Islam has been a potent vehicle for the injection of Arabic words into the languages of non-Arabic speaking converts to Islam. Conquest, education, and trade are other vehicles.
How confident can one be that the claims made about the Arabic root of so many words in the "Yoruba" and other West African languages are correct? Do these claim take full account of the following among others for example:
i) common/shared origin of the languages however distant?
ii) coincidences however many and unlikely they may be/
One understands that if the needle and onion were introduced to the Yoruba by non-Yoruba's, the Yoruba word- names for them may be borrowed from the languages of the "introducers". Is it the case that there was native Yoruba words for 'prayer", "following", and "disease" hence the adoption of their Arabic language corruptions? Is it not the case that if something or the consciousness of it exists with a people, they are likely to have a word-name for it?
As a matter of interest, are there Arabic words with Yoruba or other West Africa languages' origin in the Arabic language? It is not unreasonable to expect a "cross fertilization" of languages when two or more people who speak different languages interact as a result of education, religious conversion, conquest, or trade among others.
oa
From: usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com [usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Farooq A. Kperogi [farooqkperogi@gmail.com]
Sent: Thursday, June 07, 2012 5:05 PM
To: usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com
Subject: Re: USA Africa Dialogue Series - The Arabic Origins of Common Yoruba Words
Dear Dr. Akinlabi,
Thanks for your insightful intervention. It's also kind of you to offer to send me a scanned copy of M.O.A. Abdul's "Arabic loan words in Yoruba." I really appreciate it. But note that mine was just a "popular" reflection inspired only by Baldi's paper. It was not a serious scholarly interrogation.
Not being a native Yoruba speaker or a professional linguist, I defer to your judgment on the untenability of claims of Arabic origins for "atele." But evidence from other Nigerian languages challenge your conclusions on "asiri." It isn't only in Yoruba that asiri means "secret." The word is also present in Batonu (my native language spoken in Nigeria's Kwara state and northern and central Benin Republic), Hausa, Kanuri, and several languages in central and northern Nigeria. So it's unlikely that it is native to Yoruba. The case for the word's Arabic origin seems to me compelling.
Farooq
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Thanks for your insightful intervention. It's also kind of you to offer to send me a scanned copy of M.O.A. Abdul's "Arabic loan words in Yoruba." I really appreciate it. But note that mine was just a "popular" reflection inspired only by Baldi's paper. It was not a serious scholarly interrogation.
Not being a native Yoruba speaker or a professional linguist, I defer to your judgment on the untenability of claims of Arabic origins for "atele." But evidence from other Nigerian languages challenge your conclusions on "asiri." It isn't only in Yoruba that asiri means "secret." The word is also present in Batonu (my native language spoken in Nigeria's Kwara state and northern and central Benin Republic), Hausa, Kanuri, and several languages in central and northern Nigeria. So it's unlikely that it is native to Yoruba. The case for the word's Arabic origin seems to me compelling.
Farooq
Personal website: www.farooqkperogi.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/farooqkperogi
Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/farooqkperogi
"The nice thing about pessimism is that you are constantly being either proven right or pleasantly surprised." G. F. Will
"The nice thing about pessimism is that you are constantly being either proven right or pleasantly surprised." G. F. Will
On Thu, Jun 7, 2012 at 3:44 PM, <akinlabi@rci.rutgers.edu> wrote:
Dear Dr. Kperogi,
I dont do public media, but I find this compelling to respond to.
I found your posting very informative. It also constitutes an important
addition to the body of growing work on Yoruba loan words, especially the
ones from Arabic.
My brief response is on two points.
First, I observe that the very first publication on Arabic loans in Yoruba
is missing from your write-up. It is by M.O.A. Abdul, "Arabic loan words
in Yoruba". YORUBA: Journal of the Yoruba Studies Association of Nigeria,
volume 2. 1976. pp 37-46. This paper was cited in the Baldi 1995 paper
that you cited. I am assuming that you did not cite it because you could
not obtain a copy of it. I'd be happy to send you a scanned copy.
Secondly, while I agree with your judgment on most of the words you
discussed. I doubt two of the words: atele "following" and asiri "secret".
Atele "following" The word "tele" "follow" is completely native. It is
from two verbs "te" "press"/"step", and le "drive"/"come after". It has to
be a compound because the phono-tactics of the word disobeys the regular
harmony, because the two vowels [E] and [e] normally do not co-occur in
the same root. (The initial [a] is just a noun-forming prefix.). Finally
the stem "tele" undergoes normal reduplication, as in tele-n-tele "one
after another". No other "LOAN" you cited behaves this way.
Asiri "secret", is at best questionable. The reason is that the stem again
has been argued to consist of two verbs: si "open", ri "see". Again, the
initial [a] is just a noun-forming prefix.
