SATURDAY FEATURE

A Corpus of Yoruba Greetings   |  'Banji Odurombi 

E ku Ise

Don't underestimate the Yoruba, s/he has a catalogue of greetings that is beautiful for every situation. In his or her catalogue are diversities of greetings which include:
1. E ku ise (to hail someone who is on a job or busy)

2. E ku imura (to hail someone who is preparing for a ceremony like wedding, or an examination, etc)

3. E ku Ile (used to hail someone who is met at home)

4. E ku oro aje (used to hail someone who goes about his or her business)

5. E ku leede (to hail someone whose loved one or visitor embarks on a journey)

6. E ku isimi (to hail someone who is on leave or holiday)

7. E ku ife (to hail someone who gives moral support or shows solidarity)

8. E ku abase (to hail guests or family and friends for turning up for one's event, or for their support)

9. E ku ode (to hail someone returning or who has just returned from a ceremony or an occasion)

10. E ku inawo (to hail a celebrant or someone who had a ceremony or an occasion)

11. E ku oorun (an exchange of greetings when the day is sunny or extremely hot)

12. E ku igbadun (to hail or tease someone perceived to be enjoying)

13. E ku afe/e ku igbafe (to hail someone who is relaxing or unwinding)

14. E ku ije (to hail someone who is at meal)

15. E ku odun/e ku iyedun (an exchange of greetings on an anniversary or during festivities like Christmas, Eid Kabir, Easter, etc)

16. E ku ipalemo odun (an exchange of greetings prior to festivities like Christmas, Eid kabir, New Year)

E ku Aaro

17. E ku atijo (to hail someone who has not been seen for a long while)

18. E ku ojo meta (to hail someone that hasn't been seen for a while)

19. E ku orire (an exchange of greetings felicitating with someone on, for instance, graduation from the university, induction, promotion, investiture, etc)

20. E ku ijoko (to hail a visitor)

21. E ku ikale (has the same meaning with e ku ijoko to hail a visitor or guests who have come to show solidarity with one)

23. E ku iduro (to hail someone's patience or to hail someone who is anticipating someone else's return or waiting to be attended to)

24. E ku abo/e kaabo ( to hail someone welcome)

25. E ku ojumo (to hail someone good morning)

26. E ku ataaro (to hail someone after a long or hectic day)

27. E ku araaya (to hail someone assumed to be elated because of the arrival of his/her kith and kin after being away for a period of time)

28. E ku amojuba (to hail someone on arrival of his or her kith and kin, or loved ones)

29. E ku idide (to show a sense of appreciation to people that honoured your invitation and those that rallied round you for a ceremony)

30. A ku irin ana (to hail co-traveller(s) that one journeyed with)

31. E ku irin (to hail commuters or co-travellers intermittently while on a journey)

32. A ku adura (greetings among Christian folks after a prayer meeting)
E ku asiko yi o (used in relation to difficult times like the recession, extreme weather)

33. E ku ati le bo le (to hail someone who newly moved to his own house)

34. E ku atije (to hail someone who goes about a legitimate venture, particularly petty trading)

35. E ku koleda (to hail someone who is trying to make ends meet)

36. E ku olide olojo gborogboro (used among teachers during a long vacation)

37. E ku iyaleta (an exchange of greetings between 10 am and 12 pm, especially when the weather is perceived to be clement)

