What does "it" mean in Yoruba?
English has three words for a single person or thing spoken about: "he", "she" and "it". Yoruba has one. The pronoun ó means "he", "she" or "it", and only the context tells you which. Ó dára can mean "It is good", "He is good" or "She is good". Yoruba marks neither gender nor the difference between a person and a thing.
That one pronoun takes several shapes, depending on where it stands in the sentence:
- ó: "it", the subject, always on a high tone: Ó dára, "It is good"; Ó ń dún, "It's ringing." - No pronoun at all before the negative kò: Kò burú, "It's not bad"; Kò sí níbí, "It isn't here." This is the one place where Yoruba leaves the subject out. - A copy of the verb's vowel: "it" as the object of a one-syllable verb. After rí "see" it is i: Mo rí i, "I saw it." After mú "take" it is u: Ó mú u, "He took it." After wò "look at" it is ó: Wò ó, "Look at it." The object "it" has no fixed form. It echoes the vowel of the verb before it. - rẹ̀: "its" after a noun, with a low tone: ohùn rẹ̀, "its sound". It is also "it" after a verb or preposition of two syllables: Mo fẹ́ràn rẹ̀, "I like it"; nínú rẹ̀, "in it." - òun: the full or emphatic form, used mainly of people: Òun ni, "It's him" or "It's her."
Three things differ from English:
1. One pronoun for three. Ó covers "he", "she" and "it". When you translate, you choose the English word from the context. When you speak Yoruba, you need not think about gender at all. 2. The object copies the verb. English always says "it": "see it", "take it", "buy it". Yoruba says rí i, mú u, rà á. Learn the rule once and every one-syllable verb gives you its own "it". 3. "It" disappears in the negative. Ó dára is "It is good", but "It is not good" is Kò dára, never Ó kò dára. In Lesson 9 the "you" pronoun o stayed before kò; the third person ó does not.
English also uses an empty "it" that refers to nothing: "it is raining", "it is late". Yoruba sometimes does the same (Ó gbóná, "It's hot") and sometimes names the thing instead: "It is raining" is Òjò ń rọ̀, "Rain is falling."
- ó = it, he, she (subject, high tone): Ó dára, Ó yá, Ó gbóná - Before kò the pronoun is dropped: Kò burú, Kò sí níbí - Object "it" after a one-syllable verb copies the verb's vowel: rí i, mú u, wò ó, rà á, pè é, jẹ ẹ́ - rẹ̀ = its, and "it" after two-syllable verbs and prepositions: ohùn rẹ̀, fẹ́ràn rẹ̀, nínú rẹ̀ - Watch the tone: o "you" / ó "it, he, she"; rẹ "your" / rẹ̀ "its, his, her"
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
As in Lessons 8 and 9, the IPA marks tone the way the spelling does: acute = high (á), grave = low (à), no mark = mid (a).
- ó /ó/ "it, he, she": the close o of French eau, on a high pitch. Contrast o /o/ "you", the same vowel on a mid pitch: Ó lọ "He went" / O lọ "You went" - The object copy: the vowel is the verb's vowel said again, as a separate syllable. rí i /ɾí i/ "see it" is two syllables, high then mid; do not run them into one long ee. wò ó /wò ó/ "look at it" is low then high, a small rising step - rẹ̀ /ɾɛ̀/ "its": a tapped r, then the e of "bed", on a low pitch. rẹ /ɾɛ/ "your" is the same syllable on a mid pitch - òun /òũ/: low then mid, the second vowel nasal; the n is not said as a consonant - kò /kò/: low tone; with the pronoun dropped, Kò burú /kò buɾú/ begins straight on the negative - gbóná /ɡ͡bóná/ "be hot": gb is one sound, lips and the back of the tongue closing together - ṣ /ʃ/ is the sh of "ship": ṣùgbọ́n /ʃùɡ͡bɔ̃́/ "but" - j /ɟ/ is close to the j of "jam", made further back: jù /ɟù/ "too much"
