Yoruba

noun

Yor·u·ba ˈyȯr-ə-bə

plural Yoruba or Yorubas

: a Niger-Congo language of southwestern Nigeria and parts of Benin and Togo

also : a member of any of the Yoruba-speaking peoples of this region

Yoruban

ˈyȯr-ə-bən

noun or adjective

Word History

Etymology

Yoruba Yorùbá

First Known Use

1841, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of Yoruba was in 1841

See more words from the same year

Cite this Entry

Style

“Yoruba.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Yoruba. Accessed 15 Sep. 2025.

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