -Olofẹrẹ -
Sparrow -Ologoṣẹ
Peacock -Ọkin
Squirrel -Ọkẹrẹ
Rabbit -Ehoro
crickets -Okinrin
Pouch Rat -Okete
Wild Goat -Edu
A specie of Deer -Ekulu
Shark -Akurakuda
Rat/Mouse -Eku/Ekute
Earthworm -Ekolo
Sing Bird -Ẹyẹ-Orin
Partridge -Aparo
Horse -Ẹṣin
Donkey -Kẹtẹkẹtẹ
Camel -Rakunmi
Ass -Ibakasiẹ
Bat -Adan
Pelican -Ẹyẹ-Ofu
Water-bird -Osin
Dove -Adaba
Viper -Paramọlẹ
Sea-Gulls -Pẹju-pẹju
Yellow-haired Monkey -Sọmidọlọti/Oloyo
Sea-Bird -Yanja-yanja
Mosquito -Ẹfọn/Yanmu-yanmu
Raven -Ẹyẹ-Iwo
Snail-Igbin/Aginniṣọ
Freshwater Snail-Iṣawuru
Stay - Igala
Steer -Ẹgbọọrọ-Akọ Malu
Trout -Ẹja
Buffalo -Ẹfọn
Monkey-Ọbọ .
Ape -Ẹdun
Lizard-Alangba, -
Lobster-Alakasa
Boa-Constrictor Ere
Boar Ẹlẹdẹ-Igbo,
Gorilla, Baboon -Inaki, Inoki, Iro
Chimpanzee - Elegbede
Phython-Constrictor -Ojola
Electric Fish -Ojigi
Scorpion -Ojogan/Akeekee
Toad -Opolo
Antelope -Egbin
Tick/Flee -Eegbọn
Hippopotamus -Erinmi
Rhinoceros -Ẹranko bi Imado.
Reynard (Fox) -Kọlọkọlọ
Hyena/Wolf -Ikoko
Giraffe -Agbanrere
Cow Abo-Malu
Crab -Akan
Wild Pigeon-Oriri
Porcupine -Oorẹ, Eerẹ, Ojigbọn
Black-Ants -Tanpẹpẹ
Centipede -Tanisanko
Millipede -Ọkun
Frog -Konko
Chicken-Oromọ-Adiẹ
Nocturnal Animal-Ajao
Hound-Aja-Ọdẹ -
Elephant-Erin/Ajanaku
Sheep-Aguntan
Ram-Agbo
Woodcock -Agbe
White-feathered Bird -Lekeleke
Chamelon Ọga, Alagẹmọ
Crane-Bird -Akọ -
Parrot -Odidẹrẹ
Ostrich -Ogongo
White-Ant Ikan, Ikamudu
Tortoise-Ijapa
Tiger-Ẹkun
Lion-Kiniun
Pigeon-Ẹyẹle
Pig/Swine Ẹlẹdẹ
Eagle-Idi .
Guinea Fowl-Awo
Guinea Fowl-Ẹtu
Guinea Pig-Ẹmọ-Ile
Spider-Alantakun
Butterfly-Labalaba
Bee-Oyin
Cockroach -Ayan
Cricket-Irẹ
Crab -Akan
Housefly-Eṣinṣin/Eṣin
Gnats-Kokoro-Ojuọti
Wall-Gecko-Ọmọnle
Mouse-Eliri
Colt Young Horse-Agodongbo
Woodpecker-Akoko
Palm-Bird-Ẹga
Insect-Ipin
Red-Ant-Abonilejọpọn
Civet-cat-Ẹta
Zebra-Kẹtẹkẹtẹ-Abila -
Owl-Owiwi
Lice-Ina-Ori
Bed-bug-Idun
Jaguar-Amọtẹkun
Hind Abo-Agbọnrin
Cat-Ologinni
Turkey-Tolotolo
Swallow-Alapandẹdẹ
Kine -Abo-Malu
Stallion-Akọ-Ẹṣin
Gadfly-Iru, Eṣinṣin- Nla
Duck-Pẹpẹyẹ
Jackal-Akata

no alligators outside of north america, dumbass

GeoAfrikana:



For long I've wondered how our fathers have a word for tiger knowing fully well that they couldn't have had any encounter with tigers. Tigers aren't found in Africa so how come we have a Yoruba word for it?

.

They either saw a tiger during their travels or described them when they migrated to Africa/Nigeria.

People are insisting tiger means Ekun but they refuse to explain where tigers were sighted in west Africa.

hotwax:

no...na ur motherland

Wait am getting you, cause lokoja is part of Yorubaland

macof:





But Yoruba ancient zoologist were not going around grading animals by who can beat who in a fight

Even hyenas take on lions sometimes.

