Yoruba is widely spoken in Nigeria, Benin and Togo, and is one of the most influential African languages. Known for its rich oral tradition and complex tonal system, Yoruba is culturally vibrant and historically significant.
Yoruba
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Classification
Niger-Congo > Benue-Congo
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Speakers
41.9 million
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Script
Roman
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Text direction
Left-to-right
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Official language
Nigeria
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Also spoken
Benin, Togo
Yoruba
Yoruba is plucentric language, meaning that there are several standard versions of the language just like French or Chinese. It is spoken by circa 30 million people around the West-African countries of Nigeria and Benin.
Yoruba naming conventions for children are fascinating. A personal name is selected as a first name, which is chosen according to the circumstances around the birth of the child. Common personal names include: Taiwo (first born twin), Aina (a girl born with the umbilical cord round her neck), Ayoade (the joy of the crown), Tokunbo (riches from a different country), Fowoke (pampered with money) and so on.
Yoruba is a tonal language (like Chinese) and has three tones: high, middle and low. Changing the tone used for a syllable can change the meaning of the word.
At Geo Language Services, we provide Yoruba translations that are both precise and culturally nuanced, making sure your content speaks authentically to Yoruba speakers.
Services offered for this language
Translation / Transcreation / Subtitling / Localization / Adaptation / Copywriting / Authoring / Proofreading / Revision / Editing / Translation quality assurance / Terminology / Linguistic validation / Glossary creation / Dubbing / Voice-overs / Transcription / Typesetting / Simultaneous interpreting / Consecutive interpreting / Conference interpreting / Telephone interpreting / Public service interpreting / Interpreting equipment hire / Foreign language consulting
Interesting fact
Yoruba has a rather complex calendar featuring a 4 day week. A 7 day calendar was invented to align with the Gregorian calendar, whose days from Sunday to Saturday translate as, respectively: Day of not dying, Day of profit, Day of victory, Day of confusion, Day of recent creation, Day of failure, Day of three suggestions. Day of failure (Ojo-Eti/Friday) is so unpopular with Yoruba speakers that many use the Arabic -influenced "Jimoh" (form Arabic: al-jum'ah) for Friday instead. Arabic loanwords are common in Yoruba.
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