Peculiarities of names in Yoruba culture
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Loading... - Princess Ude
- 08 Nov 2022
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That's the reason most cultures don't take names for granted, the Yorubas most especially, are particular about the naming of their children.
There are 5 major classes of names in the Yoruba land: Orúká» Àmútá»Ì€runwá, Orúká» Àbísá», Orúká» Àbíkú, Orúká» Ìnagijẹ and Oríkì.
Orúká» Àmútá»Ì€runwá loosely translates to 'name brought from heaven' and is a pre-destined or generic name. It is given based on the unusual circumstance surrounding the child's birth.
An example is Táiwò, short for Tá»Ì-aiyé wò (taste the world), KẹÌhìndé (last to come), which is given to twins. These names have links with the Yoruba birth and midwifery folklore.
Orúká» Àbísá» which when translated means name given at birth, are acquired names. They are given to a child on the eighth day after delivery. They don't necessarily have anything to do with the child's birth, but they occasionally connect with significant events before or after the birth.
Some of these names include Ẹkúndayá»Ì€ (my tears have become joy), and Ayá»Ì€mídé (my joy has come), amongst others.
Orúká» Abiku (predetermined to die) are given to children believed to be reincarnations of their dead siblings. The names are a form of a plea to the children to remain on earth. Dúrójaiyé (stay and enjoy the earth) and Málá»má»Ì (don't leave again) are examples of orúká» àbíkú.
Orúká» Ìnagijẹ is a nickname or alias given to children based on the features they display. These names include names such as Dúdúyẹmí (usually given to a dark-skinned child), Ọ̀pẹÌlẹÌngáº¹Ì (traditionally given to a skinny child). Read More…