Over Sabi Yoruba's...u people better join ur heads now or will fail again..... na wuna betray we northern chistians sef.

AMOTEKUN2023:

Giraffe -Agbanrere

Giraffe is Agunfon

Agun means long

SonofDevil:
Tiger didn't exist in africa so your analysis is void

You speak like those Americans who think Africa is a country.

einsteine:

There are NO tigers in the wild in Africa. It's not just that it is not common. They don't exist. Same reason Yoruba don't have a name for Kangaroo is the same reason they won't have a name for a Tiger.

It's not that simple.

First, you have to look at the origin of the Yoruba language and how it has developed over the centuries.

No doubts, contact with foreigners either thru trade, slavery or colonialism would have had a large influence on the Yoruba language.( Much like the English language is heavily influenced by Latin and French) .

That the yorubas never saw tigers does not mean they never heard about it or didn't at least get a description.

Remember, one of the stories about oduduwa is that he came to Ife from Arabia haven fled the peninsula when Mohammad the prophet was ridding Arabia of idolaters, infact, oduduwa brought the IFA religion from Arabia.

No doubts, oduduwa arrival in Ile Ife would have had an effect on the local language as a lot of new words would have been introduced into the Yoruba lexicon.

So as regards' Ekun' , it could have been a borrowed word from oduduwa's language, or a coinage from the description of the animal as given to them by oduduwa.

Remember, Arabia is neighbors with India, so the tiger will not be strange to them.

BTW, amotekun means Leopard, cheetahs also not native to west Africa.

Demzlent:



You are wrong mister,how could olden days Yorubas have a name for something they never know,ogidan is oriki for ekun
Ekun is respected not for its size but for its boldness and courage. I will even try and get the oriki ekun and post it here, you will see that it refers to leopard seeing its description

Ekun - leopard
Amotekun - cheetah
Owawa - lynx

'Amo' in the amotekun does not mean 'know' it means 'almost like'
So the name translates 'almost like leopard'. Which could be rendered leopard look alike

Why do you have a name for God, Angels, the devil, Hell, ghosts and all the things you never saw or know? Or have you encountered each of them before?

Your logic is flawed.

People do use words intelligibly - whether they have experienced it or not.

And I don’t agree with you that there never was Tigers in Africa.

Venerable612:


This is wrong.

First off the name Amotekun has nothing to do physical semblance as such.

It literally translates - “one who knows as Ekun”.

Again, you are wrong that Yoruba doesn’t have a transalation for Tiger - because our fathers didn’t have an encounter with them.

In fact Tiger has two Yoruba names. It could be called OGIDAN or EKUN. That’s why they say this provide - “Ogidan o ni se Barber, ki aja de be lo ge irun”.

And “KAKA KI KINIUN SAKAPO EKUN, OLODE A MAA RODE.“ Mind you Lion in Yoruba is Kiniun. And no one will ever compare a Lion with a Leopard. No animal can stand the Lion grit for grit amongst the Cat Family other than the Tiger; hence, the comparison.

Also, when Yorubas jokingly refer to someone as Ekun - it’s to represent that the person is a Strong man.

Thus,

Lion - Kiniun
Tiger - Ogidan and Ekun
Leopard - Amotekun
Cheetah - Owawa.

Hope this helps.

Respect! You just delivered my speech

nlPoster:


yes, Sho means wizard.

It can also mean a deity.

However, I think by elders, nlers mean nollywood.

Okay I got it now lol

Demzlent:
The launching of operation amotekun has exposed the fact that we yorubas are losing touch with our language to the extent that our leaders are calling leopard amotekun.
So I am taking this opportunity to educate my fellow yorubas
Many of us believe that tiger is ekun, leopard is amotekun,this is wrong.
Tiger is an animal that is not found in africa,Yoruba land included,so our fore fathers did not come in contact with it,so they couldn't have given a name to it.
The correct translation is
Leopard - ekun
Cheetah - amotekun
Amotekun means like 'ekun' because if you look at leopard and cheetah,they look alike only that leopard is bigger. Tiger doesn't look like these two , it has stripes not spots like the two
There is a Yoruba proverb that says ''asunkun pani bi amotekun' this is because of the stripes below the eyes of the cheetah
Thanks

You are absolutely wrong. Amotekun is Leopard, period.

aywhy93:
@OP, Demzlent... While trying to show us and impress us that you're a true Yoruba. You were doing the opposite.
@Mods, Lalastica... Please edit the topic on the front page, it's misleading to everyone.

Venerable612 has done justice to the post. He explained exactly the way it is.
So for anyone who really wants to know.

