Alaafin
/ˌɑːləˈfiːn/noun
The traditional title of the ruler of the historic Oyo Empire and the present-day Oyo kingdom in Nigeria.
Did you know?The Alaafin was regarded not merely as a political ruler but as a sacred monarch whose authority was tied to Oyo’s religious and ancestral order.
Etymological Timeline
Early Yoruba
Yoruba
alá-
“A person who possesses or has control of something”
Early Yoruba
Yoruba
ààfin
“Palace or royal residence”
Precolonial period
Yoruba
aláàfin
“Owner or master of the palace; title of the ruler of Oyo”
17th–19th Centuries
Yoruba
Alaafin
“The sacred king and political ruler of the Oyo Empire”
19th–20th Centuries
English
Alaafin
“An English-used title for the traditional ruler of Oyo”
Modern English
English
Alaafin
“The traditional monarch of Oyo, Nigeria”