Yoruba
/ˈjɒr.ʊ.bə/noun
A major West African ethnolinguistic group and the language they speak.
Did you know?The ethnonym Yoruba is historically associated with the city-state of Oyo and was popularized through Hausa and later colonial usage, showing how names can travel and transform across languages and empires.
Etymological Timeline
Pre-19th Century
Yoruba
Yorùbá
“An ethnolinguistic identity used by speakers in southwestern Nigeria and neighboring regions.”
19th Century
Hausa
Yariba / Yarabawa
“A Hausa form referring to the Yoruba people, likely mediated through regional contact.”
19th Century
English
Yoruba
“An English ethnonym adopted from West African and colonial-era usage.”
Modern English
English
Yoruba
“The name of a people, language, and broad cultural tradition centered in southwestern Nigeria.”