HOW TO COUNT ONE TO TEN IN YORUBA

Audience

Students studying basic Yoruba


Material


Figure 0

Letter O


Procedure


The Yoruba ancestors, the Ajomore, are known to have used small round object called : oodo /o-doe/ in  counting

Oodo may be symbolized or written as figure 0 or letter O. It doesn't matter which one you want to use.

The Ajomore's method of counting was in this manner :


  1. O 

  2. OO 

  3. OOO 

  4. OOOO 

  5. OOOOO 

  6. OOOOOO 

  7. OOOOOOO 

  8. OOOOOOOO 

  9. OOOOOOOOO 

  10. OOOOOOOOOO 


The readings is as follows :


  1. O-kan /o-kon/

  2. O-meji /o-mei jee/

  3. O-mẹta /o-mel tah/

  4. O-mẹrin /o-mel rin/

  5. O-marun /o-mah roon/

  6. O-mẹfa /o-mel fah

  7. O-meje /o-mei jei/

  8. O-mẹjọ /o-mel jor/

  9. O-mẹsan /o-mel son/

  10. O-mẹwa /o-mel wah/



After the Ajomore, then came the Onile, who edited their numerals.

The Onile, under the tutelage of Ọrunmila, was said to have stop mentioning /o/ from two to ten. Then, the counting method change to this :


  1. O-Kan /o-kon/

  2. __Meji /mei jee/

  3. __Meta /mel tah

  4. __Mẹrin /mel rin/

  5. __Marun /mah roon/

  6.  __Mẹfa /mel fah/

  7. __Meje /mei jei/

  8. __Mẹjọ /mel jor/

  9. __Mẹsan /mel son/

  10. __Mẹwa /mel wah/


However, the attempt to stop mentioning /o/ completely and the word "kan' that does not sound well for one, makes the Onile to go further in trying to find another word for : o-kan.

After all their efforts, they found the word : meni or moni to replace : o-kan.

The word : meni /mei nee/ or moni /mo nee/ simply means : I got it. 

After that, the counting manner changed to this :


  1. Meni /mei nee/

  2. Meji /mei jee/

  3. Mẹta /mel tah/

  4. Mẹrin /mel rin/

  5. Marun /mah roon/

  6. Mẹfa /mel fah/

  7. Meje /mei jei/

  8. Mẹjọ /mel jor/

  9. Mẹsan /mel son/

  10. Mẹwa /mel wah/


Notwithstanding, the Onile, edited further, by removing letter "m' from all the names of the numerals. Then the counting manner change to this :


  1. Eni /ay nee/

  2. Eji /ay jee/

  3. Ẹta /hel tah/

  4. Ẹrin /hel rin/

  5. Arun /ah roon/

  6. Ẹfa /hel fah/

  7. Eje /ay jei/

  8. Ẹjọ /hel jor/

  9. Ẹsan /hel son/

  10. Ẹwa /hel wah/


After the Onile came the Yoruba and this is how we read the numerals :


  1. Okan /o-kon/

  2. Eji /ei jee/

  3. Ẹta /hel tah/

  4. Ẹrin /hel rin/

  5. Arun /ah roon/

  6. Ẹfa /hel fah/

  7. Eje /ei jei/

  8. Ẹjo /hel jor/

  9. Ẹsan /hel son/

  10. Ẹwa /hel wah/

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