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
10.1a Ó it dára is-good
10.1b Ó /ó/ 3SG.SUBJ dára /dáɾa/ be.good
10.2a Ó it yá is-ready
10.2b Ó /ó/ 3SG.SUBJ yá /já/ be.ready/quick
10.3a Mo I rí saw i it
10.3b Mo /mo/ 1SG.SUBJ rí /ɾí/ see i /i/ 3SG.OBJ(copy of rí, mid after high verb)
10.4a Kò not burú is-bad
10.4b Kò /kò/ NEG(3SG.SUBJ dropped) burú /buɾú/ be.bad
10.5a Ó it gbóná is-hot
10.5b Ó /ó/ 3SG.SUBJ(empty it) gbóná /ɡ͡bóná/ be.hot
10.6a Ṣé is-it-that o you fẹ́ràn like rẹ̀ it
10.6b Ṣé /ʃé/ Q o /o/ 2SG.SUBJ fẹ́ràn /fɛ́ɾã̀/ like rẹ̀ /ɾɛ̀/ 3SG.OBJ(after two-syllable verb)
10.7a Ìwé book náà the dára is-good mo I ti have kà read á it
10.7b Ìwé /ìwé/ book náà /náà/ DEF dára /dáɾa/ be.good mo /mo/ 1SG.SUBJ ti /ti/ PERF kà /kà/ read á /á/ 3SG.OBJ(copy of kà, high after low verb)
10.8a Ọmọ child náà the rí saw ẹja fish kan one ó he sì and mú caught u it
10.8b Ọmọ /ɔmɔ/ child náà /náà/ DEF rí /ɾí/ see ẹja /ɛɟa/ fish kan /kã/ one/a ó /ó/ 3SG.SUBJ sì /sì/ and.then mú /mú/ take/catch u /u/ 3SG.OBJ(copy of mú, mid after high verb)
10.9a Ìwé book mi my dà where-is Kò not sí is níbí here
10.9b Ìwé /ìwé/ book mi /mi/ 1SG.POSS dà /dà/ where.is Kò /kò/ NEG(3SG.SUBJ dropped) sí /sí/ exist níbí /níbí/ at-here(ní+ibí)
10.10a Ọkọ̀ car náà the ti has dé arrived ó it wà is níwájú in-front-of ilé house
10.10b Ọkọ̀ /ɔkɔ̀/ vehicle náà /náà/ DEF ti /ti/ PERF dé /dé/ arrive ó /ó/ 3SG.SUBJ wà /wà/ be.located níwájú /níwáɟú/ at-front(ní+iwájú) ilé /ilé/ house
10.11a Aago watch yìí this dára is-good ṣùgbọ́n but ó it wọ́n is-expensive jù too-much
10.11b Aago /aaɡo/ clock/watch yìí /jìí/ this dára /dáɾa/ be.good ṣùgbọ́n /ʃùɡ͡bɔ̃́/ but ó /ó/ 3SG.SUBJ wọ́n /wɔ̃́/ be.expensive jù /ɟù/ exceed
10.12a Òjò rain ń is rọ̀ falling ó it tutù is-cold gan-an very lónìí today
10.12b Òjò /òɟò/ rain ń /ń/ PROG rọ̀ /ɾɔ̀/ fall(of rain) ó /ó/ 3SG.SUBJ(empty it) tutù /tutù/ be.cold gan-an /ɡãã/ very lónìí /lónìí/ at-today(ní+òní)
10.13a Ẹ you wo look-at ilé house yẹn that ó it ga is-tall ju surpass gbogbo all ilé house tó that-it kù remains lọ beyond
10.13b Ẹ /ɛ/ 2PL.HON wo /wo/ look.at(mid before noun object) ilé /ilé/ house yẹn /jɛ̃/ that ó /ó/ 3SG.SUBJ ga /ɡa/ be.tall ju /ɟu/ surpass gbogbo /ɡ͡boɡ͡bo/ all ilé /ilé/ house tó /tó/ REL-3SG(tí+ó) kù /kù/ remain lọ /lɔ/ go(beyond)
10.14a Bí if o you bá should rí find fóònù phone mi my jọ̀ọ́ please gbé carry e it wá come fún for mi me
10.14b Bí /bí/ if o /o/ 2SG.SUBJ bá /bá/ COND rí /ɾí/ see/find fóònù /fóònù/ phone mi /mi/ 1SG.POSS jọ̀ọ́ /ɟɔ̀ɔ́/ please gbé /ɡ͡bé/ carry e /e/ 3SG.OBJ(copy of gbé, mid after high verb) wá /wá/ come fún /fṹ/ for/to mi /mi/ 1SG.OBJ
10.15a Ilẹ̀ land ṣú grew-dark ilẹ̀ land sì and tún again mọ́ grew-bright ó it di became ọjọ́ day kinni first
10.15b Ilẹ̀ /ilɛ̀/ land/earth ṣú /ʃú/ become.dark ilẹ̀ /ilɛ̀/ land/earth sì /sì/ and.then tún /tṹ/ again mọ́ /mɔ́/ become.bright ó /ó/ 3SG.SUBJ(empty it) di /di/ become ọjọ́ /ɔɟɔ́/ day kinni /kìĩ́ní/ first
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
10.1 Ó dára. → "It's good." (also "He is good", "She is good", or simply "Fine", "OK")
10.2 Ó yá! → "It's time!" / "Come on, let's go!"
10.3 Mo rí i. → "I saw it." (or "I saw him / her")
10.4 Kò burú. → "It's not bad."
10.5 Ó gbóná. → "It's hot."
10.6 Ṣé o fẹ́ràn rẹ̀? → "Do you like it?"
10.7 Ìwé náà dára; mo ti kà á. → "The book is good; I've read it."
10.8 Ọmọ náà rí ẹja kan, ó sì mú u. → "The child saw a fish and caught it."
10.9 Ìwé mi dà? Kò sí níbí. → "Where is my book? It isn't here."
10.10 Ọkọ̀ náà ti dé; ó wà níwájú ilé. → "The car has arrived; it's in front of the house."
