Historians and anthropologists have long known that Igbo and Yoruba are just linguistic derivatives of an original shared super language. Other language groups in Nigeria and the West African sub-region may also be speaking derivatives of this ancient super language we once shared.

Nothing proves these connections more than the multiplicity of words and meanings shared by the two ethnic groups, Yoruba and Igbo.

It also proves that there was a time when these two groups were ONE, and that Igbos and Yorubas are brothers and sisters from deepest antiquity.


By Kelechi Wachuku

Linguist & Anthropologist


This isn’t a fully comprehensive list, but these include a fair number of words and other similarities. [1] The Igbo word comes first with the corresponding Yoruba word right after.

Here’s a list of many cognates and similar words:

Animals:

ikwiikwii (Igbo) = owl
owiwi (Yoruba) = owl
agu (Igbo) = leopard
ẹkun (Yoruba) = leopard
adịdị (Igbo) =young female fowl, hen
adie (Yoruba) =fowl, hen
ehi/efi (Igbo) = cow
efon (Yoruba) = buffalo
ewu = goat
ewúrẹ= goat
azụ = fish
eja = fish
enyi = elephant
erin = elephant

Other similar words that may be the result of borrowing (Animals):

toro toro = turkey
tolotolo = turkey

Body Parts/Words Relating to the Body:

ọnụ = mouth
ẹnu = mouth
ire = tongue
ede = tongue, especially in the sense of "language."
ntị = ear
eti = ear
agba=chin
agbọn=chin
ụbụrụ = brain
ọpọlọ = brain
aka = hand
ika = finger
ikiaka = elbow
ejika = elbow
imi = nose
imu = nose
isi = head
ori = head
ụkwụ = foot, leg
-kun in “orokun” = knee
ezé = tooth
eyin/ehin = tooth
afọ = stomach
ifun = intestines
ike = buttocks, anus
ikun = stomach
ọkpụkpụ = bone/skeleton
egungun = bone/skeleton
olu = neck
ọrun = neck
ọdụ = tail
iru = tail

Miscellaneous:

ri = eat
jẹ = eat
bịa = come
wa = come
ogo = height
iga = height
obi = heart, king
ọba = king
ume = breath, energy
imi = breath
also umi in central yoruba (same meaning)
okwu = speech, word, utterance
ohun = voice, utterance
uche= mind
ọkan = mind
úgwù = circumcision
egun = circumcision (seldom used)
ọría = disease
arun/aarun = disease
also related to yoruba aarẹ and arirẹ
ụra = sleep
orun = sleep
nso nso = menstruate
osuosu = menstruate
gba= shoot in igbo
gba = kick in yoruba (used in certain expressions)
ogwu = thorn
ẹgun = thorn
re = sell
ra = buy

Similar Words (likely due to borrowing):

iba=fever
iba=fever

Possible cognates:

ikiri ụkwụ = heel
igigirisẹ = heel
akụ́ = arrow (1 of 2 possible words for “arrow”).
ọkọ = spear

Numbers:

atọ = three
ẹta/(m)ẹta = three
anọ = four
ẹrin/(m)ẹrin = four
Many Igbo words, especially numbers, are prefixed by a “ke-” or sometimes “nke” when they become adjectives. A similar process is seen in Yoruba numbers.
nke atọ, keanọ, keise, nke isii, keọkara = 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, half in Igbo
kẹta/ikẹta, kẹrin/ikẹrin, karun/ikarun, kẹfa/ikẹfa = 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th in Yoruba

Possible Cognates:

abụọ = two
(m)eji = two
Words with “-j-“ in Yoruba (IPA: -dʒ-) frequently evolved from -b-“ in Yoruba as a result of palatalization. So, words like “eje (blood)” were once “ebye.” Thus, “-ji” in “eji” may have at one point been something like “ebye” or “ebyi,” which would be more similar to “abụọ.”

