The yoruba (local name: yorùbá ) is a tonal Langue pertaining to the family of the nigéro-Congolese Langues. According to the linguistic schools, it is classified, either in the Langues kwa, or in the bénoué-Congolese Langues.

The traditions of the various populations yoruba recall all their origins to the Nigerian city of Island-Ife. Their language is spoken by approximately twenty five million people, with the Nigeria, where it is one of the three national languages, but also in certain areas of the Bénin and the Togo. Yoruba is also spoken in the Antilles and in Latin America, in particular in Cuba, by the descendants of African slaves, practitioner amongst other things the religion Santeria (syncretism) and with the Brésil in particular in the worship of the Candomblé.

The language is subdivided in many dialects. There exists nevertheless also a standard language.

Writing and orthography

Alphabet

The yoruba is written by means of a Latin alphabet extended by diacritic (not or, better but less often available, bars vertical subscribed) as well as a Digramme. Each sign has the statute of independent Graphème. The alphabet yoruba is a subset of the Alphabet side-Nigerian:
  • capital: WITH B D E Ẹ (E̩) F G GB H I J K L MR. NR O Ọ (O̩) P R S Ṣ (S̩) T U W Y;
  • tiny: B D E ẹ (e̩) has F G GB H I J K L m N O ọ (o̩) p R S ṣ (s̩) T U W Y.

The letters are read almost as in the API. To however note the use of the bar subscribed (or the point) for the open vowels (being also accompanied, according to the traditional analysis, of a movement of Retraction of the root of the language) ẹ ( e̩ ) = ɛ̙ , ọ ( o̩ ) = ɔ̙ and for ʃ , noted ṣ ( s̩ ). Lastly, the digraph GB occlusive note labiovelar ɡ͡b (that one pronounces of only one movement and not as if it were about a sequence ɡ + B ).

Additional signs

One employs three diacritic additional to note the tons language: the Acute accent (high register), the Grave accent (low register) and the Macron (average register). This last is generally omitted (a not marked vowel must thus be read like carrying a macron). Of kind, one finds combinations like ẹ́ and ọ̀ .

Combinations of registers giving of let us tons modulated (to consult tonal Langue for these concepts) could be noted by a háček for the rising modulation (bas-haut) and a Tilde for others. In the current uses, the háček is sometimes replaced by a broken up writing: ǒ = òó . The tilde, as for him, is abandoned: õ = òó or ōò (even oò ), according to the cases.

Lastly, the nasal ones being able to be vocalized, they receive also the tonal marks: ḿ and m̀ , for example.

Characteristics

In addition to the yoruba is a tonal Langue with registers and melody combinations of registers, he knows also a mechanism of vocalic Harmonie. Its morphology is rich, making, for example, a broad use of the redoubling.

Examples

See too

Internal bonds

External bonds

  • yoruba on ethnologue.com
  • yoruba on gallery of the galleon
  • Apprenez the language from International Awo-Ifa
  • (a) Drunk proposes various resources of which a font face

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