₦airaland Forum

The name “Yoruba” was originally given to the Oyo people by the Fulani or the Hausa; it is interpreted to mean “cunning” (Bascom 1969:5). The word “Yoruba,” used to describe a group of people speaking a common language, was already in use in the interior of the Bight of Benin, probably before the sixteenth century.

https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/yoruba-from-prehistory-to-the-present/geography-and-society/CC682B3D24A7A9648C018BABC1E2EDEA#:~:text=The%20name%20%E2%80%9CYoruba%E2%80%9D%20was%20originally,probably%20before%20the%20sixteenth%20century.

Yoruba people are the most intelligent people in the world.

If the name means cunning, so be it. We are proud of it.

Why will a people accept such name?
Is that why they call themselves oodua instead.

Hmmm.

tundegan:
Yoruba people are the most intelligent people in the world.

If the name means cunning, so be it. We are proud of it.

Cunning people

If the hausa and fulani sees u as cunning so why accept it and not change it.




The word “Yoruba,” used to describe a group of people speaking a common language, was already in use in the interior of the Bight of Benin, probably before the sixteenth century. Yarabawa is the plural form for reference to Yoruba, and the singular is Bayarabe. In 1613, Ahmed Baba employed the term or a similar term to Yoruba to describe an ethnic group that had long existed (Lovejoy Reference Lovejoy, Falola and Childs2004:41). At the time, the term was not used for any particular subgroup of Yoruba such as Oyo; the Oyo polity was still relatively unknown. Some scholars used “Yoruba” for the Oyo group (Clapperton Reference Clapperton1829:4; Law Reference Law1977), but the term “Yarabawa” or “Yoruba” was found among Muslims (i.e., Hausa, Songhai), and also in Arabic very early and long before the rise of Oyo, more as a reference to a whole group than to a specific polity (Lovejoy Reference Lovejoy, Falola and Childs2004:41). Some other names or nomenclatures used before the general term, “Yoruba,” discussed in Chapter 9, include Nago as in Brazil, and Lucumi in Cuba and other Spanish colonies in the Americas, as well as in French colonies. In Sierra Leone, they were referred to as “Aku.” “Terranova,” a Portuguese term which referred to slaves taken west of Benin’s territory, was also an early term for Yoruba that fell out of use in Spanish America in the seventeenth century (Lovejoy and Ojo Reference Lovejoy and Ojo2015:358–359).

All these terms (e.g., Lucumi, Terranova, Aku, Nago) can reveal patterns of identity formation of people currently known as Yoruba. They were variously employed by “non-Yoruba” peoples as labels to describe “the other,” which the latter did not use to describe themselves (Lovejoy and Ojo Reference Lovejoy and Ojo2015). The use of these appellations may be based on certain habits, characteristics, origin, location, or other special things that the “non-Yoruba” groups observed in “the other” group. A “Yoruba” identity is important only where other ethnic groups such as Tiv, Hausa, or Nupe are involved (Eades Reference Eades1980:4). However, the conceptualization of the Yoruba as a collective identity dates back to the nineteenth century, through the Christian missionaries and the early Yoruba elite (Falola Reference Falola, Falola and Genova2006b:30). By the 1890s, when Samuel Johnson (Reference Johnson1921) completed his book, “Yoruba” had been widely used among the early Christian elite to define the land, people, and language (Falola Reference Falola, Falola and Genova2006b). It seems, then, that the only thing

Yoruba people are not cunning.

We are just too smart which some people can't just fathom

The meaning of Yoruba is not cunning.

trutharena:
The meaning of Yoruba is not cunning.

What is the meaning?
Tell me which language it came from

Salewa97:
Yoruba people are not cunning.

We are just too smart which some people can't just fathom

Your member up there says so be it

Tell me the etymology of the name Yoruba.

The.meaning of YORUBA is "CUNNING"

That's why they can never be straightforward in whatever thing they do with you.

They are serial betrayers and sellouts.

They are also hypocritical in nature. They speak from two sides of their mouth.

Don't ever believe the word of any Yoruba.

The issue here is one of perception. The Yoruba people often view themselves as smart and highly intelligent. The Hausa perceive them as cunning and shrewd, On the other hand, the Niger Delta communities see them as subtly covetous.

It’s quite intriguing that there was hardly any outcry when the Yoruba voiced thoughts of secession.

While if niger delta or Biafra talk of secession, the whole Nigeria, west Africa, Africa goes into a panic mode but when yorubas threaten secession people yawn and go to sleep.

kettykin:
The issue here is one of perception. The Yoruba people often view themselves as smart and highly intelligent. The Hausa perceive them as cunning and shrewd, On the other hand, the Niger Delta communities see them as subtly covetous.

It’s quite intriguing that there was hardly any outcry when the Yoruba voiced thoughts of secession.

While if niger delta or Biafra talk of secession, the whole Nigeria, west Africa, Africa goes into a panic mode but when yorubas threaten secession people yawn and go to sleep.

My issue why will someone give u a bad name then you come out and claim the same name.
Why not change the name before changing name of streets in Lagos.


