₦airaland Forum

Odibembem:
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

That's to show that the guy exposure to other parts of the country is limited. A local man will always carry his local mind everywhere, they are not ashamed of their tribalism and bigotry. Example on Nairaland is Gidigidi and Mrvitalis. Example in Nigeria is PMB

ManirBK:
interesting but Yoruba are not flat headers

And Igbos are not cone headers

nnamdi640:
And Igbos are not cone headers

2 mad people

Napata77:
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

Wrong. A few similar words cannot prove genetic connection, for example, many English words are Romantic in origin but the mechanics of the English language shows a Germanic heritage. Igbo language, mechanically is far more related to Ibibio than any other language in Nigeria, mechanically. What's more, by physical appearance they share more similarities than any other peoples in Nigeria. The seemingly shared words between Igbo/Yoruba is very likely borrowed from Edo(Benin Kingdom), which the Igbo have a long history of interaction with.

Good. Yorubas and Igbos can be one but let no man drag my Bini into Yoruba affairs.

By Kelechi Wachuku


From we wuz juice to now we wuz Yoruba.

Igbo no go kill me with their lost and found history.

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!

The author is a confused OSU like yourself.

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.

You are not so smart to know about Verecundiam fallacy, are you? Neither are you so learned to understand that research of this nature requires archaeological, strong genetic and language structure links, instead of comparing few words which obviously evolved after being borrowed along the line. No one pseudo intellectual should rail road us into accepting as reality what is infact a utopia of fake brotherhood.

Ttalk:
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

You're absolutely correct.

I thought ukwu means big yansh so it means leg

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.

Well said!

Igbos came from Ile ife, conquered by the Igalas and Binis; they're not needed anyway like the Binis who've estranged themselves from Ile Ife.

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.

Your point isn't valid...

ow, with your friends, grow up and manage to get a link that will give you a job...Or grow to where you all are to be appointed a job and you will understand the sentiments...

You can enjoy your friendships and nothing more...

Armaggedon:
You are not so smart to know about Verecundiam fallacy, are you? Neither are you so learned to understand that research of this nature requires archaeological, strong genetic and language structure links, instead of comparing few words which obviously evolved after being borrowed along the line. No one pseudo intellectual should rail road us into accepting as reality what is infact a utopia of fake brotherhood.

You said that Napata77 isn't smart, yet you couldn't tell that this post was all about language link like you clearly stated .


You're the one that's not smart ...

It's almost 2023, and there are educated Nigerians who do not know that all the languages spoken in Nigeria, except for Hausa (and its small brothers in the Chadic family), Kanuri and one or two other language isolates ultimately descended from a single proto-language called Proto-Niger-Congo?

How is this not common knowledge yet? Everybody in Europe knows that most European languages together with a bunch of languages in South Asia and Iran are sister languages. This is information that is taken for granted. But here, university graduates are still arguing and fighting over whether Igbo and Yoruba are related. Our education system can do a lot better.

By the way, all the words on that list are not cognates.

I fail to see how azụ (Igbo) and eja (Yoruba) are related. Or how eyin/ehin (Yoruba) and eze (Igbo) are related. Obi (Igbo) certainly has a very different root from ọba (Yoruba). Sister languages branch off and acquire new unrelated words by various means, and this has been the case with Igbo and Yoruba.

AjaanaOka:
It's almost 2023, and there are educated Nigerians who do not know that all the languages spoken in Nigeria, except for Hausa (and its small brothers in the Chadic family), Kanuri and one or two other language isolates ultimately descended from a single proto-language called Proto-Niger-Congo?

How is this not common knowledge yet? Everybody in Europe knows that most European languages together with a bunch of languages in South Asia and Iran are sister languages. This is information that is taken for granted. But here, university graduates are still arguing and fighting over whether Igbo and Yoruba are related. Our education system can do a lot better.

By the way, all the words on that list are not cognates.

I fail to see how azụ (Igbo) and eja (Yoruba) are related. Or how eyin/ehin (Yoruba) and eze (Igbo) are related

eze and eyin are linkable.

Simply loosening the consonant z produces a sound similar to eyin whose 'n' is unpronounced.

It appears the Yorubas and Igbos shared the word 'eze', and after the separation, the word slowly morphed into 'ehe', then 'ehin' or eyin' in Yorubaland, while the Igbos retained the original version of eze.

Napata77:
eze and eyin are linkable.

Simply loosening the consonant z produces a sound similar to eyin whose 'n' is unpronounced.

It appears the Yorubas and Igbos shared the word 'eze', and after the separation, the word slowly morphed into 'ehe', then 'ehin' or eyin' in Yorubaland, while the Igbos retained the original version of eze.

I see no regular sound correspondence between both languages that support the sort of sound change you're proposing. For example, are there other examples where a 'z' in Igbo varies as 'h' or 'y' in Yoruba?