In Yoruba,

Lion is Kìnìún
Tiger is Ẹkùn/Ògìdán
Cheetah is Ọ̀wàwà
Leopard is Àmọ̀tẹ́kùn

PS: For those who care to read, this is a comprehensive article on EKUN (Yoruba Article) - https://wol.jw.org/yo/wol/d/r36/lp-yr/101996845

Thank You!

The OP is right Oga � the venerable guy knows absolutely nothing

TAO11:


Owawa ke!!??

Owawa does not even belong in the cat family.

It's not even a full blown wild animal like the aforementioned ones.

It's actually a semi-wild animal that is pretty small-sized like a grass-cutter. Its head resembles a dog's.

I've seen it killed before. And its name according to the hunters stuck since then.

Owawa is the honey-badger. It's very wild though. It will literally eat your balls for breakfast if you slip up

Babalegba:
Traveling long distances was extremely uncommon in those days unless you fall afoul of slave raiders and nowhere has it been suggested that Yorubas came from India.

But they definitely came from the middle East, probably from Arabia ( who are neighbors with India) at least this is one of the myths about oduduwa the progenitor of the yorubas

nlPoster:


Every cat walks and stalks silently.

Leopards are no exception.

Seriously, this is basic stuff?

Yes every cat walks and stalks but only a tiger does it to hunt. They all have their MO

Lions hunt in packs or alone with brute force. The least successful solo hunters

Leopard lay in ambush either crouching or jumping on prey from trees.

Cheetah does it by its speed before tripping their prey before going for the neck.

Tiger is the only one that doesn’t chase its victims. They rather sneak up on their prey because their stripes disguise them in the thick savana jungles of Asia. They’re the most successful solo hunters. They hardly loose their prey cos before the prey knows a thing, they’re already too close.

They may look basic but they’re quite different.

Debaiz:



This is totally wrong every Yoruba proverb points to the fact that EKUN is Tiger.

Kaka ki kiniun s’akapo EKUN, won a yaa s’ode won loto’to ni

A leopard can never be compared to a lion in any way let alone suggesting having same hunting purse. Lions kill Leopard every time they come in contact. Only a tiger can stand up to a lion.

Yiyo EKUN bi t’ojo ko

Leopard are not known to tiptoe when hunting. They ambush their prey. Either by jumping on them from the top or crouching to the flow and wait. Tigers are known worldwide to be the most sneaky of all the cats. They have the ability to walk on dried leaves without making sound. This is helped by their large meaty and fluffy paws that makes each of the step to be soft.

I have never heard of lions killing leopards
As far as I know they avoid each other just as the Yoruba saying which you mentioned goes "Kaka ki kiniun s’akapo EKUN, won a yaa s’ode won loto’to ni"
Leopards are just as silent as the tiger in hunting

Yoruba would not have been able to observe Tigers because tigers do not exist anywhere in Africa

So all sayings about Ẹkùn refer and are consistent with the leopard

macof:


Tiger is not native to Africa
and what do you mean by "mere leopard"?

Leopard is a big gun amongst animals, one of the few if not only animal that can enter anywhere, be it by jumping, running, stalking, climbing or swimming

pound for pound, the leopard is the deadliest of the big cats.

BuhariLooter:
First of all in spite of combined battalions and local vigilantes in northern Nigeria, especially the north East, the security situations keep on collapsing.

I think the Amotekum won't survive for just one reason alone.

permitting Amotekum to stay means coded restructuring to We northerners and we sense it as threats to Nigeria and without our knowledge,if the West insisted of not abolish their ideas of Amotekum, we northerners might cut them off in terms of access for funding.Amotekun in its formation isn't different from IPOB's BSS, only that IPOB is not an elected representative of the people,

You Northerners will cut them off in terms of funding?! Please, enlighten me, how much do you think the north contribute to the GDP of the present day Nigeria to be dictating who and who not to fund? This is to say you presume North will stay in power in a united Nigeria till infinity! You should start thinking all over again. Matter of lives and properties of the Westerners has nothing to do with your stupid restructuring, you parasitic worms. Our leaders can't stand akimbo allowing all forms of criminalities just because of the fear of how anyone would perceive their actions. Their inactions will never be rewarded. For your information, your dumb leader may succeed in proscribing ipob as a terrorist group now, while protecting the real terrorists, bandits,rapists and arsonists in the name of herdsmen but that won't be forever. Ipob is not a terrorist group. They only asked for self determination. Amotekun is here to stay.

awwfar:
ekun is Tiger mr....think na,
Why would they refer to someone dangerous as Ekun if Ekun is a mere leopard and Tiger is something else..is leopard stronger than a Tiger?