Sincerely,
Akinbiyi AKINLABI
Professor of Linguistics
Rutgers University
President, World Congress of African Linguistics
> Words<http://www.farooqkperogi.com/2012/05/arabic-origins-of-common-yoruba-words.html>
> Sunday, May 13, 2012 The Arabic Origins of Common Yoruba
>
> *By Farooq A. Kperogi *
>> Yoruba,"<http://www.eric.ed.gov/PDFS/ED394282.pdf>it was written by
> I am taking a break from English grammar this week to discuss a
> fascinating 22-page article I read on the Arabic roots of many
> contemporary
> Yoruba words. Titled "On Arabic Loans in
> Professor Sergio Baldi, a well-regarded Italian linguist,> <http://www.eric.ed.gov/PDFS/ED394282.pdf>).
> who presented it at the Annual Conference on African Linguistics in
> California, USA, in March 1995.
>
> The article lists scores of common Yoruba words that are derived from
> Arabic sometimes by way of Hausa, at other times by way of Songhai (Zarma
> and Dendi languages in present-day Niger, Mali, and Benin republics are
> examples of Songhai languages), and occasionally directly from Arabic. (To
> read the full article, click here
>> *1. Abere.* This Yoruba word for "needle" traces its etymology to the
>
> In this essay, I isolate only words that, from my modest knowledge of
> Yoruba, enjoy widespread usage and that are not limited to the vernacular
> of Yoruba Muslims. It is noteworthy that different versions of many of the
> words below are also used widely in Hausa, Kanuri, Igala, Ebira, Batonu,
> Nupe, and many Niger-Congo languages in northern and central Nigeria. In
> fact, "wahala," a common Nigerian Pidgin English word, has Arabic origins,
> as you will see shortly.
>
> Arabic "ai-bra," which also means needle.> *2.* *Adura.* This is the Yoruba word for prayers. In fact, there is a
>
> popular syncretic Christian sect in Yorubaland that goes by the name> *3.* *Alubosa.* This Yoruba word for "onion" was borrowed from the Hausa
> "aladura," meaning "people who pray" or "praying people." Many other
> northern and central Nigerian languages have some version of this word to
> denote prayers. It is derived from the Arabic "du'a," which also means
> prayers.
>
> "albasa," which in turn borrowed it from the Arabic "al-basal."> *4.* *Alufa/Alfa.* This is a widely used word for a Muslim scholar (and
>
> occasionally any Muslim) not just in Yorubaland but in Nupeland, Borgu,> *5.* *Atele/itele.* It means "following" in Yoruba, and it is derived
> Igalaland, Ebiraland, etc. It is now increasingly used by Yoruba Muslim
> women as a term of respect for their husbands.
>
> Surprisingly, the word is absent in the Hausa language. It came as no
> surprise therefore when Professor Baldi suggested that the word came to
> the
> Yoruba language—and many other central Nigerian languages—through the
> Songhai. It is derived from the Arabic "khalifah," which means a
> "successor" or a "representative" (of the prophet of Islam). It was first
> corrupted to "Alfa" by the Songhai who later exported their version of the
> word to western and central Nigeria—and to other parts of West Africa.
> Many
> Songhai were itinerant Islamic preachers who traveled all over West
> Africa.
>
> from "at-talin," which also means "following" in Arabic.> *6.* *Amodi.* It means "disease" in Yoruba and is derived from
>
> "al-marad,"> *7.* *"Amo."* It is a conjunction in Yoruba, which performs the same
> the Arabic word for disease.
>
> function that the word "but" performs in English; it introduces contrast.> *8.* *Anfani.* This Yoruba word for "utility" or "importance" also occurs
> It is rendered as "amma" in Hausa, which is the way it is rendered in its
> original Arabic form.
>
> in Hausa, Batonu, and many northern and central Nigerian languages. It is> *9.* *Ara/ apaara.* The word means "thunder" in Yoruba, and is derived
> derived from the Arabic "naf," which means "advantage, profit."
>
> from the Arabic "ar-ra'd."> *10.* *Asiri.* It means "secret" in Yoruba, Hausa, and in many other
>
> Nigerian languages. It is derived from the Arabic "as-sirr" where it also> 11. *Barika*. This is the Yoruba word for "congratulations." It is
> means "secret."
>
> rendered as "barka" in Hausa. The word's original Arabic form is> *12.* *Borokinni*. It means a "gentleman, respected man in a secure
> "al-baraka," which means "greetings."
>
> financial position." The word is also found in many Borgu languages, such> *13.* *Faari.* It means "showing off" or "boastfulness" or "ostentatious
> as Batonu and Bokobaru, where "boro" means a "friend." It is derived from
> the Arabic "rukn," which means "support, corner, basic element."
