Chapter 1 - Or Kn | GREETINGS

OBJECTIVES:
In this chapter you will learn:
-How to greet people
- About Yorb verbs
-The use of negation k
-About Yorb pronouns
- The use of interrogatives K ni and

23
 Or Kn (Chapter 1) wn r ( Vocabulary )

wn r ( Vocabulary )

Nouns
gbdo corn
a clothing
bb father
bl ball
er play
mu palm wine
yin egg
bdn a city in south western Nigeria
il house
rs rice
kk Coke
mnmn a meal made from black-eyed peas
gbni Mr.
olk teacher
m child
ork name
ow money
b stew

Noun Phrases
aagoo yn your clock/wristwatch
a dp thank you
a r your clothes
bba Fnmi Fnmis father
il r his/her house
w mi my book
o thank you
t no
owo wn their money
j b birthday
k wa our vehicle
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 Or Kn (Chapter 1) wn r ( Vocabulary )

Verbs
gb to kick
f to want
gb to live
jun to eat
kw to read a book
mu to drink
n to have

Verb Phrases
bwo ni? how are you? / how are things?

Conjunctions
gbn but
tb or

Interrogatives
k ni? what?
k ni nkan? how are things?
lf ni? how are you/ how are things?
dada ni? how are you? How are things?
nkan l? are things are going well?
w jk? would you like to sit down?

Other Expressions
lf ni fine/I am fine/ things are fine/peace
dada ni I am fine
kb o you are welcome
k o k wn greet them (members of your family)
mo kn sr w k ni I quickly came to say hi to you
r m d I am a little tired

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 Or Kn (Chapter 1) k Kn ( Lesson 1 )

Lesson 1 - k Kn:
kni (Greetings)

Greeting people is an important aspect of Yorb culture. K is an expression used for greetings
by Yorb people regardless of the time of day. However, in order to express good night, Yorb
people will rather say dr. Some examples are found below:

A. K + time of the day:

k + r kr good morning
k + sn ksn good afternoon
k + rl krl good early evening
k + al kal good evening

B. K + weather:
k + tt k tt a greeting said when the weather is cold
k + y k y a greeting for the Harmattan Season
k + j k j a greeting for the rainy season
k +gnnntn k gnnntn a greeting for damp weather

C. K can also be used in other circumstances:

k + i ku a greeting said to someone working
k + jk kjk a greeting said to someone seated
k + sinmi ksinmi a greeting said to someone resting or to someone
on Sunday

D. K is also used as a greeting during festivities such as New Year, Christmas, birthday,
and anniversaries.
k + dn k dn a greeting said to someone during
festivities(for example, happy new year /
birthday, merry Christmas)

When one is greeting an older person such as a father, mother, sister, brother, aunt, uncle, teacher
or any other people that is older, one makes use of the honorific pronoun to show respect. For
example, to greet ones father or mother in the morning, one will say kr o, bb or
kr o mm. The response will be kr o. A girl kneels down, while a boy prostrates to
greet the older ones. For a friend or a younger sibling, the response will also be kr o. Women
address their husbands by using the name of one of their children. If a childs name is Td, the
mother will address her husband as Bba Td. The same principle applies when Tds mother
will be addressed as Mma Td. But in westernized Yorb families, some wives address their
husbands by their first names.
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 Or Kn (Chapter 1) k Kn ( Lesson 1 )

Times of the day

r from about 12:01a.m. to 11:59a.m.

sn from about noon to 4:59p.m.

rl from about 5:00p.m. to 6:59p.m.

al from about 7:00p.m. to 11:59p.m.

The middle of the night is referred to as ru but there is no greeting with the word ru in Standard
Yorb. Therefore, Yorb people do not greet by saying k ru unless something is going on
at that time of night! Besides, who walks around in the middle of the night?

The period between 12.01 am and 3 am to 4 am is usually considered ru because people are still
sleeping. After 4 am, the greeting kr or kr is used.

srngbs (Dialogue)
1.
- kr o, bb.
- Kr o, Td. o sn dada?
- B ni, mo sn dada. .

Td greets his father, Wl, early in the morning.

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 Or Kn (Chapter 1) k Kn ( Lesson 1 )

2.
- kb o, Mm
- Kul O, Ll. lf ni?
- lf ni.
- gbnn r k?
- Wn w nl.
- da o. Dde.
A daughter greeting her mother

3.
- kr m.
- kr o. dada ni o?
- Dada ni m.
- sn dada?

- B ni m.

Tnd and Tt are greeting their mother early in the morning

4.
- Ksn o, Fnmi.
- Ksn o, ad. dada ni?
- A dp. w n k?
- A dp o.

ad greets her friend, Fnmi,

at school in the afternoon.

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 Or Kn (Chapter 1) k Kn ( Lesson 1 )

5.
- K ni ork r?
- Ork mi ni Olfmi.
- K ni ork bb r?
- Ork bb mi ni Knl Aknlj.