10.11 Aago yìí dára, ṣùgbọ́n ó wọ́n jù. → "This watch is nice, but it's too expensive."
10.12 Òjò ń rọ̀; ó tutù gan-an lónìí. → "It's raining; it's very cold today."
10.13 Ẹ wo ilé yẹn: ó ga ju gbogbo ilé tó kù lọ. → "Look at that building: it's taller than all the others."
10.14 Bí o bá rí fóònù mi, jọ̀ọ́ gbé e wá fún mi. → "If you find my phone, please bring it to me."
10.15 Ilẹ̀ ṣú, ilẹ̀ sì tún mọ́, ó di ọjọ́ kinni. → "Evening came, and morning came again: it was the first day." (Jẹnẹsisi 1:5, Yoruba Bible, YCE; literally "The land grew dark, the land grew bright again, it became day one")
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
10.1 Ó dára.
10.2 Ó yá!
10.3 Mo rí i.
10.4 Kò burú.
10.5 Ó gbóná.
10.6 Ṣé o fẹ́ràn rẹ̀?
10.7 Ìwé náà dára; mo ti kà á.
10.8 Ọmọ náà rí ẹja kan, ó sì mú u.
10.9 Ìwé mi dà? Kò sí níbí.
10.10 Ọkọ̀ náà ti dé; ó wà níwájú ilé.
10.11 Aago yìí dára, ṣùgbọ́n ó wọ́n jù.
10.12 Òjò ń rọ̀; ó tutù gan-an lónìí.
10.13 Ẹ wo ilé yẹn: ó ga ju gbogbo ilé tó kù lọ.
10.14 Bí o bá rí fóònù mi, jọ̀ọ́ gbé e wá fún mi.
10.15 Ilẹ̀ ṣú, ilẹ̀ sì tún mọ́, ó di ọjọ́ kinni.
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
These are the grammar rules for ó in Yoruba:
1. The forms of the third person singular.
- ó: subject, "it, he, she": Ó dára (10.1), ó wà níwájú ilé (10.10), ó wọ́n jù (10.11) - (nothing): subject before the negative kò: Kò burú (10.4), Kò sí níbí (10.9) - vowel copy: object after a one-syllable verb: rí i (10.3), kà á (10.7), mú u (10.8), gbé e (10.14) - rẹ̀: "its, his, her" after a noun: ohùn rẹ̀ (10.23); and "it" after a two-syllable verb or preposition: fẹ́ràn rẹ̀ (10.6), gbàgbé rẹ̀ (10.29), nínú rẹ̀ (10.24) - òun: emphatic and independent, mainly of people: Òun ni, "It's him / her"
2. Ó with the tense and aspect markers. The marker stands between ó and the verb, as with mo and o:
- Ó lọ: it / he / she went - Ó ń dún: it is ringing (10.21) - Ó ti dé: it has arrived - Ó máa dé: it will arrive (everyday future); in writing also Yóò dé, where yóò joins the pronoun and the future marker in one word
3. The negative drops the pronoun. Before kò (and its spoken form ò) the subject ó is left out. The negative alone tells you the subject is "it, he, she":
- Ó dára → Kò dára: it is good → it is not good - Ó wà níbí → Kò sí níbí: it is here → it isn't here (10.9; the negative of wà "be located" is kò sí) - Ó bàjẹ́ → Kò bàjẹ́: it is broken → it isn't broken (10.26) - Compare Lesson 8 (mo → mi ò / n kò) and Lesson 9 (o kò). Each person behaves differently before the negative; the third person is the only one that disappears.
4. The object: the vowel copy. After a one-syllable verb, "it" (and "him", "her") is the verb's own vowel said again. Its tone follows the rule you learned for mi in Lesson 8 and ọ in Lesson 9:
- after a high-tone verb the copy is mid: rí i "see it" (10.3), mú u "take it" (10.8), gbé e "carry it" (10.14), gbọ́ ọ "hear it" (10.20) - after a mid-tone verb the copy is high: jẹ ẹ́ "eat it", fi í "put it" (10.17) - after a low-tone verb the copy is high: kà á "read it" (10.7), wò ó "look at it" (10.25), pè é "call it" (10.20), rà á "buy it" (10.28), yà á "separate it" (Section F)
5. Low-tone verbs before a noun. A low-tone verb keeps its low tone before the object pronoun, but before a noun object it is said on a mid tone. The Yoruba Bible shows both in the same chapter: Ọlọrun wò ó, "God looked at it" (Genesis 1:4), and Ọlọrun wo gbogbo ohun, "God looked at everything" (Genesis 1:31). So: Ẹ wo ilé yẹn (10.13) but Wò ó (10.25).
6. Rẹ̀ after two syllables. After a verb or preposition of two syllables, "it" is rẹ̀, the same word as the possessive: Mo fẹ́ràn rẹ̀, "I like it" (10.6); gbàgbé rẹ̀, "forget it" (10.29); nínú rẹ̀, "inside it" (10.24).