If someone calls me a thief in his language should i now go about calling my self that language.

My issue is they are called a name by people who dont like them. Why so proud about it.

Instead of fighting it.

We know this already.

Yugoslavia247:
Cunning people

If the hausa and fulani sees u as cunning so why accept it and not change it.




The word “Yoruba,” used to describe a group of people speaking a common language, was already in use in the interior of the Bight of Benin, probably before the sixteenth century. Yarabawa is the plural form for reference to Yoruba, and the singular is Bayarabe. In 1613, Ahmed Baba employed the term or a similar term to Yoruba to describe an ethnic group that had long existed (Lovejoy Reference Lovejoy, Falola and Childs2004:41). At the time, the term was not used for any particular subgroup of Yoruba such as Oyo; the Oyo polity was still relatively unknown. Some scholars used “Yoruba” for the Oyo group (Clapperton Reference Clapperton1829:4; Law Reference Law1977), but the term “Yarabawa” or “Yoruba” was found among Muslims (i.e., Hausa, Songhai), and also in Arabic very early and long before the rise of Oyo, more as a reference to a whole group than to a specific polity (Lovejoy Reference Lovejoy, Falola and Childs2004:41). Some other names or nomenclatures used before the general term, “Yoruba,” discussed in Chapter 9, include Nago as in Brazil, and Lucumi in Cuba and other Spanish colonies in the Americas, as well as in French colonies. In Sierra Leone, they were referred to as “Aku.” “Terranova,” a Portuguese term which referred to slaves taken west of Benin’s territory, was also an early term for Yoruba that fell out of use in Spanish America in the seventeenth century (Lovejoy and Ojo Reference Lovejoy and Ojo2015:358–359).

All these terms (e.g., Lucumi, Terranova, Aku, Nago) can reveal patterns of identity formation of people currently known as Yoruba. They were variously employed by “non-Yoruba” peoples as labels to describe “the other,” which the latter did not use to describe themselves (Lovejoy and Ojo Reference Lovejoy and Ojo2015). The use of these appellations may be based on certain habits, characteristics, origin, location, or other special things that the “non-Yoruba” groups observed in “the other” group. A “Yoruba” identity is important only where other ethnic groups such as Tiv, Hausa, or Nupe are involved (Eades Reference Eades1980:4). However, the conceptualization of the Yoruba as a collective identity dates back to the nineteenth century, through the Christian missionaries and the early Yoruba elite (Falola Reference Falola, Falola and Genova2006b:30). By the 1890s, when Samuel Johnson (Reference Johnson1921) completed his book, “Yoruba” had been widely used among the early Christian elite to define the land, people, and language (Falola Reference Falola, Falola and Genova2006b). It seems, then, that the only thing

With all the epistle you still made no point.

The guy asked the meaning of yoruba in your language.

Which one is yoruba is group of people speaking a common language. Is that what he asked you?

This is how people write much in exam and still fail

Yugoslavia247:
My issue why will someone give u a bad name then you come out and claim the same name.
Why not change the name before changing name of streets in Lagos.


If someone calls me a thief in his language should i now go about calling my self that language.

My issue is they are called a name by people who dont like them. Why so proud about it.

Instead of fighting it.

Because it’s our master that gave us the name, if it was Igbo that gave us the name we would’ve changed it. Hope I’ve said what you want to hear, oya rest now opuno

You contradicted yourself already

Kukutente23:
You contradicted yourself already

How?

floss:
Because it’s our master that gave us the name, if it was Igbo that gave us the name we would’ve changed it. Hope I’ve said what you want to hear, oya rest now opuno

I have got bananas for you.

No, it is not true. Yoruba means the one who is worshipped or revered.

ObaOfYorubaLand:
The.meaning of YORUBA is "CUNNING"

That's why they can never be straightforward in whatever thing they do with you.

They are serial betrayers and sellouts.

They are also hypocritical in nature. They speak from two sides of their mouth.


Don't ever believe the word of any Yoruba.

Correct. 'Y.ariba' as Fulani called them. More like chameleonic , wavering and double faced.

Is cunning and betrayal the same? Because they can betrayal anyone even their own blood family members. I don't want to mention cowardice as they usually tagged them cowards

Saao:
Is cunning and betrayal the same? Because they can betrayal anyone even their own blood family members. I don't want to mention cowardice as they usually tagged them cowards

Yoruba people are very cunning.., just do business with them, you’ll learn by experience.

People give themselves a lot of headache over issues that shouldn't be worth their while!

E be like say this one don tire you.

tundegan:
Yoruba people are the most intelligent people in the world.

If the name means cunning, so be it. We are proud of it.

I doubt you know the meaning of intelligent .

Wrong. There are cunning people in every Tribe.

My restaurant in Ekiti was almost runned down by a Kaduna chef who was using my business to feed his Family.

Change this your tribalist concept.

Yoruba must ride …!

Nigeria go still get their time .. dem dey hate everyone … if everyone hates dem back .. na legal genocide