Introduction to Yoruba

About the Book

This book will help you to learn Yoruba quickly and easily. It is written in the proper Yoruba-Oyo by the author who was born and raised in Oyo Alaafin. A famous international language instructor, Professor Abraham Ajibade Adeleke has been the coordinator and professor of African Studies for about a decade. He is also a professor of Psychology and anthropology at Albany State University, Albany, Georgia, U.S.A.

Yoruba grammar is best taught when it is taught in the context of the Yoruba people. For this reason, the book has covered some Yoruba major culture and tradition such as the Yoruba naming system, greeting traditions, weddings and the Yoruba moral sciences that include proverbs, oral traditions, and the use of myths, fables and idiomatic expressions. There is also some focus on poetry.

Ready-made vocabulary is provided right from the start. It utilizes everyday Yoruba conversational words and phrases that sometimes sound like their English, French and Spanish equivalents. Because of its comprehensiveness, this book is ideal for all classroom instructions and private teaching.

About the Author

As a Yoruba man, I have had two concerns for writing this book: to present Yoruba grammar in as much depth and variety as possible and to provide framework for understanding them. This volume is intended to contribute to the development of the study of African languages and cultures. It seems to me that this appropriately conceived and well-written material is available for use in both secondary and higher education instructions worldwide. Moreover, it is my hope that this volume will not only be a useful teaching instrument within the formal curriculum, but will also play an important role in shaping the study of African languages in foreign lands.

Previous introductions to African languages and cultures have suffered excessive misconceptions and sweeping generalities. To overcome these problems, I have utilized a series of case studies and juxtaposed particular ethnographic materials. The superb quality of these materials make it possible to present something of general interest in the Yoruba language through analysis of some well-portrayed examples.