₦airaland Forum

Omofunaab2:
Oyinbo is a Yoruba word,
ajayi crowther compiled the Yoruba dictionary in 1852
And it was regarded as a Yoruba word.
Igbo dictionary was compiled by Ajayi crowther in 1857

On point.

Mrchippychappy:
Oyinbo is an adulterated version of the word "Onyebo" which in itself was a mockery of the white mans inability to pronounce IGBO or Onye IGBO. They pronounced it as EBO.

You're so right.

This is completely lies from the pit of hell

That word oyinbo is a pure yoruba language

femolii:
That word oyinbo is a pure yoruba language

So a word's now a language?

Oyibo was originated during the slave era, because of the high demand of Igbo slaves during the slave trade, the Slave masters usually use the word Oyibo (meaning, "is he Igbo?" ) to ask the slave traders if the person is Igbo, the slaves now call the white men "oyibo", because they were hearing it from there mouth. That is why we call the white "oyibo"

It means peeled skin and is clearly a Yoruba word for white people or people with white skin. Pupa is the word for light skin black people. Oyinbo quite literally means peeled or bleached honey. Honey is brown naturally but when you " bo " it. "Bo" means to bleach or peel in Yoruba. Oyibo is a corruption of Oyinbo. Quickly transferred around Nigeria through its adoption in pidgin.

nice work there keep it up

Igbos and their way of unnecessarily dragging things with yorubas kinda piss me off. the oyinbo of a name originated from the yorubas and the meaning is clear and simple.

Doesn't make any iota of sense. The word "Oyinbo " is a Yoruba word.

It's just like Yorubas trying to find a Yoruba etymological root of the word Alubosa (onions) Which we all know was a borrowed Hausa word.

Next the OP will tell us the Ijaw origin of the word "ashewo"

AbakalikiPress:
Some parts of Igboland don't call white people Oyibo, they use Bekee.
So that explanation kinda does not make sense.

Also the Igbos that do use it, why don't they use Onyigbo or Onyebo if the words actually came from Onye Igbo?

Besides the PROPER Igbo word for white people is "Ndi Ocha" not Oyibo. You can never find the word Oyibo when you are having a deep Igbo conversation. Whereas even conc Yoruba people use Oyinbo in everyday speech and formalized academic literature.

The Wikipedia Igbo page for whites for example, has the title "Ndi Ocha"
https://ig.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ndi_ocha

The Yoruba Wikipedia page for whites has the title "Awon Oyinbo"
https://yo.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%80w%E1%BB%8Dn_%C3%B2y%C3%ACnb%C3%B3

Sounds to me that the Igbos had a more sensible reason for calling them Oyinbos than the westerners

Omofunaab2:
Oyinbo is a Yoruba word,

ajayi crowther compiled the Yoruba dictionary in 1852

And it was regarded as a Yoruba word.

Igbo dictionary was compiled by Ajayi crowther in 1857

If it's a Yoruba word, how did the 'n' get lost from the widely accepted spelling?

obidevine:
Origin of the word " Oyibo "


Culled from Wikipedia 


https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oyibo

Oga it is O-y-i-n-b-o not oyibo...

just like some people dey wrongly call moin-moin... moi moi

Kennydoc:
If it's a Yoruba word, how did the 'n' get lost from the widely accepted spelling?

It was corrupted by other tribes but in Yoruba it's spelt oyinbo

obidevine:
Origin of the word " Oyibo "

Oyibo or Oyinbo is a word used in Nigerian Pidgin, Igbo and Y‎oruba to refer to westernized people. ‎In Nigeria, it is generally used to refer to a person of European descent or people perceived to not be culturally African. The word is pronounced ‎oyinbo ‎ in Yoruba speaking areas and oyibo ‎ in Igbo language. Both terms are valid in Pidgin English.