7. "It" that refers to nothing. English needs a subject for weather and time. Yoruba uses ó for states that have no other subject (Ó gbóná, "It's hot"; Ó tutù, "It's cold"; Ó yá, "It's time"), but where there is a natural subject it names it: Òjò ń rọ̀, "Rain is falling", "It's raining" (10.12). Nightfall and daybreak belong to the land: Ilẹ̀ ṣú, "It got dark", and Ilẹ̀ mọ́, "It got light", literally "the land grew dark / bright" (10.15). In the same verse ó di ọjọ́ kinni, "it became the first day", shows ó standing for the whole situation, just as English "it" does.
8. Tí ó → tó. After the relative tí "that, which", ó is usually joined to it in speech and often in writing: tí ó kù → tó kù, "that remains" (10.13). The Bible keeps the full form: omi tí ó wọ́jọ pọ̀ (Section F).
- Writing ó before kò. Ó kò dára is wrong. Drop the pronoun: Kò dára. - Forgetting the tone on ó. Without its high tone, Ó lọ "He went" becomes O lọ "You went". Always write the acute. - Using ó as the object after every verb. The object is a copy of the verb's vowel. Mo rí ó is wrong; say Mo rí i. Ó is the object only after a verb in o or ò: wò ó, lò ó "use it". - The wrong tone on the copy. After a high verb the copy is mid (rí i, not rí í); after a mid or low verb it is high (pè é, jẹ ẹ́). - Confusing rẹ̀ and rẹ. Ohùn rẹ̀ is "its sound"; ohùn rẹ is "your voice". Check the grave accent. - Looking for a word for "it" in the weather. "It's raining" is Òjò ń rọ̀. Do not add ó in front. - Expecting a gender. Ó does not tell you whether the speaker means a man, a woman or a thing. In English, choose "he", "she" or "it" from the context.
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
A language without gender. Yoruba pronouns make no difference between male and female, or between a person and a thing. A story can run for paragraphs with only ó for its main character; Yoruba speakers follow it from the context and from names. For English learners this is a relief. Going the other way, a Yoruba speaker learning English has to start choosing between "he", "she" and "it", which Yoruba never requires.
Short answers built on ó. Many everyday replies are a single ó and a verb: Ó dáa or Ó dára, "OK, fine"; Ó yá, "Ready? Let's go!" (said to hurry someone along); Ó tó, "That's enough." The negative replies drop the pronoun: Kò burú, "Not bad"; Kò sí, "There's none", "It isn't there"; Kò sí wàhálà, "No problem."
Weather. Nigeria's south-west has a rainy season and a dry season, and talk about the weather is everyday small talk. Note how the language says it: Òjò ń rọ̀, "Rain is falling" (10.12). The rain itself is the subject. Ó gbóná "It's hot" and Ó tutù "It's cold" describe the day or a thing.
Phones and objects. Modern Yoruba borrows words like fóònù "phone" from English and fits them to its own sounds and tones. A borrowed noun behaves like any Yoruba noun: fóònù mi, "my phone"; pè é, "call it" (10.20).
Speech and writing. In speech tí ó becomes tó, kò often becomes ò, and the future ó máa may become á. Written Yoruba and the Bible keep the full forms more often. Learn the full forms first; you will recognise the short ones.
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
From the opening chapter of the Yoruba Bible (YCE, Bible Society of Nigeria, 2010), Genesis 1:2, 4 and 10. The creation story is full of "it": the earth, the light and the waters are spoken of with ó, and in two places the same short sentence shows ó as subject meaning "He" (God) and ó as object meaning "it". The passage also shows the vowel copy working with three different verbs: wò ó, rí i, yà á.
The text is quoted exactly as this edition prints it. It writes Ọlọrun without the tone mark that modern standard spelling gives as Ọlọ́run; the IPA gives the modern pronunciation.