Pronouns:

ọ or o= he/she/it (3rd person subject pronoun)
o or ó = he/she/it (3rd person subject pronoun)
oun/ọ or also un = he/she/it
m/mụ = I/me (1st person singular subject and object)
also mean "my" if put after, say, a noun.
aka m(ụ) = my hand
mo = I (1st person singular subject)
mi = me (1st person singular object)
also mean "my" if put after, say, a noun.
ika mi = my finger
emi = 1st person singular emphatic.
ha = they
(a)wọn = they
ụnụ = you (plural)
ẹyin = you (plural)
gini = what
ki(ni) = what
Land Features/Environment:

ala = land
ile = land in yoruba
okute/okwute = stone/rock
okuta = stone/rock
afufe = wind
ifufe = wind
oyi = cold
oyii = wind in Central Yoruba
osisi = tree/plant
ose = fruit

Similar Words (likely due to borrowing):

ọka = corn
ọkà = grain/wheat yoruba

Possible Cognates:

ji = yam
iṣu = yam
ụwa = earth in igbo
yoruba cognates (iwa, wiwa, hardly used except for in names, like Oluwa); (oni/olu = owner, “oluwa=owner of the earth”), oduduwa (great one who created the earth) (odu=great or mighty one→ god sent down from heaven in ile ife) (pg 148)[2]

Above: Oduduwa

ebe = place
ibi = place
ugwu = moutain/hill
oke = mountain
(m)miri = water
omi = water in Yoruba

Religious/Community Terms:

ute = mat
itẹ=throne in yoruba
ife = to worship, to wave, to adore
ife = love, desire, affection in yoruba
afa = divination, sorcery
ọfọ = mourning, sorcery
ifá = divination
ụlọ=house in igbo
ile/ule=house in yoruba
ilu = city in yoruba
ụlọ mmụọ/ụlọ nsọ = shrine
ileumole/ileorisha = shrine
mmụọ = spirit
ụmọle = another word for any generic god in Central Yoruba
ẹmi also means spirit, life, soul in yoruba
ọlịsa = God in some Igbo dialects
also alụshị/alụsị = minor god in standard Igbo
orisha = god in yoruba
uru = gain, profit
ere = gain, profit
efu = free (adverb)
ofo = free, as in “ṣ’ofo” (yoruba)
osi/isi/esi = cook in igbo
ase = cook in yoruba
apo=bag in yoruba
akpa=bag in igbo

Possible Cognates:

ígwè = iron
ogun = Yoruba god of iron
(eke)le = greeting
(iki)ni = greeting

Family/Interpersonal Words:

ụmụ = children
ọmọ = child
nwa=child
ewe=child, youth in certain dialects
oyi = companion, friend, lover
aayo = favorite, preferable, beloved person, favorite person, favorite wife
ọká=expert or distinguished indivual (oka mgba=wrestler)
ọgá = boss
ọgbọ = age-mate
ẹgbẹ = age-mate
“emeka bu ogbo m(ụ)” (Igbo) = Emeka’s my agemate
“egbe mi ni emeka” or “emeka jẹ egbe mi” (Yoruba)= Emeka’s my age-mate

Note: egbe is now commonly used for group, association, or guild, and in igbo, ọgbọ can mean generation.

oru/ohu = job, labor, duty, employment, slave
ẹru = slave
oke = man, male, masculine
akọ= man, male, masculine
onye = one who, who, person
eniyan = person, human
also ẹni/ọni/ ọniyan in Central Yoruba
ọni can mean “one who” in yoruba, as in “oniwaasu” (preacher/one who preaches)
nwuye = wife
-aya/iyawo = wife
nwanyị = woman, female person, wife
-aya/iyawo = wife
iko = adultery
ọkọ=husband
nta = marksmanship/hunting
ụta = bow in igbo
ọta = marksman, shooter
ịyaa = mother, aunt, term of deference for an elder cousin who was one’s nanny
iya = mother, term of deference for an elderly woman
agha = war
ogun = war
ebo = clan, kindred, lineage, tribe
ẹbi = family

https://www.quora.com/What-are-some-similar-words-in-the-Igbo-and-Yoruba-Languages

Unity beggar. Lies from the pit of heaven.

We never spoke the nonsense from the children of the fallen demon that hit his head on Olumo rock. Satan forbid!

No, Igbo and Yoruba language and Igbo have no relationship. Yes there might very few similarities like

Goat- Ewu, Ewure

Stone, Okwute, Okuta

But all in all, the two languages are as different as day and night

................

https://www.africanbookscollective.com/books/how-yoruba-and-igbo-became-different-languages

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My Submission that Yoruba, Igbo Have The Same Parent Language – Aremo


A retired Associate Professor of English and ex-Head, Department of English, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, Dr. Bolaji Aremo, talks about his research findings that Yoruba and Igbo languages had the same parent language.

INTERVIEW

You stated in your book ‘How Yoruba and Igbo Became Different Languages’ published in 2009, that the two languages are historically from the same parent language. How is this so?