Here is a short list of the words for 'tooth' in a number of closely related languages, classified as either NOI (Nupoid-Oko-Idomoid) languages or as YEAI (Yoruboid-Edoid-Akokoid-Igboid) languages:
Yoruba - Eyin/Ehin
Igala (a Yoruboid language) - Enyi
Akokoid - Eyin
Ebira - Anyi
Idoma - Ainu
Edo and Edoid languages - Akon
Nupe - Ika
Gbagyi - Nyikna.
Igbo - Eze

The Igbo word is the ONLY odd word in this cluster. It is, in its form, very distant from all the rest; and is very probably not directly cognate with them. Taking it away, it is possible to propose a hypothesis that the rest of the words descend from a common ancestral word, which probably sounded close to the Gbagyi form, *Nyikna. One can quite easily see how eyin/ehin, anyi and enyi could be formed from the loss of the second syllable in *nyikna; and how ika and akon could develop from the loss of the initial sound of the same ancestral word.

But eze? That word most probably came from a different source. In an old discussion here with ChinenyeN, I suggested that there was a very old relationship between Proto-Igboid and the ancestral language(s) of the Lower Cross Language Family (this family includes Obolo/Andoni and the Ibibioid languages), and that some words in modern Igbo which are not cognate with their counterparts in modern Yoruba, Edoid and Akokoid languages may be early loans from Proto-Lower Cross. One example I gave was the Igbo word for canoe or boat (ugbo), which is not cognate with the word for this item in Yoruba/Edoid/Akokoid, but seemingly cognate with Ibibioid words for the same item (*ubom). Another example is the Igbo word for vulture (udele) which is cognate with Ibibioid words for the same bird, but not with words for it in Yoruboid/Edoid/Akokoid and even Nupoid/Oko/Idomoid, which all have a -gu- root.

Eze seems, to me, to be another Lower Cross loan. The reconstructed proto-Lower Cross word for tooth is *edet, and is more than likely to be cognate with 'eze'. From a preliminary survey of just a few Lower Cross words, it does appear to me that 'd', or 'di' in Lower Cross can vary as/change to 'j' or 'z' in Igbo.

*idiok (bad/ugly in Ibibioid) is probably cognate with ajo/njo in Igbo { di/j sound correspondence}, and
*idiok (chimpanzee in Ibibioid) is probably cognate with ozo dimgba in Igbo

To this one may add:
*edet (tooth in Ibibioid) is probably cognate with eze in Igbo.

(I'll note here that Roger Blench reconstructs tooth in proto-Igboid as eje. A lot of words with z in their modern forms were reconstructed to their ancestral forms by him with a j. This may have been true of the ozo example as well; and a later change of some j's to z's may have occurred.)

AjaanaOka:
I see no regular sound correspondence between both languages that support the sort of sound change you're proposing. For example, are there other examples where a 'z' in Igbo varies as 'h' or 'y' in Yoruba?

Here is a short list of the words for 'tooth' in a number of closely related languages, classified as either NOI (Nupoid-Oko-Idomoid) languages or as YEAI (Yoruboid-Edoid-Akokoid-Igboid) languages:
Yoruba - Eyin/Ehin
Igala (a Yoruboid language) - Enyi
Akokoid - Eyin
Ebira - Anyi
Idoma - Ainu
Edo and Edoid languages - Akon
Nupe - Ika
Gbagyi - Nyikna.
Igbo - Eze

The Igbo word is the ONLY odd word in this cluster. It is, in its form, very distant from all the rest; and is very probably not directly cognate with them. Taking it away, it is possible to propose a hypothesis that the rest of the words descend from a common ancestral word, which probably sounded close to the Gbagyi form, *Nyikna. One can quite easily see how eyin/ehin, anyi and enyi could be formed from the loss of the second syllable in *nyikna; and how ika and akon could develop from the loss of the initial sound of the same ancestral word.

But eze? That word most probably came from a different source. In an old discussion here with ChinenyeN, I suggested that there was a very old relationship between Proto-Igboid and the ancestral language(s) of the Lower Cross Language Family (this family includes Obolo/Andoni and the Ibibioid languages), and that some words in modern Igbo which are not cognate with their counterparts in modern Yoruba, Edoid and Akokoid languages may be early loans from Proto-Lower Cross. One example I gave was the Igbo word for canoe or boat (ugbo), which is not cognate with the word for this item in Yoruba/Edoid/Akokoid, but seemingly cognate with Ibibioid words for the same item (*ubom). Another example is the Igbo word for vulture (udele) which is cognate with Ibibioid words for the same bird, but not with words for it in Yoruboid/Edoid/Akokoid and even Nupoid/Oko/Idomoid, which all have a -gu- root.

Eze seems, to me, to be another Lower Cross loan. The reconstructed proto-Lower Cross word for tooth is *edet, and is more than likely to be cognate with 'eze'. From a preliminary survey of just a few Lower Cross words, it does appear to me that 'd', or 'di' in Lower Cross can vary as/change to 'j' or 'z' in Igbo.

*idiok (bad/ugly in Ibibioid) is probably cognate with ajo/njo in Igbo { di/j sound correspondence}, and
*idiok (chimpanzee in Ibibioid) is probably cognate with ozo dimgba in Igbo

To this one may add:
*edet (tooth in Ibibioid) is probably cognate with eze in Igbo.

