Contracted sí

Contracted Destination Forms

Level 3

Compare sí ilé → sílé and sí inú → sínú.

How It Works

Sí introduces a destination or directed target. Established joined forms include sílé, corresponding to sí ilé, ‘to the house/home’, and sínú, corresponding to sí inú, ‘into’. Preserve their complete spellings and tones. In sínú àpò, the following noun identifies the container whose interior is targeted.

Compare lọ sílé, ‘go home’, with wà nílé, ‘be at home’. Likewise, sínú expresses a directed interior target, whereas nínú expresses location inside. Carrying and pouring predicates can take a target phrase with sínú. The contraction does not vary with the subject's person or number. Context determines whether ‘home’ or ‘the house’ best translates sílé. These pairings do not establish an unrestricted contraction rule for every vowel-initial noun.

Examples (3)

  1. Délé ń padà sílé.

    Délé is returning home.

    Sílé gives the destination.

  2. Ẹ gbé ìwé náà sínú àpò.

    Put the book into a bag.

    Sínú introduces the book's target location.

  3. Da omi sínú ìkòkò yìí.

    Pour water into this pot.

    The pot's interior is the target.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

Contracted síLevel 3Contracted Destination Forms

Learn This First

Sílé means to the house or home; sínú means into.