The True Meaning of the Word “Yariba” (Yoruba)
ASK A FULANI MAN: WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THE WORD “YARIBA” IN THE FULANI LANGUAGE?
Have you ever wondered where-from the word “Yoruba” originates? Have you heard many misconceptions and misunderstandings that left you baffled? That curiosity drove me to investigate its origins. What is the meaning of Yoruba? Does it relate to our language? This is a thought-provoking topic that requires profound reasoning and extensive research for better understanding.
It’s time we confronted the issue many have tried to ignore. In Yoruba culture, names often derive from significant factors or prophecies. For instance, a child named “Owolabi” might be expected to bring wealth to the family. Similarly, almost all Yoruba towns have names derived from significant events or factors, such as Eba-Odan (Ibadan), Abe Okuta Olumo (Abeokuta), and Ibi ti Ile ti yo (Oyo). However, these factors do not seem to apply to the word “Yoruba.”
As an ethnic description, the word “Yoruba” was first recorded in reference to the Oyo Empire in a treatise by the 16th-century Songhai scholar Ahmed Baba. It was popularized by Hausa usage and ethnography written in Arabic and Ajami during the 19th century, originally referring exclusively to the Oyo. The extension of the term to all speakers of dialects related to the language of the Oyo (in modern terms, North-West Yoruba) dates to the second half of the 19th century, influenced by Samuel Ajayi Crowther, the first Anglican bishop in Nigeria. Crowther, himself a Yoruba, compiled the first Yoruba dictionary and introduced a standard for Yoruba orthography. The alternative name “Akú,” derived from Yoruba greetings (such as Ẹ kú àárọ? “good morning,” Ẹ kú alẹ? “good evening”), has survived in some parts of their diaspora, particularly in Sierra Leone.
I asked many people to define “Yoruba,” but no one had a clue. So, I delved into what Yoruba scholars of the past centuries had written. Slowly, I began to unravel the mystery of our name. The first hint I got was from an ordinary search that yielded “Yariba.” What does that mean? I continued my research, turning to Samuel Ajayi Crowther’s Yoruba dictionary, which defines “Yariba” as a deceitful person.
Another source was a scholarly journal by Dr. Taiwo Ayanbolu, who insisted that “Yoruba” is derived from the Hausa language and means “deceit.” He claimed to have found this definition at York Museum in England, dating to the 19th century.
The name “Yariba” might have originated from the Yoruba people’s bargaining skills, which often led to the Fulani traders falling victim to trade by barter. Another theory suggests the name emerged during the clashes between the Yoruba and Fulani, particularly the loss of Ilorin to the Fulani in the 18th century.
The Igbos have distanced themselves from “Yinmiri,” a derogatory term given by the Hausa-Fulani. However, the Yoruba have not similarly refuted “Yariba,” a Fulani word meaning “a group of deceitful people.” Another theory links “Yoruba” to the Hausa word “Yaari bawa,” meaning “slave folks,” referencing the slave camps in Oyo and the prominence of the Oyo Empire in the slave trade.
Professor Ade Ajayi’s book “Yoruba Warfare in the Nineteenth Century” suggests that during the indirect rule era, the imperialists needed a unique name for all towns and people who spoke the Yoruba language. They settled on “Yoruba,” a deviation of “Yariba” or “Yaari bawa,” which the Yoruba people of that century rejected. The Ijebu, Ijesa, and Egba vehemently opposed this name. However, during the Kiriji War (the Yoruba civil war), the imperialists used the collapse of the Oyo Empire to prompt their rule, and the name “Yoruba” was imposed on Oyo and Ibadan, becoming enshrined in our culture and appellation.
Research shows that the Egba were the last to accept “Yoruba” as their appellation, as evidenced by the first newspaper published in Yorubaland in 1859, titled “Iwe Iroyin Fun Ara Egba Ati Yoruba.” This indicates that the Egba refused the name “Yoruba” as late as 1859.
Furthermore, I have studied the Odu Ifa and familiarized myself with many Ogede Ofo, Iwure, and Ewi of past generations, and I have never heard us referred to as “Yoruba.” Instead, we are known as “Omo Kaaro Ojiire,” “Omo Oduduwa,” or “Omoluabi.”
I write this to inform us of the origin of the word “Yoruba.” It is a bitter pill to swallow, especially now that the name has traveled far and wide. Should we try to change our appellation? It’s certainly too late for any modification. We might as well continue dealing with it.
Sourced and Written By: Bola Olalekan
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