(I'll note here that Roger Blench reconstructs tooth in proto-Igboid as eje. A lot of words with z in their modern forms were reconstructed to their ancestral forms by him with a j. This may have been true of the ozo example as well; and a later change of some j's to z's may have occurred.)

But the high volume of cognates on the list cannot be obviated by one or two words with a disputable connection.

I dont get why everyone is acting like this is a new revelation, looking at linguistic mapes you will see igbo and yoruba and a hos tof other languages are within the Volta niger language continuum, its likely they share a linguistic ancestor some thousand years back. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volta%E2%80%93Niger_languages
But i can see the true purpose of the post, yes their shouldnt be animosity between igbo's and yoruba's, i myself am an igbo man thats lived in yorubaland, my only regret before going was not learning yoruba myself.

Yoruba and Igbo never spoke one language!
Few similar sounding words do not equate to speaking one language.....

There's no history to back this up.

Lol people are really naive... You only need common sense to know that OP is making sense... Cos an apple doesn't fall far away from its tree.

Yoruba and Igbo are too close geographically not to have shared the same ancestors or language at some point... Language evolves faster than you can imagine.

If you managed to travel back in time to about 2000 years ago as an Igbo or yoruba, I doubt you would understand a single word coming out of your ancestors mouth.

The only sad thing about we Africans is that our history wasn't properly documented. Just some embarrassing mythical stories

MimiSheWrote:
Lol people are really naive... You only need common sense to know that OP is making sense... Cos an apple doesn't fall far away from its tree.

Yoruba and Igbo are too close geographically not to have shared the same ancestors or language at some point... Language evolves faster than you can imagine.

If you managed to travel back in time to about 2000 years ago as an Igbo or yoruba, I doubt you would understand a single word coming out of your ancestors mouth.

The only sad thing about we Africans is that our history wasn't properly documented. Just some embarrassing mythical stories

2000 years sef far. If we go back just 500 years ago, it will be extremely hard, to communicate with our own people. Forget 1000 years ago. You will understand nothing.

When you look at languages that have a long history of writing you'll realise how true this is. Take English for example. Shakespeare wrote his plays 450 years ago. English speakers today struggle to understand him. In school, we had to use the glossary pages to make sense of plays like Macbeth and Merchant of Venice. Another English writer, Chaucer, wrote Canterbury Tales 630 years ago. I have tried to read it. I no understand wetin him dey talk. And this was "only" 630 years ago.

RedboneSmith:
2000 years sef far. If we go back just 500 years ago, it will be extremely hard, to communicate with our own people. Forget 1000 years ago. You will understand nothing.

When you look at languages that have a long history of writing you'll realise how true this is. Take English for example. Shakespeare wrote his plays 450 years ago. English speakers today struggle to understand him. In school, we had to use the glossary pages to make sense of plays like Macbeth and Merchant of Venice. Another English writer, Chaucer, wrote Canterbury Tales 630 years ago. I have tried to read it. I no understand wetin him dey talk. And this was "only" 630 years ago.

Heck, a book written in the 1950s would differ significantly in terms of syntax (although I do tend to somewhat align with it in certain ways because I just happen to be old-skool).

RedboneSmith:
2000 years sef far. If we go back just 500 years ago, it will be extremely hard, to communicate with our own people. Forget 1000 years ago. You will understand nothing.

When you look at languages that have a long history of writing you'll realise how true this is. Take English for example. Shakespeare wrote his plays 450 years ago. English speakers today struggle to understand him. In school, we had to use the glossary pages to make sense of plays like Macbeth and Merchant of Venice. Another English writer, Chaucer, wrote Canterbury Tales 630 years ago. I have tried to read it. I no understand wetin him dey talk. And this was "only" 630 years ago.

Fact.

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!

You might want to relax. See if anyone has any lorazepam and kush going spare for Christmas.

Probz:
You might want to relax. See if anyone has any lorazepam and kush going spare for Christmas.

When did I appoint you special advisor?

Osariemen12:
Good. Yorubas and Igbos can be one but let no man drag my Bini into Yoruba affairs.

What has yoruba done for you? I was told yoruba and Edo are related and also united

duro4chang:
What has yoruba done for you? I was told yoruba and Edo are related and also united

yoruba is more related to Igbo than it is to Bini or Edo

UGBE634:
yoruba is more related to Igbo than it is to Bini or Edo

Give me more info about that.

duro4chang:
Give me more info about that.

linguistically there are so many similarities in words between yoruba and Igbo that are not there in Edo

UGBE634:
linguistically there are so many similarities in words between yoruba and Igbo that are not there in Edo

But yoruba and edo do not quarrel. They hadly insult each other.

UGBE634:
linguistically there are so many similarities in words between yoruba and Igbo that are not there in Edo

Interesting take. Do you care to illustrate further on this, with examples?

According to linguists, Edo and Yoruba are closer to each other than either of them is to Igbo. Lexical similarity between Yoruba and Edo is calculated to be 56%, and only 51% for Yoruba and Igbo.

But I'll still like to know what informs your position.