F.1a ayé earth rí was júujùu formless ó it sì and ṣófo was-empty
F.1b ayé /ajé/ world/earth rí /ɾí/ appear/be júujùu /ɟúuɟùu/ formless.IDEO ó /ó/ 3SG.SUBJ sì /sì/ and.then ṣófo /ʃófo/ be.empty
F.2a Ọlọrun God wò looked-at ó it ó he rí saw i it pé that ìmọ́lẹ̀ light náà the dára was-good
F.2b Ọlọrun /ɔlɔ́ɾũ/ God wò /wò/ look.at ó /ó/ 3SG.OBJ(copy of wò, high after low verb) ó /ó/ 3SG.SUBJ rí /ɾí/ see i /i/ 3SG.OBJ(copy of rí; anticipates the pé clause) pé /k͡pé/ that ìmọ́lẹ̀ /ìmɔ́lɛ̀/ light náà /náà/ DEF dára /dáɾa/ be.good
F.3a ó he sì and yà separated á it kúrò away lára from òkùnkùn darkness
F.3b ó /ó/ 3SG.SUBJ sì /sì/ and.then yà /jà/ separate á /á/ 3SG.OBJ(copy of yà, high after low verb) kúrò /kúɾò/ leave/away lára /láɾa/ at-body(ní+ara) òkùnkùn /òkũ̀kũ̀/ darkness
F.4a Ó he sọ called ìyàngbẹ dry ilẹ̀ land náà the ní as ilẹ̀ land
F.4b Ó /ó/ 3SG.SUBJ sọ /sɔ/ name/call ìyàngbẹ /ìjã̀ɡ͡bɛ/ dry ilẹ̀ /ilɛ̀/ land náà /náà/ DEF ní /ní/ as ilẹ̀ /ilɛ̀/ land
F.5a ó he sì and sọ called omi water tí that ó it wọ́jọ gathered pọ̀ together ní as òkun sea
F.5b ó /ó/ 3SG.SUBJ sì /sì/ and.then sọ /sɔ/ name/call omi /omi/ water tí /tí/ REL ó /ó/ 3SG.SUBJ(resumptive) wọ́jọ /wɔ́ɟɔ/ gather pọ̀ /k͡pɔ̀/ together ní /ní/ as òkun /òkũ/ sea
F.6a Ó he wò looked-at ó it ó he sì and rí saw i it pé that ó it dára was-good
F.6b Ó /ó/ 3SG.SUBJ wò /wò/ look.at ó /ó/ 3SG.OBJ(copy of wò) ó /ó/ 3SG.SUBJ sì /sì/ and.then rí /ɾí/ see i /i/ 3SG.OBJ(copy of rí) pé /k͡pé/ that ó /ó/ 3SG.SUBJ dára /dáɾa/ be.good
(…) ayé rí júujùu, ó sì ṣófo. (…) Ọlọrun wò ó, ó rí i pé ìmọ́lẹ̀ náà dára, ó sì yà á kúrò lára òkùnkùn. (…) Ó sọ ìyàngbẹ ilẹ̀ náà ní ilẹ̀, ó sì sọ omi tí ó wọ́jọ pọ̀ ní òkun. Ó wò ó, ó sì rí i pé ó dára.
→ "(…) the earth was formless, and it was empty. (…) God looked at it, and saw that the light was good, and he separated it from the darkness. (…) He called the dry land 'land', and he called the water that had gathered together 'sea'. He looked at it, and saw that it was good."
— Jẹnẹsisi 1:2, 4, 10, Yoruba Bible (YCE), Bible Society of Nigeria
(…) ayé rí júujùu, ó sì ṣófo. (…) Ọlọrun wò ó, ó rí i pé ìmọ́lẹ̀ náà dára, ó sì yà á kúrò lára òkùnkùn. (…) Ó sọ ìyàngbẹ ilẹ̀ náà ní ilẹ̀, ó sì sọ omi tí ó wọ́jọ pọ̀ ní òkun. Ó wò ó, ó sì rí i pé ó dára.
- ayé rí júujùu, ó sì ṣófo, "the earth was formless, and it was empty": the noun ayé is the subject of the first clause; in the second the pronoun ó takes its place. Here ó can only mean "it". Júujùu is an ideophone, one of the many Yoruba words that paint a state or a sound; it pictures shapeless confusion. - Ọlọrun wò ó, "God looked at it": the low-tone wò is followed by the high copy ó. Compare Ọlọrun wo gbogbo ohun in verse 31, where the same verb is mid before a noun (Section D §5). - ó rí i pé…, "he saw that…": Yoruba says, literally, "he saw it that…". The copy i points forward to the clause after pé. This rí i pé is a fixed pattern you will meet again and again: Mo rí i pé ó dára, "I see that it's good." - ó sì yà á, "and he separated it": a third verb, a third copy. Yà has a low tone, so á is high. In one verse the object "it" has been ó, i and á, three different-looking words for the same pronoun. - omi tí ó wọ́jọ pọ̀, "the water that gathered together": after the relative tí, the subject is repeated as ó. In speech this is omi tó wọ́jọ pọ̀ (Section D §8). - Ó wò ó, ó sì rí i pé ó dára, "He looked at it, and saw that it was good": ó four times in one short sentence, twice "He" (God), once "it" as object, once "it" as subject. Only the position tells you which is which: the ó before the verb is the subject, the ó after wò is the copy-object. Reading it aloud, you hear the pattern ó — wò ó — ó — rí i — ó. - Literary effect: the refrain "and God saw that it was good" runs through the chapter, and in Yoruba it is carried almost entirely by small syllables. Because ó serves for God and for creation alike, the sentence has an even, chant-like sound in which maker and made are named with the same word.
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
Bímbọ́'s house in Ìbàdàn, the evening after she met Túndé and his father in the street (Lesson 9). Túndé has come round with a schoolbook; Bímbọ́ is searching the sitting room.
