Yoruba

[ yawr-uh-buh, yohr- ]

noun

, plural Yo·ru·bas, (especially collectively) Yo·ru·ba

1. a member of a numerous West African coastal people.
2. the language of the Yoruba, a Kwa language.

Yoruba

/ ˈjɒrʊbə /

noun

1. -bas-ba a member of a Negroid people of W Africa, living chiefly in the coastal regions of SW Nigeria: noted for their former city states and complex material culture, particularly as evidenced in their music, art, and sculpture
2. the language of this people, belonging to the Kwa branch of the Niger-Congo family

Derived Forms

• ˈYoruban, adjective

Other Words From

• Yoru·ban adjective

Example Sentences

It’s a traditional spiritual practice from the Yoruba people in Nigeria.

From Los Angeles Times

The names of the characters are taken from Yoruba mythology.

From Los Angeles Times

In Lagos, Nigeria’s economic hub, protesters shouted "ole", meaning "thief" in the Yoruba language - in reference to President Bola Tinubu and his government.

From BBC

It evolved from a mix of Yoruba, Fon and Bantu beliefs brought to what is now Brazil by enslaved West African people during the colonial expansion of the Portuguese empire, scholars said.

From New York Times

It dates back centuries to when Spanish colonists brought hundreds of thousands of enslaved Africans to Cuba, many from the Yoruba tribe of Nigeria.

From Seattle Times