Orí Kejì (Chapter 2) Ëkô Kìíní (Lesson 1)

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Lesson 1 - Ëkô Kìíní
Possessive Pronouns
Singular Plural
1 st pers. mi
2 nd pers. r÷/÷
3 rd pers. rë/ë
ìwéè mi my book
ilée wæn their house
ojúu wa our eyes
ìyàwóò rë his wife
ìwàa yín your (sg./pl.) behavior
màmáà r÷ your (sg.) mother
Wæn and yín can also be used as pronouns of respect. Status, apart from old age, demands
respect in Yorùbá society. These pronouns are, therefore, used for people like doctors, judges,
professors, one’s boss, one’s father, mother, uncle, or aunt, etc. For example, when you want to ask
someone a professor’s name, i.e. ‘What is his/her name?’ You say ‘kí ni orúkææ wæn?’ If the
Professor’s name is Àlàdé), you respond: Orúkææ wæn ni Öjögbôn Àlàdé (His/her name is Professor
Àlàdé).
Recall the emphatic pronouns below that you learned in Chapter 1 lesson 3, and compare them to
the possessive pronouns above:
Emphatic Pronouns
Singular Plural
1 st pers. èmi
2 nd pers. ìwæ
3 rd pers. òun
To form the possessive pronouns, the vowels at the beginning of the subject pronouns drop in the 1st
person singular èmi, 1st person plural àwa, and in the 3rd person plural àwæn.
Orí Kejì (Chapter 2) Ëkô Kìíní (Lesson 1)
COERLL - Yorúbà Yé Mi Page 52 CC – 2012 The University of Texas at Austin
I«ê »í«e 1
Fi arôpò orúkæ ìní rôpò örö tí a kæ gòdògbò.
Replace the words in bold with possessive pronouns.
Bí àp÷÷r÷:
Orúkæ èmi àti Túnde.
Orúkææ wa.
1. Bàbá ìwæ àti Kêmi. (in conversational context)
2. Ìwé ìwæ (not in conversational context).
3. Ilé-ìwé Àìná.
4. Ilée bàbá àti màmáà mi.
5. Ìwé èmi àti ìwæ.
Orí Kejì (Chapter 2) Ëkô Kìíní (Lesson 1)
COERLL - Yorúbà Yé Mi Page 53 CC – 2012 The University of Texas at Austin
I«ê »í«e 2
Lo arôpò orúkæ ìní tó tönà.
Use a possessive pronoun.
Bí àp÷÷r÷:
Bàbáa Túndé = Bàbáa rë
1. Bàbá àti mámáa Títí
2. Ëgbônæn Jídé
3. Àbúròo Títí àti Wálé
4. Àbúròo bàbáa Wálé
5. Màmá èmi àti ìwæ
6. Ìwé ìwæ (conversational context)
7. Pêñsùlù ëyin (not in conversational context)
8. Kíláàsì àwa àti ëyin
9. Ìwée Jídé àti Títí
10. Bébà ìwæ (conversational context)
Orí Kejì (Chapter 2) Ëkô Kìíní (Lesson 1)
COERLL - Yorúbà Yé Mi Page 54 CC – 2012 The University of Texas at Austin