10.16a Bímbọ́: Túndé Tunde ṣé is-it-that o you rí saw fóònù phone mi my Mi I ò not rí see i it
10.16b Túndé /túndé/ Tunde ṣé /ʃé/ Q o /o/ 2SG.SUBJ rí /ɾí/ see fóònù /fóònù/ phone mi /mi/ 1SG.POSS Mi /mi/ 1SG.SUBJ.NEG ò /ò/ NEG rí /ɾí/ see i /i/ 3SG.OBJ(copy of rí)
10.17a Túndé: Rárá no mi I ò not rí saw i it Níbo where ni is-it o you fi put í it sí at
10.17b Rárá /ɾáɾá/ no mi /mi/ 1SG.SUBJ.NEG ò /ò/ NEG rí /ɾí/ see i /i/ 3SG.OBJ Níbo /níbo/ at-where(ní+ibo) ni /ni/ FOC o /o/ 2SG.SUBJ fi /fi/ put í /í/ 3SG.OBJ(copy of fi, high after mid verb) sí /sí/ at/to
10.18a Bímbọ́: Mo I gbé put e it sórí on-top-of tábìlì table ṣùgbọ́n but kò not sí is níbẹ̀ there mọ́ anymore
10.18b Mo /mo/ 1SG.SUBJ gbé /ɡ͡bé/ carry/place e /e/ 3SG.OBJ(copy of gbé) sórí /sóɾí/ to-top(sí+orí) tábìlì /tábìlì/ table ṣùgbọ́n /ʃùɡ͡bɔ̃́/ but kò /kò/ NEG(3SG.SUBJ dropped) sí /sí/ exist níbẹ̀ /níbɛ̀/ at-there(ní+ibẹ̀) mọ́ /mɔ́/ anymore
10.19a Túndé: Ó it yá is-ready jẹ́ let ká us wá seek a it
10.19b Ó /ó/ 3SG.SUBJ yá /já/ be.ready jẹ́ /ɟɛ́/ let ká /ká/ that-we(kí+a) wá /wá/ seek a /a/ 3SG.OBJ(copy of wá, mid after high verb)
10.20a Bímbọ́: Ṣé is-it-that o you lè can pè call é it Bóyá maybe a we máa will gbọ́ hear ọ it
10.20b Ṣé /ʃé/ Q o /o/ 2SG.SUBJ lè /lè/ can pè /k͡pè/ call é /é/ 3SG.OBJ(copy of pè, high after low verb) Bóyá /bójá/ maybe a /a/ 1PL.SUBJ máa /máa/ FUT gbọ́ /ɡ͡bɔ́/ hear ọ /ɔ/ 3SG.OBJ(copy of gbọ́, mid after high verb)
10.21a Túndé: Mo I ti have pè called é it Ó it ń is dún ringing
10.21b Mo /mo/ 1SG.SUBJ ti /ti/ PERF pè /k͡pè/ call é /é/ 3SG.OBJ Ó /ó/ 3SG.SUBJ ń /ń/ PROG dún /dṹ/ sound/ring
10.22a Bímbọ́: Mo I gbọ́ hear ọ it ṣùgbọ́n but níbo where ni is-it ó it wà is
10.22b Mo /mo/ 1SG.SUBJ gbọ́ /ɡ͡bɔ́/ hear ọ /ɔ/ 3SG.OBJ(copy of gbọ́) ṣùgbọ́n /ʃùɡ͡bɔ̃́/ but níbo /níbo/ at-where ni /ni/ FOC ó /ó/ 3SG.SUBJ wà /wà/ be.located
10.23a Túndé: Ohùn sound rẹ̀ its ń is wá coming láti from inú inside àpò bag yẹn that
