This is just out of personal research and curiosity.
What is the history behind the Yoruba language?
It is understood that Yoruba is an ethnic group in West Africa and predominantly Nigeria. The tribe is famous and the language is spoken in certain West African Countries (mainly Nigeria because of large population concentration and the presence of Native speakers).
However, is there anyway we can learn the "when and how" this language started originally? Dates please,
Because the language has so many similarity with English Alphabet. (26 alphabets in English and 24 in Yoruba)
Is it safe to assume that the English language developed (or influenced the emergence of) the Yoruba language sometimes during colonization? even though the Yoruba tribe has a long and dated History?
Just out of curiosity, what language did the Yoruba people of Old used in communication?

Answers please.

According to the little history we have, the people who are collectively known as Yoruba today, were just a collection of city states and Empires, who did not have much interaction beyond occasional wars and trade. So it is difficult for them to agree on stories of their origin. The name YORUBA itself, is reputed to be a either a corruption or contraction from a name that was given by a Hausa or Fulani leader (depending on who you ask) upon first contact with the northerners. this is why up till now a lot of people who even though speak the standard dialect, prefer to claim ethnicity of their localities, rather than call themselves Yoruba. this is why one runs into a brick wall, when writing Yoruba history before the 17th century. What is the Standard Yoruba that everyone speaks today, gained widespread acceptance when Bishop Samuel Ajayi Crowther translated the English Bible to Yoruba in the 1860s.and as Ajayi Crowther was from Oyo, his own dialect will be the basis for his work. That is why a close study reveals that Standard Yoruba is close to the Oyo dialect than any other dialect. the answer to your question then, will be that. that there was no Yoruba language. Each town spoke its own dialect, like Egba (Abeokuta in Ogun State) Oyo (a large part of Oyo state), Ondo (Ondo State), Ijesa (Ilesa and its environs in Osun State) etc

portage:

(26 alphabets in English and 24 in Yoruba)

Nope! 25 in Yooba!

^ Well, that was a mistake and thank you for the correction.

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