We can conclude that two or more languages are historically derived from the same parent language when we compare the languages and find in both of them very many basic vocabulary words that are similar in sound and in meaning. For example: Igbo imi/ Yoruba imu = ‘nose’; Igbo nti/Yoruba eti = ‘ear’; Igbo onu/ Yoruba enu = ‘mouth’; etc. Basic vocabulary words are essential words, such as words for body parts, for which every human language normally has its own native equivalents.

Thus, for instance, it is not likely that the Yoruba examples just given can originally have been borrowed from Igbo, or that the Igbo examples can originally have been borrowed from Yoruba. And so, the very many vocabulary words which are similar in sound and in meaning found across Igbo and Yoruba can only have resulted from the fact that the two languages are indeed from one and the same parent language.

What are some of the linguistic correlations manifest in the two languages to underscore the findings?

The most easily identified indication of genetic relationship between two languages is found at the vocabulary level. And as just explained, there must be a substantial number of basic vocabulary words similar in sound and in meaning which are found across the languages that are thought to be the daughter languages to a prehistoric parent language. Of course, we can also find additional manifestations of the genetic relationship elsewhere in the languages, especially at the sub-level of morphology, which deals with the structure or forms of the words.

Does it mean that the two tribes were of the same ancestral stock?

What can indeed be inferred from our historical linguistic findings is that they used to live in prehistoric times in the same community, in the same restricted culture area. But there are strong suggestions from both Igbo and Yoruba oral traditions that the two ethnic groups were of the same ancestral stock.

You further claimed that many West African languages such as Igbo, Yoruba, Bini, Ewe and Twi are genetically related. In what areas are the noticeable similarities since Yoruba is regarded as a highly tonal language?

It has, in fact, been the claim of linguists that Igbo, Yoruba, Bini, etc. are all tonal languages, and are all genetically related. That is to say, they are all languages in which word meanings are dependent on such voice pitch levels as High [/] and Low [\]. Thus, for instance, depending on the tones used, the Yoruba word ojo could mean ‘rain’, ‘cowardice’, or ‘name given to a type of male child’. Similarly, depending on the tones used, the Igbo word ala could mean (among other things) ‘madness’, ‘breast’, ‘ground’, or ‘bottom’. There must also be other similarities that can be found among them all, since the linguists’ claim is also that they are actually all genetically related. But until more thoroughgoing research like the one on Yoruba and Igbo is undertaken, we cannot say in quite concrete terms what the similarities are like between Igbo or Yoruba on the one hand and any one of the other West African languages on the other hand.

In the book, you noted that it would in fact be absolutely right to conclude not only that Igbo and Yoruba used to be one language, but also that the Igbo and the Yoruba people are brothers and sisters who used to live together as members of the same community. Historically, where did the two tribes inhabit before separation and what caused the division?

From the totality of the historical linguistic evidence available, the conclusion can be reached that they lived together in Ile-Ife. Then, of course, it cannot have been the case that some of the people living together in Ile-Ife were known as ‘’Igbo’’ and the others as ‘’Yoruba’’.

The terms ‘’Igbo’’ and ‘’Yoruba’’ were acquired not too long ago, i.e centuries after the separation had taken place. What caused the separation? The answer to that lies deep in prehistory, beyond the reach of our historical linguistic tools. What seems clear, however, is that those were times when a group of friends or relations could, from sheer love of adventure or freedom to do one thing or another their own way, decide to emigrate to some strange unoccupied lands and start off their own pet kingdom.

To what would you attribute the marked differences in the syntactic structure and the other linguistic variations in both languages if they used to be one?

Like other things which endure in time, language is constantly changing, though slowly. Therefore, if two or more groups of speakers of a language are separated and prevented in some way from communicating with one another, each of the groups will eventually develop its own version of the original language.

After a long period of time, the various versions of the original language developed by the different groups will become so different from one another that they will be mutually unintelligible, i.e. they will for all practical purposes become separate languages and there will be nothing like the original language in existence. It may be pointed out, however, that when the changes in the different versions are not so great as to block mutual intelligibility, they are just regarded as regional dialects of the original language.

Thus, Oyo, Ekiti, Egba, Owo, Ife, etc. are just regional Yoruba dialects, because their different speakers can still manage to understand one another, even when they speak the actual dialects and not the general, communicative norm (based mainly on the Oyo dialect). For the same reason, Ahoada, Bende, Ika (Western Igbo), Ikwerre, Owere (Owerri), Onicha (Onitsha), etc., are just regional dialects of Igbo. But Yoruba and Igbo, which were originally dialectal versions of the same language, are now different languages because they are no longer mutually intelligible. The original parent language, the proto-Yoruba/Igbo language, no longer exists.