How The Word Evolved ‎

The origin of the word is difficult to ascertain. It is believed that the name is coined from the Yoruba translation of “peeled skin” or “skinless,” which, in Yoruba, translates to “yin” – scratch “bo” – off/peel; the "O" starting the word "Oyinbo" is a pronoun. Hence, "Oyinbo" literally translates to "the man with a peeled off skin". ‎Other variations of the term in Yoruba language include: Eyinbo, which is usually shorted as "Eebo". ‎

In Igbo language, demonym takes the form “onye” + “place of origin.” Hence, whereas an Igbo person is called “onye Igbo,” a Yoruba is called “Onye Yoruba” and a German “onye Germany.” Thus, the first white people were called either “onye ocha” (singular) or “ndi ocha” (plural), for “white person” and “white people,” respectively. This was because the Igbos of those days did not know from where the white people came. Interaction between the Igbos and the white people resulted in the white people trying to refer to the Igbos with a name similar to what the Igbos called them but there was a problem in pronouncing Igbo words due to the presence of double lettered alphabets, which involve nasal pronunciation, in some of the consonants, such as 'ch', 'gb', 'gh', 'gw', 'kp', 'kw', 'nw', 'ny', 'sh'. These were not present in the English language, hence the difficulty in the European man's effort in giving the Igbos a similar demonym as the Igbo people had given to him, instead a name resulting from a mutilation of Igbo words was produced "Oyi ibo' instead of " onyi igbo' meaning 'Igbo person' just as he 'the white man' was called ' onye ocha' meaning 'white person'. It was this 'oyi ibo' that the Igbos later started referring to as 'white person' in a way of mocking the white man for his inability in saying "Onye Igbo". This would later be adopted by other Southern Nigerian tribes as the standard name for the white man and coupled with dialect variance one obtains different pronunciations such as "Oyinbo' in Yoruba and other western Nigerian tribes. Also, 'Oyibo' means English Language in Igbo. In general usage, it may refer to individuals with various skin complaints such as vitiligo or genetic conditions such as albinism. ‎

Oyibo is also used in reference to people who are foreign or Europeanised, including Saros in the Igbo towns of Port Harcourt, Onitsha and Enugu in the late 19th and early 20th century. ‎Sierra Leonean missionaries, according to Ajayi Crowther, a Yoruba, and John Taylor, an Igbo, descendants of repatriated slaves, were referred to as oyibo ojii (Igbo: black foreigners) or "native foreigners" by the people of Onitsha in the late 19th century.‎

Olaudah Equiano, an African abolitionist, claimed in his 1789 ‎narrative that the people in Essaka, Igboland, where he claimed to be from, had used the term Oye-Eboe in reference to "red men living at a distance" which may possibly be an earlier version ofoyibo. Equiano's use of Oye-Eboe, however, was in reference to other Africans and not white men.‎ Gloria Chuku suggests that Equiano's use of Oye-Eboe is not linked to oyibo, and that it is a reference to the generic term Onitsha and other more westerly ‎Igbo people referred to other Igbo people. ‎R. A. K. Oldfield, a European, while on the Niger River near Aboh in 1832 had recorded locals calling out to him and his entourage "Oh, Eboe! Oh, Eboe!" meaning "White man, White man!" linked to modern 'oyibo'. ‎

The word may also be said to be a corruption of the Edo word ‘ovbiebo,’ a blend of two words: ‘ovbi,’ meaning ‘child’ or ‘indigene,’ and ‘ebo,’ the Edo word for Caucasian. Other southern Nigerian tribes may have found it difficult to pronounce the ‘vbi’ consonant, corrupting ‘vbi’ to ‘yi’ or ‘yin,' with 'oyibo' and 'oyinbo' eventually coming to replace the original Edo coinage.



Culled from Wikipedia 


https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oyibo

good write up

obidevine:
Origin of the word " Oyibo "

Oyibo or Oyinbo is a word used in Nigerian Pidgin, Igbo and Y‎oruba to refer to westernized people. ‎In Nigeria, it is generally used to refer to a person of European descent or people perceived to not be culturally African. The word is pronounced ‎oyinbo ‎ in Yoruba speaking areas and oyibo ‎ in Igbo language. Both terms are valid in Pidgin English.