38. E ku ipalemo (to hail someone for a forthcoming ceremony such as wedding, funeral, etc)

39. E ku ojo yi (an exchange of greetings after a downpour)

40. E ku itura (to hail someone after using the convenience)

41. E ku itadi (to hail someone who farts)

42. A ku afere (an exchange of greetings on weather condition)

43. E ku aseye (an exchange of greetings on a successful ceremony or ocassion)

44. E ku oro (to hail parents who show care and support for their wards)

45. E ku oro eyan (usually a greeting of commiseration)  

46. E ku ijade (to hail the wife of a deceased who just completed a mourning rite)

47. E ku a seyin/ara feraku (to hail the child[ren] of a deceased)

48. E kaaaro (to hail someone good morning)

49. E ka san (to hail someone good afternoon)

50. E ku irole (to hail someone good evening, especially between 4:30 and 6:30/7pm)

51. E kaale (to hail someone good evening)

52. O daaro (to hail someone good night)

53. O do ola (to bid someone good bye till the next day)

54. O di gba (to hail someone good bye till another unstipulated time)

55. A ku idodimu (an exchange of greetings among Christian faithful for holding the fort)

56. E ku ongbe (to hail someone who is on a long fast)

57. E ku iwaju (to hail someone—usually guests or sympathizers—who have been at an occasion or somewhere before you)

58. E ma ya se o (to hail someone who is at work while you departs)

59. E ku ewu omo (to hail parents and relatives, and well-wishers on the birth of a new born baby)

60. A ku ise ana (to hail co-workers or colleagues at work over the day before work)

61. E ku igbagbogbo (to hail someone who is always there for one or very supportive)

62. E ku iranu (a greeting of disapproval of a vice or misdemeanor especially among youth)

63. E ku osi (usually an abusive language used to disapprove of a girl's behaviour or character)

64. E kuule (to hail someone's arrival)

65. E ku oja (an exchange of greetings among traders, especially market women)

66. E ku ilakaka (to hail someone who seeks solution(s) to his or someone else's predicament(s); sometimes it used to hail someone who is striving to make ends meet)

67. E ku ilaniloye (to hail a speaker as a prelude to asking questions on a lecture such a speaker delivered)

68. E ku ise oluwa, oluwa a so agbara dotun (to hail a clergy or someone actively involved in Christian ministry)

69. A ku itura (an exhilarating greeting as a result of a refreshing weather or a much anticipated downpour which brings about refreshing)

70. A ku isin/e ku ipade (an exchange of greetings among Christian brethren or a congregation after a service)

71. E ro ra (to hail someone welcome or well done)

72. E ku alejo (to hail someone who has a visitor or visitors)

73. E ku itojuwa/e ku agbalewa (to hail someone who is responsible for your wards' wellbeing or who is supportive and/or responsible for one's wellbeing)

74. E ku agbaale wa (to hail someone who shares one's burden or helps one kith and kin in a given 'probelmatic' situation)

75. E ku aya jo (an exchange of greetings on an anniversary like May Day, Independence Day, etc)

76. E ku igbiyanju (to hail someone who is at work or someone perceived to be working at a goal or aspiration i.e. raising funds, building a house, etc)

77. E ku afarada/e ku suru/e ku iroju (to hail someone or a group of people who are in an unpalatable situation; sometimes it is used to hail someone who shows understanding in a given situation or teachers who teach children with special needs or a wife who is trying to cope with an overbearing husband or vice versa; it could also be an exchange of greetings among people experiencing, for instance, recession and its attendant repercussions)

78. A ku opin ose (an exhange of greetings during weekends)

79. A ku jimoh oloyin (an exchange of greetings among Muslim faithful on Friday)

80. E ku owolomi (to hail the mother of a new born baby who is constantly laden with laundry)

81. E ku asekagba (to hail someone on the grand finale of, for instance, a final burial rite)

82. E ku ewu ojo ibi (to hail someone happy birthday)

83. E ku agba (to hail an elderly person who is perceived to be wise)

84. E ku ayo oni/e ku aseye oni (an exchange of greetings on a much anticipated social event)

85. E ku alobo/e ku alobo/e ku arinye/e ku ewu oko (to hail someone who embarked on a hitch free journey)

86. E ku igbafe (to hail people who are unwinding)

87. E ku oro ilu (to hail or commend community leaders or people for their efforts at developing the community or ensuring peace and order)

88. E ku dede asiko yi (usually used by presenters to hail their audience)

89. E ku yiyo Olorun (a greeting to felicitate with someone who survived a fatal accident or mayhem)

90. E ku faaji/e ku igbafe (to hail people who are unwinding)

91. E ku ewa (to hail a lady plaiting her hair)

92. E ku apero (to hail people after a meeting or deliberation)

93. E ku oginitin (an exchange of greetings during the harmattan season)

94. E ku ifomoniyan se (to hail someone who behaves him/herself well or uprightly)

95. E ku iyanju (to hail someone who is on a massive project)

96. E ku itesiwaju (an exchange of greetings among Christian faithful for their tenacity)

97. E ku aisun (to hail co-participants in a vigil or to hail nursing parents, especially mothers)  

98. E ku orire (to hail someone congratulations)

99. E ku aajo/e ku aanyo (to hail someone who is caring)

100. E ku isiynu (greeting among Muslims when breaking a fast)

101. E ku eto (to hail someone or people at an event or to hail event planners)

NOTE: The corpus of greetings is not arranged in any order of importance.

The compilation is not intended to be bias nor intended to be a slur on other Nigerian languages. It isn't intended to exonerate the Yourba language above other Nigerian languages either. If  such greetings are available in other Nigerian languages, I will like to have them.

I owe a great deal of indebtedness to the following for their contributions: Messrs Adebiyi, Lasisi, Adekoya, Sunmonu, Oladele, Fatoye, Okediji, Ilori, Adegoke, Mrs Ajala and Miss Oluwaniran