>
> display" in Yoruba. It has the same meaning in many Borgu languages. It is> *14.* *Fitila.* It means any kind of lamp. Its roots are located in the
> derived from the Arabic "fakhr," which means "glory, pride, honor." (Note
> that "kh" is a guttural sound in Arabic, which is close to a hard "h" in
> English. That sound was dropped by Nigerian languages).
>
> Arabic word for lamp, which is "fatil."> *15.* *Ijamba.* Professor Baldi defines this word as "bodily harm," but
>
> the meaning of the word I'm familiar with is one that associates it with> *16.* *Imale**.* This is the Yoruba word for "Muslim." I read previous
> cunning, cheating, deceit. It is derived from the Arabic "danb," or
> "danba," which means "sin, crime." (Note that Arabic frequently dispenses
> with end vowels (that is, a, e, i, o, and u) in words, whereas many
> Nigerian languages almost always end words with a vowel—and add them to
> words they borrow from other languages if such words lack an end vowel).
>
> interpretations of this word from Yoruba scholars who say it is Yoruba for> *17.* *Iwaju.* It's the Yoruba word for "front part." I didn't imagine
> "that which is difficult" to underscore the difficulty of Islamic
> practices
> like praying five times a day, fasting for 30 days during Ramadan, etc.
> Other Yoruba scholars said the word initially denoted "people from Mali"
> since the Songhai people who Islamized Yoruba land in the 15th century
> were
> from Mali.
>
> But Baldi argues that "imale" is the corruption of the Arabic "Mu'alim,"
> which means a teacher. In the Hausa language, the word is rendered as
> Maalam. It's interesting that "Mallam" has become the synonym for Hausa
> (or
> northern) Muslim in southern Nigeria.
>
> that this word had an Arabic origin until I read Baldi's article. It is> *18*. *Iwaasu.* It is the Yoruba term for "preaching" or "sermon." It is
> derived from the Arabic "al-wajh," which means "front" or "face."
>
> used by both Christians and Muslims in Yorubaland, and is derived from the> *19.* *Suuru.* It means "patience" not only in Yoruba but in many
> Arabic "waz," which means "admonition" or "sermon." (The Yoruba language
> has no "z" sound, so it substitutes "z" with "s" when it borrows words
> from
> other languages with "z" sounds).
>
> languages in central and northern Nigeria. It is derived from the Arabic> *20.* *Talaka.* It means the poor. It came to Yoruba by way of Hausa,
> "sabr," which also means "patience."
>
> which borrowed it from the Tuareg (where it is rendered as "taleqque" and> *21.* *Tobi*. This Yoruba word for "women's knickers" is derived from the
> where it means "a poor woman"). It's also used in Mandingo, Songhai
> languages, Kanuri, Teda, and many West African languages. Baldi says this
> word has no Arabic origins. On the surface, this may be true. After all,
> the Arabic word for a poor person is "fakir" (plural: "fuqura").
>
> However, "talaq," as most Muslims know, is the Arabic word for divorce.
> (The chapter of the Qur'an that deals with the subject of divorce is
> called
> Suratul Talaq). Talaq is derived from the verb "talaqa," which means to
> "disown," to "repudiate." In times past (and it's still the case today in
> many Muslim societies) if a woman was divorced, she was invariably thrown
> into poverty. Thus, Tuaregs used the term "taleqque" to denote a "poor
> woman." But Hausa, Kanuri, Yoruba, Mandingo, and other West African
> languages expanded the original Tuareg meaning of the word to include
> every
> poor person. This is my theory.
>
> Arabic "taub," which means "garment," "dress," "cloth." Another tonal> *22*. *Wahala.* Well, this isn't just a Yoruba word by way of Hausa; it's
> variation of this word leads to a different Yoruba word, which means
> "big."
>
> made its way into most Nigerian languages—and into West African Pidgin> www.farooqkperogi.com<http://www.farooqkperogi.blogspot.com>
> English. It means "trouble," and it's derived from the Arabic "wahla,"
> which means "fright," "terror."
>
> http://www.farooqkperogi.com/2012/05/arabic-origins-of-common-yoruba-words.html
>
> Personal website:
> Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/farooqkperogi
> Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/farooqkperogi
>
> "The nice thing about pessimism is that you are constantly being either
> proven right or pleasantly surprised." G. F. Will
>
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> Dialogue Series" moderated by Toyin Falola, University of Texas at Austin.
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In the case of purported religious loan words from Arabic, you need to also take into account that most of Islam does not condone the translation of its texts into other languages and that prayers are conducted in Arabic regardless of the language of the person praying. In that environment, the words in Arabic could easily displace fully functional words in the local language - in this case Yoruba.
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