How The Word Evolved ‎

The origin of the word is difficult to ascertain. It is believed that the name is coined from the Yoruba translation of “peeled skin” or “skinless,” which, in Yoruba, translates to “yin” – scratch “bo” – off/peel; the "O" starting the word "Oyinbo" is a pronoun. Hence, "Oyinbo" literally translates to "the man with a peeled off skin". ‎Other variations of the term in Yoruba language include: Eyinbo, which is usually shorted as "Eebo". ‎

In Igbo language, demonym takes the form “onye” + “place of origin.” Hence, whereas an Igbo person is called “onye Igbo,” a Yoruba is called “Onye Yoruba” and a German “onye Germany.” Thus, the first white people were called either “onye ocha” (singular) or “ndi ocha” (plural), for “white person” and “white people,” respectively. This was because the Igbos of those days did not know from where the white people came. Interaction between the Igbos and the white people resulted in the white people trying to refer to the Igbos with a name similar to what the Igbos called them but there was a problem in pronouncing Igbo words due to the presence of double lettered alphabets, which involve nasal pronunciation, in some of the consonants, such as 'ch', 'gb', 'gh', 'gw', 'kp', 'kw', 'nw', 'ny', 'sh'. These were not present in the English language, hence the difficulty in the European man's effort in giving the Igbos a similar demonym as the Igbo people had given to him, instead a name resulting from a mutilation of Igbo words was produced "Oyi ibo' instead of " onyi igbo' meaning 'Igbo person' just as he 'the white man' was called ' onye ocha' meaning 'white person'. It was this 'oyi ibo' that the Igbos later started referring to as 'white person' in a way of mocking the white man for his inability in saying "Onye Igbo". This would later be adopted by other Southern Nigerian tribes as the standard name for the white man and coupled with dialect variance one obtains different pronunciations such as "Oyinbo' in Yoruba and other western Nigerian tribes. Also, 'Oyibo' means English Language in Igbo. In general usage, it may refer to individuals with various skin complaints such as vitiligo or genetic conditions such as albinism. ‎

Oyibo is also used in reference to people who are foreign or Europeanised, including Saros in the Igbo towns of Port Harcourt, Onitsha and Enugu in the late 19th and early 20th century. ‎Sierra Leonean missionaries, according to Ajayi Crowther, a Yoruba, and John Taylor, an Igbo, descendants of repatriated slaves, were referred to as oyibo ojii (Igbo: black foreigners) or "native foreigners" by the people of Onitsha in the late 19th century.‎

Olaudah Equiano, an African abolitionist, claimed in his 1789 ‎narrative that the people in Essaka, Igboland, where he claimed to be from, had used the term Oye-Eboe in reference to "red men living at a distance" which may possibly be an earlier version ofoyibo. Equiano's use of Oye-Eboe, however, was in reference to other Africans and not white men.‎ Gloria Chuku suggests that Equiano's use of Oye-Eboe is not linked to oyibo, and that it is a reference to the generic term Onitsha and other more westerly ‎Igbo people referred to other Igbo people. ‎R. A. K. Oldfield, a European, while on the Niger River near Aboh in 1832 had recorded locals calling out to him and his entourage "Oh, Eboe! Oh, Eboe!" meaning "White man, White man!" linked to modern 'oyibo'. ‎

The word may also be said to be a corruption of the Edo word ‘ovbiebo,’ a blend of two words: ‘ovbi,’ meaning ‘child’ or ‘indigene,’ and ‘ebo,’ the Edo word for Caucasian. Other southern Nigerian tribes may have found it difficult to pronounce the ‘vbi’ consonant, corrupting ‘vbi’ to ‘yi’ or ‘yin,' with 'oyibo' and 'oyinbo' eventually coming to replace the original Edo coinage.



Culled from Wikipedia 


https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oyibo

it's ah lie

Probz:
It's mai mai in Igbo. Moi moi's the central spelling.

ok o. I simply know it as moin moin sha

.

Oyinbo is a Yoruba word for white/white people, bekee is Igbo word for white/white people.
Oyinbo/oyibo is never an Igbo word, it's borrowed from Yoruba.
I am from Anambra State, lived in Oyo State and I speak both languages well.

The person who wrote this crap must be high on cow dung. Just claiming what you don't know.
Meanwhile how is Port Harcourt an Ibo town for Christ sake.
With these constant distortion of facts and history, this your Biafra will never see the light of the day and even if you get it we in the south south will never be part of it.

Copy Copy Op. This is not the first time this type of thread would be opened and make fp.

Omofunaab2:
It was corrupted by other tribes but in Yoruba it's spelt oyinbo

Well, even before there was a clear mix between Igbos and Yorubas, Igbos have always referred to abroad as "obodo oyibo" and English language as "oyibo".