Bro.. Have you encountered Leopard before? you can be a feet close to a Leopard and you won't know. Bro Ekun is not an animal you mes with. Yoruba doesn't have a name for Tiger. This is just misconception that we have carried foe years, I used to think Ekun was Tiger before

These my Afonja brothers can be confusing, disorganized and disoriented like these cables

Funkybabee:
Won ni da ori wa RU ni Nairaland


Nairaland with confusion, u won't know who to follow

I am confused.

cbrass:


The OP is right Oga � the venerable guy knows absolutely nothing

Do your research properly then come back and quote me.

neyobills:
As a zoologist I'm here to debunk the claims that Tigers are not found in Africa,they only exist in 2 continents Africa and Asia,my late grandfather was a hunter and he particularly told us a story of a tiger he killed,the hides of the tiger was on the wall of his room anyway so, it's no hearsay,in the hunting society the head and mostly the hides of their big bounties are kept by the particular killer of the beast more like a trophy to show off,Tigers can live in a wide variety of habitats from Savannahs to Rainforest heck they can even swim even swamps too so they definitely exist in Nigeria.

In my grandfather's words tigers are even more feared by hunters because according to Yoruba myth they also hypnotize they prey with their face because the have the fiercest of looks as part of their hunting tactics that's why there is a Yoruba, saying that Koseni ti o to gbena woju EKUN loosely translated no one dare look a tiger in the face.

AMOTEKUN is actually a Leopard and they are they king of Ambush in all of the big cats I guess that's why the name was adopted for the security network,they don't have the strength for long sprints like other cats so stealth is Key in their hunting tactics.

They are actually called AMOTEKUN because just like Tigers they are lone rangers and hunters and they actually have better stealth and camoflague than Tigers hence the name AMOTEKUN loosely translated he who knows as much stealth as the Tiger.

IMO

Lion is KINIUN
Tiger is EKUN
Leopard is AMOTEKUN
cheetah is ETA

Your grandfather was probably saying the word "Ẹkùn" and Google translate made you think the Ẹkùn he was talking about is Tiger

But no Yoruba hunter would find Tigers because Tigers don't live in our part of the world. I don't know what University you studied zoology that told you otherwise

Venerable612:





And I don’t agree with you that there never was Tigers in Africa.

Where did you see tigers in Africa?

Correct pronunciation of ''Amotekun''

Àmọ̀tẹ́kùn – Leopard .

do-do-mi-do



Right from the beginning of Yoruba literature,Tiger had always been known as Ekun.

Stop arguing with your ancestors.

neyobills:
As a zoologist I'm here to debunk the claims that Tigers are not found in Africa,they only exist in 2 continents Africa and Asia,my late grandfather was a hunter and he particularly told us a story of a tiger he killed,the hides of the tiger was on the wall of his room anyway so, it's no hearsay,in the hunting society the head and mostly the hides of their big bounties are kept by the particular killer of the beast more like a trophy to show off,Tigers can live in a wide variety of habitats from Savannahs to Rainforest heck they can even swim even swamps too so they definitely exist in Nigeria.

In my grandfather's words tigers are even more feared by hunters because according to Yoruba myth they also hypnotize they prey with their face because the have the fiercest of looks as part of their hunting tactics that's why there is a Yoruba, saying that Koseni ti o to gbena woju EKUN loosely translated no one dare look a tiger in the face.

AMOTEKUN is actually a Leopard and they are they king of Ambush in all of the big cats I guess that's why the name was adopted for the security network,they don't have the strength for long sprints like other cats so stealth is Key in their hunting tactics.

They are actually called AMOTEKUN because just like Tigers they are lone rangers and hunters and they actually have better stealth and camoflague than Tigers hence the name AMOTEKUN loosely translated he who knows as much stealth as the Tiger.

IMO

Lion is KINIUN
Tiger is EKUN
Leopard is AMOTEKUN
cheetah is ETA

I think you are very correct.

It's possible that the general description of Chettah, Jaguar, Leopard, and Panthera as Amotekun could be because of their similar appearance.

But Amotekun is definitely the proper specific name of one of them.

Moreover, I just recollected now that I've heard the name Età being used for one of Cheetah and Leopard (I'm not sure which one now specifically).

It was in an early 2000s Yoruba movie where the Babalowo was pointing to the hide of the animal (Cheetah or Leopard) and telling his client that that's the hide of Età and then adding the Yoruba proverb:

Eta lo'n koko ta ki eranko 'mi too ta --- meaning: Età sells FIRST before any other animal sells.

This proverb could help offer an insight to resolving which specifically is Età of Cheetah and other Amotekuns.

And I will personally think that Età is the specific name for Cheetah from this Yoruba proverb considering that Cheetah comes FIRST in speed amongst all other animals.

walosky:
These my Afonja brothers can be confusing, disorganized and disoriented like these cables

Just dont mess with people's electricity and cables.

mhen so tiger cant be found in africa？