Yoruba

[ yawr-uh-buh, yohr- ]

noun

, plural Yo·ru·bas, (especially collectively) Yo·ru·ba

1. a member of a numerous West African coastal people.
2. the language of the Yoruba, a Kwa language.

Yoruba

/ ˈjɒrʊbə /

noun

1. -bas-ba a member of a Negroid people of W Africa, living chiefly in the coastal regions of SW Nigeria: noted for their former city states and complex material culture, particularly as evidenced in their music, art, and sculpture
2. the language of this people, belonging to the Kwa branch of the Niger-Congo family

Derived Forms

• ˈYoruban, adjective

Other Words From

• Yoru·ban adjective

Example Sentences

Long and staff-like, a “diviner’s tool” used in Yoruba culture to advise individuals on what paths to take in the future, marks the beginning of the exhibition.

From Washington Post

Four years later, she launched Oríkì, a natural skincare luxury brand named after a Yoruba word that means “your crown, heritage and inspiration.”

From Ozy

Meaning “House of Lines” in her native Yoruba language, Oshinowo designs distinct and minimalist chairs and table sets.

From Ozy

The 28-year-old is a New Yorker born in London to Nigerian parents, and his rich, stunning paintings speak to his Yoruba heritage, with stylized figures and an appreciation for the natural world.

From Ozy

This is why Americans speak English even though more of us are ethnically German or Yoruba.

From The Daily Beast

And Marta Moreno Vega, an Afro-Caribbean expert on Yoruba philosophy, seems to dare you to sum up her ethnicity.

From The Daily Beast

Hence, blue, red, and yellow may be designated as the colors of Yoruba or Central Africa.

From Project Gutenberg

The domestic trade among the natives in the interior of our part of Africa—Yoruba—is very great.

From Project Gutenberg

Labour might be brought from Yorubaland close by, and a Yoruba colony has been experimentally started.

From Project Gutenberg

Ibadan is the capital of one of the Yoruba states and enjoys a large measure of autonomy.

From Project Gutenberg

It was carried at the point of the bayonet by the Yoruba troops, who proved themselves fully equal to the Hausa.

From Project Gutenberg