Kennydoc:
Well, even before there was a clear mix between Igbos and Yorubas, Igbos have always referred to abroad as "obodo oyibo" and English language as "oyibo".

And yet in 1852 ,oyinbo was in the Yoruba dictionary

Omofunaab2:
And yet in 1852 ,oyinbo was in the Yoruba dictionary

Was the word formed in 1852? Yoruba dictionary was compiled then, but the words were already in existence even before then. Same applies to Igbo words and the Igbo dictionary.
Believe me, there was no mix between Yorubas and Igbos as at the 19th century, yet Igbos already had the word 'oyibo' as at then.

Kennydoc:
Was the word formed in 1852? Yoruba dictionary was compiled then, but the words were already in existence even before then. Same applies to Igbo words and the Igbo dictionary.
Believe me, there was no mix between Yorubas and Igbos as at the 19th century, yet Igbos already had the word 'oyibo' as at then.

And yet oyibo has no literary meaning in IGBO except for the assumption that the whites were calling you onye ebo, but oyinbo in yoruba has its own literary meaning, it means bleached or peeled skin in Yoruba. .and this word has been in existence since 1852 .and it was included in our dictionary.

I have heard lots of versions about this oyibo issh from igbos,

Have you heard of the equaino oluadoh version?

This oyibo and oyinbo should not spoil the beautiful write up. The op made his point clear if you read it. If not go and read it again

Omofunaab2:
And yet oyibo has not literary meaning in IGBO except for the assumption that the whites were calling you onye ebo, but oyinbo in yoruba has its own literary meaning, it means bleached or peeled skin in Yoruba. .and this word has been in existence since 1852 .and it was included in our dictionary.

I have heard lots of versions about this oyibo issh from igbos,

Have you heard of the equaino oluadoh version?

I've told you that 'oyibo' pronounced óyíbó (not òyìbó) means English language. I don't know when exactly it came into use, but it's been for a very long time.
Moreover, the 'onye Igbo' explanation makes a lot of sense. When the whites came to Igbo land, they referred to Igbos as Ibos, which many Nigerians including Yorubas still use till date.
I can bet you that nearly half of Yorubas without any exposure to Igbo language will pronounce 'onye Igbo' as 'oye ibo' today (which obviously will sound as oyibo. However, the òyìbó pronunciation of the pidgin version may have come from oyinbo of Yorubas.

https://www.nairaland.com/2191374/etymology-word-oyinbo/0

What about the Fon/Egun aspect of the word Oyinbo/Yevo?

Do we have european fruits in igbo with the word forming a prefix or suffix?

Example is Yoruba opeinbo, pineapple, ultimately meaning 'europeans palmfruit' in Yoruba because of its pines, then also, 'Orombo'. 'Apple' or in Yoruba psyche 'europeans version of ogbono fruit'.

Kerosine; epoinbo, white(man's) oil.
Kerosine: yevomi: egun: white(man's) oil.
Orange: Yevren: Yevozen, whiteman's orange.

Yevo: different shade. It is from here the word got to Yoruba and from Yoruba to Igbo.

Arda1000:
This oyibo and oyinbo should not spoil the beautiful write up. The op made his point clear if you read it. If not go and read it again

Write up o gini? He copied and pasted from Wiki.

Kennydoc:
I've told you that 'oyibo' pronounced óyíbó (not òyìbó) means English language. I don't know when exactly it came into use, but it's been for a very long time.
Moreover, the 'onye Igbo' explanation makes a lot of sense. When the whites came to Igbo land, they referred to Igbos as Ibos, which many Nigerians including Yorubas still use till date.
I can bet you that nearly half of Yorubas without any exposure to Igbo language will pronounce 'onye Igbo' as 'oye ibo' today (which obviously will sound as oyibo. However, the òyìbó pronunciation of the pidgin version may have come from oyinbo of Yorubas.

Why would yorubas pronounce oyinbo as "oye Ibo " when oyinbo itself has a literary meaning in Yoruba language which translates to peeled skin / bleached skin.

Oyibo in IGBO has no literary meaning , what you have is stories about how the whites were calling igbos "onye Ibo " and you in turn called them oyibo. .

And there's another version being peddled by igbos, and that's the Equaino Olaudah's version.

Your version isn't that straightforward while the yorubas is because oyinbo has a literary meaning in Yoruba language