Reading Yoruba Words
Keep ẹ, ọ, ṣ, gb and tone accents when reading and writing.
How It Works
The seven oral vowel letters are a, e, ẹ, i, o, ọ, u. The consonant inventory includes ṣ and the digraph gb, which represents one consonant. High tone takes an acute accent and low tone a grave accent; mid tone normally remains unmarked in fully marked writing.
A following n can indicate vowel nasalization. A syllabic nasal instead supplies a syllable of its own and can bear tone. The separate aspect marker ń precedes a verb. These different functions must be read in context.
Compare aṣọ, “clothing,” and ọmọ, “child”: their dots identify letters, rather than grammatical endings. This course uses Standard Nigerian Yoruba. The reference separately labels dialect words beginning with u; those dialect forms should retain their variety labels.
Examples (3)
- Ọmọ kékeré.
A small child.
Noun-phrase fragment preserving dotted vowels and tone marks.
- Aṣọ funfun.
White clothing.
Noun-phrase fragment preserving ṣ and ọ.
- Ó ti gbé àpò.
He or she has carried a bag.
Accents and the digraph gb remain visible in a complete clause.
How It Connects
Related Patterns
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