Would you agree with the declaration of the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, during the 2019 Aje festival that the Igbo and the Yoruba are aboriginal to Ife?

Oh, absolutely! From the available historical linguistic evidence, the Ooni must be right. I understand a spokesperson for the Ohanaeze has said the Igbo were the first settlers in Ile-Ife, and that the Yoruba later came to join them there. ....

In the book, you advised the two ethnic groups to “for the good of all, try and jettison their patently counter-productive legacy of mutual distrust and once again relate with one another as real brothers and sisters.’’ How do you think this can be achieved considering the disturbing deepening distrust and disagreement between the two ethnic groups?

It is indeed a shame that two of the most highly educated and enlightened ethnic groups in the black world, the Yoruba and the Igbo, can allow themselves and their children to be hooked on the counter-productive legacy of mutual distrust. It is very unfortunate. I think it is all political rivalry of the self-defeating type.

And they have been at it right from the Zik/Awo election quarrel of 1951, working at cross purposes ever since, even at critical moments when their working together would have steered our country away from the murky depths in which we have all been wallowing till today. I would like to believe that common sense will soon prevail, and members of the two groups will once again be relating with one another as real brothers and sisters – for the good of all!

https://punchng.com/my-submission-that-yoruba-igbo-have-same-parent-language-not-political-aremo/#:~:text=But%20Yoruba%20and%20Igbo%2C%20which,Igbo%20language%2C%20no%20longer%20exists.

I've always known that Yoruba and Igbo are one and d same.

No matter how you paint the story....

Igbos and Yorubas are never on the same page of anything
...

Yorubas hate Igbos too much......But if is do not hate Yorubas but they hate Hausas and especially Fulanis...

But the Hausas and Fulanis are very smart...They stay on their lane while the two southern brothers fight dirty on a daily....Sometimes, the Fulanis will side the Igbos to ignite the hatred and sometimes will join forces with the Yorubas to flame up the fight between the Yorubas and Igbos...


The rest of the Southern states are just behind any side that feels marginalized or oppressed the most ...

JASONjnr:
No matter how you paint the story....

Igbos and Yorubas are never on the same page of anything
...

Yorubas hate Igbos too much.......

I am Igbo and grew up and have lived in Lagos for decades.

NOT ONCE in all my interactions with Yoruba people have I had any 'hatred' exhibited towards me because of my Igbo ethnicity. My childhood friends were Yoruba, Igbo, and a few Hausa. We played together, partied together, and ate in each others houses daily, and still do, today.

And I'm sure I'm not the only Igbo person who can say all this.

So I've no idea where some of you get the impression that Yorubas hate Igbos.

I'm certain that people who say this stuff are people who've never actually lived among Yorubas.

That is not correct looking at Yorubas it's obvious they are closer to Benin Togo ,Ghana , along that line

While Igbos look like Cameroon ( southern ) carbon , Congo ...it's just too obvious

The researchers are simply sick. seeking for no existing brotherhood by making an awkward comparison of unrelated words. Even a foreigner will definitely spot the difference between Igbo and yoruba on the first day.

interesting but Yoruba are not flat headers

Two groups of people spoiling our name abroad. Intelligent but not smart people. Anyway, I love all my Nigerian brothers, hopefully one day, we will all unite and build the country of our dreams.

Armaggedon:
The researchers are simply sick. seeking for no existing brotherhood by making an awkward comparison of unrelated words. Even a foreigner will definitely spot the difference between Igbo and yoruba on the first day.

When qualified linguists and language professors who have spent decades studying these things are talking, your job is to keep quiet and learn.

Arguing with them from your layman perspective coloured by ethnic sentiments is just not gonna cut it.

AlfaSeltzer:
Unity beggar. Lies from the pit of heaven.

We never spoke the nonsense from the children of the fallen demon that hit his head on Olumo rock. Satan forbid!

Osu miscreant, the OP is from your tribe.. na you be unitybeggars always trooping to me region.

Napata77:

................

https://www.africanbookscollective.com/books/how-yoruba-and-igbo-became-different-languages

pls I'm yoruba and we have more in common with the Gbe people, Ewes and Gaas of Ghana

U dey smoke Igbo abi

BanyXchi:
pls I'm yoruba and we have more in common with the Gbe people, Ewes and Gaas of Ghana

This is cold research based on hard facts and evidence.