- B mi k wn b r t o b dl,
- Mo gb s.
- db o, Olfmi. A teacher, Mr. Adbl, and a student, Olfmi, get
to know each other on the first day of school.
- db s.

6.
- ksn o, Mma Fnmi.
- ksn o, Mma ad. Gbogbo il
k?
- Dada ni o. Bba Fnmi k?
- Wn w. o. db o

- db o.

ads mother and Fnmis mother greet

each other at the market.

7.
- kal m.
- Kal o, Tt. lf ni?
- A dp m. ad w nl?
- Rr o. ti jde.

- dr m.
- dr o, Tt. Kl o.
Tt goes to visit her friend, ad.
ad is not at home but her mother is.

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 Or Kn (Chapter 1) k Kn ( Lesson 1 )

I e 1
Ps dhn s wn r wny.
Provide the appropriate response to the following.
1. lf ni?
2. dada ni?
3. Bwo ni?
4. Il k?
5. K ni ork bb r?

I e 2
Ps kni s wn r wny.
Provide the appropriate greeting to the following.
1. ? Wn w.
2. ? A dp.
3. . Kb.
4. . kr.
5. . Kul.

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 Or Kn (Chapter 1) k Kn ( Lesson 1 )

I e 3
In pairs, let A greet B at the indicated time of the day and let B respond appropriately.

B pr:
Your son at 2pm
A: Kule o, Akin.
B: kb o, mm.

1. Your father at 8pm.

A.
B.
2. Your friend at 1pm.
A.
B.
3. Your teacher at 9am.
A.
B.
4. Your friends mother at 5pm.
A.
B.
5. Your mother at noon.
A.
B.

I e 4
Ps br t ba wn dhn wny mu.
Provide the question to each of the following.
1. Wn w.
________________________________________________________
2. Dada ni.
________________________________________________________
3. db s.
________________________________________________________
4. A dp.
________________________________________________________
5. Ksn o.
________________________________________________________
6. Ork mi ni Jd.
________________________________________________________

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 Or Kn (Chapter 1) k Kn ( Lesson 1 )

I e 5

W wn r wny
Look for these words in this puzzle below. Pay attention to the tones!
r ad sn lf fnmi dada knl tt y j

a n s t a m u k f
a a m n f n u y t
r r d d y t n m i
m t j l n s
t n y t n t e s m d
m a j t n k n i
d t k n k s t m n e
o l m a i t n
a n a m l n t f n a
d t d i f m l l n n m i
m o i f t
t j a f m y a n
i n t b b e y m j
t t j m k u f y j
t m o b k j o

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 Or Kn (Chapter 1) k Kej ( Lesson 2 )

Lesson 2 - k Kej:
Verbs

There are different types of verbs in Standard Yorb. The simple structure of the following Yorb
verbs is monosyllabic:

Verbs
j to eat
k to read
e to do
f to want
n to have
w to come
l to go
sn to sleep
j to dance
f to jump
r to buy
t to sell
mu to drink
s to cook
gb to carry
rn to walk
Ol j iu Olu is eating yam
Bb sn Father is sleeping
M l I am leaving/going
Ad mu omi Ad is drinking water

However, there are verb-nominal combinations that behave like verbs. Some can be split without
affecting the meaning.

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 Or Kn (Chapter 1) k Kej ( Lesson 2 )

Examples of splittable verb-nominals include:

A B
rrnn rn rn to laugh
sunkn sun kn to cry
jagun ja ogun to fight a war
sr s er to run
ggi g igi to cut a tree
pnmi pn omi to fetch water
kl k il to build a house
gbl gb il to sweep the floor
sr s r to say a word (speak)
krin k orin to sing a song (sing)

Not all verb-nominals are splittable. The examples below in column B are ungrammatical:
A (correct) B (incorrect)
tj take care of t oj
dde to stand d de
dr stop wait d ar
jk sit j k

A verb can be followed by another verb. An example of this is f to want or to wish.

wa f j yin. We want to eat eggs.
yin f f a. You want to wash clothes.

F can also be used in an interrogative sentence.

For example:
w f f a? Do you want to wash clothes?
B ni, mi f f a. Yes, I want to wash clothes.

Ky f sn? Does Ky want to sleep?

B ni, Ky f sn. Yes, Ky wants to sleep.

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 Or Kn (Chapter 1) k Kej ( Lesson 2 )

The verb frn to like, to love

Mo frn aj I like dogs.

Ol frn md Ol loves children.

