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Glite Dictionary
Yoruba language

Yoruba language

1 6.5
A language spoken by the Yoruba people in southwestern Nigeria and nearby countries
  • noun
: idioma yoruba
  • She is fluent in Yoruba language and speaks it at home with her family.

Examples

  • Verbal signs include extensive usage of the Yoruba language, not only in private ritual situations but in personal daily life, ranging from Yoruba names to Yoruba family greetings.

    Academic text (1991)

  • Still chanted in the Yoruba language, these verses serve not only as mnemonic devices but also as a means to bring out the spiritual power of the leaves.

    Academic text (1990)

  • The class on African cultures included a lesson on Yoruba language and its rich history.

  • Many children in southwestern Nigeria learn Yoruba language as their first language.

Synonyms

Yoruba
vsYoruba language
2 8.8

A West African language spoken mainly in southwest Nigeria and nearby areas

is the same language but expressed as the full phrase rather than the short name

Surface Forms

Yoruba language singular
Yoruba languages plural

Morphology

Yoruba + language

The phrase is directly compositional: 'Yoruba' names the ethnic group/people and 'language' denotes their tongue, so the combination straightforwardly means the language spoken by the Yoruba. The X + language pattern is cross-linguistically common and therefore a B1 learner who knows both constituents will readily understand the MWE.

Etymology

The noun Yoruba language is named after the Yoruba people in southwestern Nigeria and simply means the language 'spoken by' those people.