10.23b Ohùn /ohũ̀/ voice/sound rẹ̀ /ɾɛ̀/ 3SG.POSS ń /ń/ PROG wá /wá/ come láti /láti/ from inú /inú/ inside àpò /àk͡pò/ bag yẹn /jɛ̃/ that
10.24a Bímbọ́: Àpò bag ilé-ìwé school mi my ni it-is Ó it wà is nínú inside rẹ̀ it
10.24b Àpò /àk͡pò/ bag ilé-ìwé /ilé ìwé/ house-book mi /mi/ 1SG.POSS ni /ni/ FOC.be Ó /ó/ 3SG.SUBJ wà /wà/ be.located nínú /nínú/ at-inside(ní+inú) rẹ̀ /ɾɛ̀/ 3SG.OBJ(after two-syllable preposition)
10.25a Túndé: Ṣé is-it-that ó it ṣì still ń is ṣiṣẹ́ working Wò look-at ó it dáadáa well
10.25b Ṣé /ʃé/ Q ó /ó/ 3SG.SUBJ ṣì /ʃì/ still ń /ń/ PROG ṣiṣẹ́ /ʃiʃɛ́/ work Wò /wò/ look.at ó /ó/ 3SG.OBJ(copy of wò, high after low verb) dáadáa /dáadáa/ well
10.26a Bímbọ́: Ó it ń is ṣiṣẹ́ working dáadáa well Kò not bàjẹ́ is-broken
10.26b Ó /ó/ 3SG.SUBJ ń /ń/ PROG ṣiṣẹ́ /ʃiʃɛ́/ work dáadáa /dáadáa/ well Kò /kò/ NEG(3SG.SUBJ dropped) bàjẹ́ /bàɟɛ́/ be.spoiled/broken
10.27a Túndé: Ó it dáa is-good Fóònù phone yìí this tuntun new ni it-is àbí or
10.27b Ó /ó/ 3SG.SUBJ dáa /dáa/ be.good Fóònù /fóònù/ phone yìí /jìí/ this tuntun /tũtũ/ new ni /ni/ FOC.be àbí /àbí/ or/isn't.it
10.28a Bímbọ́: Bẹ́ẹ̀ so ni it-is Bàbá father mi my rà bought á it fún for mi me lóṣù in-month tó that-it kọjá passed
10.28b Bẹ́ẹ̀ /bɛ́ɛ̀/ so ni /ni/ FOC.be Bàbá /bàbá/ father mi /mi/ 1SG.POSS rà /ɾà/ buy á /á/ 3SG.OBJ(copy of rà, high after low verb) fún /fṹ/ for mi /mi/ 1SG.OBJ lóṣù /lóʃù/ at-month(ní+oṣù) tó /tó/ REL-3SG(tí+ó) kọjá /kɔɟá/ pass
10.29a Túndé: Ó it lẹ́wà is-beautiful gan-an very Má don't ṣe do gbàgbé forget rẹ̀ it mọ́ again o indeed
10.29b Ó /ó/ 3SG.SUBJ lẹ́wà /lɛ́wà/ have-beauty(ní+ẹwà) gan-an /ɡãã/ very Má /má/ NEG.IMP ṣe /ʃe/ do gbàgbé /ɡ͡bàɡ͡bé/ forget rẹ̀ /ɾɛ̀/ 3SG.OBJ(after two-syllable verb) mọ́ /mɔ́/ anymore o /o/ EMPH
10.30a Bímbọ́: Mi I ò not ní will gbàgbé forget rẹ̀ it mọ́ again O you ṣé thank Túndé Tunde
10.30b Mi /mi/ 1SG.SUBJ.NEG ò /ò/ NEG ní /ní/ FUT.NEG gbàgbé /ɡ͡bàɡ͡bé/ forget rẹ̀ /ɾɛ̀/ 3SG.OBJ mọ́ /mɔ́/ anymore O /o/ 2SG.SUBJ ṣé /ʃé/ thank Túndé /túndé/ Tunde