There is no room for sentiments at this level of discourse.

That you have more in common with this group than the other is only a function of your current or recent geographical proximity to that group.

For instance the Ga and Ewe people lived among the Yorubas before they migrated to Ghana roughly 700 years ago. But as at that time Igbo and Yoruba had already long separated, quite possibly 1,500 years earlier.

So your having more in common with the Ga or Ewe has no bearing on the fact that Igbos and Yorubas were once in a single ethnicity, and have a deep ancestral connection.

The linguists said it. Wherever you find two groups that share identical or near-identical words for basic vocabulary terms like eye, nose, mouth, head etc, it is PROOF POSITIVE that they once spoke the SAME LANGUAGE, because no language borrows the words for those basic terms.

Just by simple law of proximity, it's obvious that Igbos and Yorubas have similar origin at some point.

Napata77:


This is scholarship of the type a spare parts dealer like you couldn't begin to contemplate undertaking.

So I understand your primitive reaction to the research paper.

Technical Knockout!

Ok

eagleu:
Just by simple law of proximity, it's obvious that Igbos and Yorubas have similar origin at some point.

Not necessarily.

After all we have Dutch people in South Africa who have lived proximate to Zulus for centuries. Doesn't mean they are related.

The Fulanis don't share a common ancestry with Hausas to my knowledge, yet they live proximate to each other.

We are peaceful people, we have nothing in common with those terrorists calling our beloved country a Zoo but now want Presidency all of a sudden. We are more aligned to the North. Yeebos are enemies of Nigeria and we and Northerners are the patriots.

Napata77:


Not necessarily.

After all we have Dutch people in South Africa who have lived proximate to Zulus for centuries. Doesn't mean they are related.

The Fulanis don't share a common ancestry with Hausas to my knowledge, yet they live proximate to each other.

Not correct to compare a group that settled a few years ago with people who have lived side by for a very long time.
When you have time, look up anthropology of west Africans from equatorial guinea (not technically west African) all the way to Senegal. The Africans from this region are morphologically similar, unlike the Caucasian Dutch who settled in SA, or the Fulani who settled along the Sahel from the Futa Jalon to Lake Chad.

Napata77:


I am Igbo and grew up and have lived in Lagos for decades.

NOT ONCE in all my interactions with Yoruba people have I had any 'hatred' exhibited towards me because of my Igbo ethnicity. My childhood friends were Yoruba, Igbo, and a few Hausa. We played together, partied together, and ate in each others houses daily, and still do, today.

And I'm sure I'm not the only Igbo person who can say all this.

So I've no idea where some of you get the impression that Yorubas hate Igbos.

I'm certain that people who say this stuff are people who've never actually lived among Yorubas.

Bro,dont take them serious. Most of them dey yarn dust for cruise sake.

naijaking1:


Not correct to compare a group that settled a few years ago with people who have lived side by for a very long time.
When you have time, look up anthropology of west Africans from equatorial guinea (not technically west African) all the way to Senegal. The Africans from this region are morphologically similar, unlike the Caucasian Dutch who settled in SA, or the Fulani who settled along the Sahel from the Futa Jalon to Lake Chad.

Morphological similarity is not proof of shared genetic lineage.

Napata77:


When qualified linguists and language professors who have spent decades studying these things are talking, your job is to keep quiet and learn.

Arguing with them from your layman perspective coloured by ethnic sentiments is just not gonna cut it.

This is exactly what i was about to say. They are linguists and know way better than us but one person residing in the trenches will just think of the research as nothing because they just can't understand the results of the research

Napata77:


This is scholarship of the type a spare parts dealer like you couldn't begin to contemplate undertaking.

So I understand your primitive reaction to the research paper.

You couldn't had replied him better. Don't know why these spare parts sellers cos they have smart phones just jump on threads to comment on matters beyond their brain capacities. This isn't for his type

I think the only people in Nigeria that doesn't belong to the same genetic lineage is the Fulani, every other people are just the same.

For example the traditional fishing method of Awori of Yoruba people is almost the same with the Ahoada people in Rivers state. When you travels different parts of Nigeria you begin to see things that point to this common descendant that could not have been coincidence

Napata77:


Morphological similarity is not proof of shared genetic lineage.

You're right but there's actually evidence to prove shared genetic lineage amongst Nigerian ethnicities!
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6054781/

Reading this gave me slight headache that I didn’t even bother to read to the end.

Now, imagine the migraine I’m going to get trying to “gum body” with these SAVAGES.

Damn!