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
10.16 Bímbọ́: Túndé, ṣé o rí fóònù mi? Mi ò rí i. → "Tunde, have you seen my phone? I can't find it."
10.17 Túndé: Rárá, mi ò rí i. Níbo ni o fi í sí? → "No, I haven't seen it. Where did you put it?"
10.18 Bímbọ́: Mo gbé e sórí tábìlì, ṣùgbọ́n kò sí níbẹ̀ mọ́. → "I put it on the table, but it isn't there any more."
10.19 Túndé: Ó yá, jẹ́ ká wá a. → "Right, let's look for it."
10.20 Bímbọ́: Ṣé o lè pè é? Bóyá a máa gbọ́ ọ. → "Can you call it? Maybe we'll hear it."
10.21 Túndé: Mo ti pè é. Ó ń dún! → "I've called it. It's ringing!"
10.22 Bímbọ́: Mo gbọ́ ọ, ṣùgbọ́n níbo ni ó wà? → "I can hear it, but where is it?"
10.23 Túndé: Ohùn rẹ̀ ń wá láti inú àpò yẹn. → "The sound is coming from inside that bag."
10.24 Bímbọ́: Àpò ilé-ìwé mi ni! Ó wà nínú rẹ̀! → "It's my school bag! It's in there!"
10.25 Túndé: Ṣé ó ṣì ń ṣiṣẹ́? Wò ó dáadáa. → "Does it still work? Have a good look at it."
10.26 Bímbọ́: Ó ń ṣiṣẹ́ dáadáa. Kò bàjẹ́. → "It works fine. It isn't broken."
10.27 Túndé: Ó dáa. Fóònù yìí tuntun ni, àbí? → "Good. This phone is new, isn't it?"
10.28 Bímbọ́: Bẹ́ẹ̀ ni. Bàbá mi rà á fún mi lóṣù tó kọjá. → "Yes. My father bought it for me last month."
10.29 Túndé: Ó lẹ́wà gan-an. Má ṣe gbàgbé rẹ̀ mọ́ o! → "It's really nice. Don't forget it again, mind!"
10.30 Bímbọ́: Mi ò ní gbàgbé rẹ̀ mọ́. O ṣé, Túndé! → "I won't forget it again. Thanks, Tunde!"
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
10.16 Bímbọ́: Túndé, ṣé o rí fóònù mi? Mi ò rí i.
10.17 Túndé: Rárá, mi ò rí i. Níbo ni o fi í sí?
10.18 Bímbọ́: Mo gbé e sórí tábìlì, ṣùgbọ́n kò sí níbẹ̀ mọ́.
10.19 Túndé: Ó yá, jẹ́ ká wá a.
10.20 Bímbọ́: Ṣé o lè pè é? Bóyá a máa gbọ́ ọ.
10.21 Túndé: Mo ti pè é. Ó ń dún!
10.22 Bímbọ́: Mo gbọ́ ọ, ṣùgbọ́n níbo ni ó wà?
10.23 Túndé: Ohùn rẹ̀ ń wá láti inú àpò yẹn.
10.24 Bímbọ́: Àpò ilé-ìwé mi ni! Ó wà nínú rẹ̀!
10.25 Túndé: Ṣé ó ṣì ń ṣiṣẹ́? Wò ó dáadáa.
10.26 Bímbọ́: Ó ń ṣiṣẹ́ dáadáa. Kò bàjẹ́.
10.27 Túndé: Ó dáa. Fóònù yìí tuntun ni, àbí?
10.28 Bímbọ́: Bẹ́ẹ̀ ni. Bàbá mi rà á fún mi lóṣù tó kọjá.
10.29 Túndé: Ó lẹ́wà gan-an. Má ṣe gbàgbé rẹ̀ mọ́ o!
10.30 Bímbọ́: Mi ò ní gbàgbé rẹ̀ mọ́. O ṣé, Túndé!
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
The dialogue is about one lost object, so "it" appears in almost every line, in every one of its forms.
- ó as subject. Ó ń dún (10.21), níbo ni ó wà? (10.22), Ó wà nínú rẹ̀ (10.24), Ó ń ṣiṣẹ́ (10.26), Ó lẹ́wà (10.29). In 10.19 and 10.27 Ó yá and Ó dáa are the everyday "right then" and "good". - No pronoun before kò. kò sí níbẹ̀ mọ́ (10.18) and Kò bàjẹ́ (10.26): "it" is understood, never spoken. - The vowel copy, seven verbs. rí i (10.16), fi í (10.17), gbé e (10.18), wá a (10.19), pè é and gbọ́ ọ (10.20), wò ó (10.25), rà á (10.28). Check each tone against Section D §4: mid after the high verbs rí, gbé, wá, gbọ́; high after the mid fi and the low pè, wò, rà. - Rẹ̀ in three uses. "its" in ohùn rẹ̀ (10.23); "it" after the two-syllable preposition nínú (10.24); "it" after the two-syllable verb gbàgbé (10.29, 10.30). - Ó and o side by side. In 10.25 Ṣé ó ṣì ń ṣiṣẹ́? asks about the phone (high ó); in 10.16 Ṣé o rí…? asks Túndé (mid o). In 10.30 Bímbọ́ thanks him with O ṣé, the friend's "you" of Lesson 9. - The Lesson 9 thread. Túndé promised in 9.30 to call Bímbọ́ that night. Here his call is what finds the phone.
Vocabulary:
- fóònù: phone (from English) - níbo: where? (ní + ibo); Níbo ni ó wà? "Where is it?" - fi … sí: put … in/on; Níbo ni o fi í sí? "Where did you put it?" - sórí: onto (sí + orí "head, top") - tábìlì: table - níbẹ̀: there - mọ́: (not) any more, (not) again - jẹ́ ká: let's (jẹ́ kí a) - wá: look for, seek (also "come") - bóyá: maybe - dún: sound, ring - ohùn: voice, sound - àpò: bag - ṣì: still - ṣiṣẹ́: work, function - bàjẹ́: be spoiled, broken - tuntun: new - àbí: or; at the end of a sentence "isn't it?" - lóṣù tó kọjá: last month ("in the month that passed") - lẹ́wà: be beautiful (ní + ẹwà "beauty") - gbàgbé: forget - Má ṣe…: Don't…
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
- ó, o, ọ, ọ́: four different words, as in Lesson 9. ó /ó/ "it, he, she"; o /o/ "you"; ọ /ɔ/ and ọ́ /ɔ́/ "you" (object). Now add ó as an object copy: in wò ó the second ó is "it", spelled exactly like the subject. - The copy is written as a separate word: rí i, mú u, pè é, never ríi or pèé. Each copy carries its own tone mark when it is high (kà á, jẹ ẹ́) and none when it is mid (rí i, gbé e). - The copy keeps the underdot of the verb: jẹ ẹ́, gbọ́ ọ. The vowel is the same vowel, open or close. - rẹ̀ always carries the grave. Without it the word becomes rẹ "your". - òun is written with a final n that only marks the nasal vowel: /òũ/. - Kò at the start of a sentence is a whole statement: Kò burú. Do not add a pronoun to "complete" it. - tó for tí ó is the usual written contraction; the Bible keeps the full tí ó. - kinni "first" in 10.15 is the Bible's spelling; modern standard spelling writes kìn-ín-ní (ọjọ́ kìn-ín-ní, "the first day"). The pronunciation is the same.
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
---
Course Index: [latinum.substack.com/p/index](https://latinum.substack.com/p/index)