Negation of Verbs
Negation of verbs using k
One way to negate a verb in a sentence is to precede the verb with the negator k.
Ol j iyn Ol is eating pounded yam
Ol k j iyn Ol is not eating pounded yam

Wl rrnn Wl is laughing
Wl k rrnn Wl is not laughing

Mo f j brdi I want to eat bread

N k f j brdi I do not want to eat bread

Bl mu omi Bl is drinking water

Bl k mu omi Bl is not drinking water

Jk di irunun Dp Jk is weaving Dps hair

Jk k di irunun Dp Jk is not weaving Dps hair

Mm se rs Mother is cooking rice

Mm k se rs Mother is not cooking rice

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 Or Kn (Chapter 1) k Kej ( Lesson 2 )

I e 1
Tn wn gblhn wny k n d.
Turn the following sentences into negative.
1. Bd ka w.
________________________________________________________
2. Wn j rs.
________________________________________________________
3. wa f a.
________________________________________________________
4. Mo gbin gbdo.
________________________________________________________
5. yin j yin.
________________________________________________________
6. wn ta iu.
________________________________________________________
7. Mo f ra gbdo.
________________________________________________________
8. wa j r.
________________________________________________________
9. sn.
________________________________________________________
10. f jun.
________________________________________________________

I e 2
Dhn wn br wny n d.
Respond to the following questions in the negative.

1. Tt f sn?
2. Jd ta iu?
3. wn f j yin?
4. wa j?
5. Bd f ow?

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 Or Kn (Chapter 1) k Kta (Lesson 3)

Lesson 3 - k Kta:
Subject Pronouns
There are two types of subject pronouns in Yorb: emphatic and regular.

Regular Pronouns

Singular Plural

1 st pers. Mo I 1 st pers. A We

2 nd pers. O You 2 nd pers. You

3 rd pers. She/He/It 3 rd pers. Wn They

rd
Note that the vowels in the 3 person singular and plural take a high tone.

Note that in each of these pronouns, the first vowel is marked with a low tone.
Yorb, however, has a second set of pronouns referred to as the emphatic pronouns:

Emphatic Pronouns

Singular Plural

1 st pers. mi I 1 st pers. wa We
2 nd pers. w You 2 nd pers. yin You
3 rd pers. un She/He/It 3 rd pers. wn They

Emphatic and regular pronouns can be used interchangeably in many situations, though not in all
situations. For example, the following are used interchangeably when using the progressive marker
(-ing):
mi l / M l I am going
wa jun / jun We are eating
yin sn / sn You (pl) are sleeping
un er / er She/he/it is playing

Below, the expressions in column A below are grammatically correct, while the expressions in
column B are incorrect:
A (correct) B (incorrect)
mi k? How about me? Mo k
w tb mi You or I O tb w
wn ti yin They and you (pl.) Wn ti yin

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 Or Kn (Chapter 1) k Kta ( Lesson 3 )

The Honorific Pronoun / /

Respect for elders is highly appreciated and strongly encouraged in Yorb culture. In fact, it is an
integral part of the culture. As a result, when you greet an elderly person, you use the regular
pronoun of respect followed by the greeting:

kb a greeting to welcome someone older than you

kul a response to kb. It is said to someone
(older than you) that one finds at home when
one returns home.

The Honorific Pronoun wn

Wn is another regular pronoun of respect in Yorba. For example, when you are asked how your
mother or father is doing, you respond wn w (he/she is doing fine), even though wn is a 3rd
person plural subject pronoun.

A: Awn br r k? How are your younger siblings?

B: Wn w. They are fine.

A: Bb r k? How is your father?

B: Wn w. He is fine.

The progressive marker

The progressive marker '' is used to express a continuous or an on-going action. It is similar in use
to the English -ing. However, in Yorb, it occurs before the verb. If it is omitted following the noun
or pronoun subject, that verb then indicates past.

Hence: Whereas:
mi l I am going m l I went
M l I am going Mo l I went

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 Or Kn (Chapter 1) k Kta ( Lesson 3 )

I e 1
Dhn wn br wny n knrr.
Answer the following questions in complete sentences.

B pr:

K ni Wl e? (er)
Wale e er.

1. K ni Bd e? (j b)
________________________________________________________
2. K ni mm s? (b dn)
________________________________________________________
3. K ni bb t? (a)
________________________________________________________
4. K ni w e? (kw)
________________________________________________________
5. K ni wn e? (jun)
________________________________________________________

I e 2
Replace the words in bold with regular pronouns.

B pr:
yin gb n Austin. gb n Austin.

1. mi ti wn f jun.

2. Bba Jde gb n Ikl-kt.

3. Ol i n d-kt.

4. w gb ni Ad-kt.

5. Mma Wn f mu mu.

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 Or Kn (Chapter 1) k Kta ( Lesson 3 )

I e 3
Replace the words in bold with emphatic pronouns.

B pr:

Wn f a. wn f a.

1. Mo tb Ad l s j.

2. A plu Tsn f gb bl.

3. Tnj ti f m

4. ti a j r

5. Kmi tb o gb n Houston.

I e 4
Replace the regular pronoun in bold with an emphatic pronoun.

B pr:
A f l s j.
wa f l s j.

1. Wn ta iu
________________________________________________________
2. M se rs
________________________________________________________
3. f ra gbdo
________________________________________________________
4. O n ow
________________________________________________________
5. f se mnmn
________________________________________________________

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 Or Kn (Chapter 1) k Krin ( Lesson 4 )

Lesson 4 - k Krin:
Interrogatives K ni? and ?

K ni (what) and (do/does) are two forms of Yorb interrogatives.

They are used in the following examples:

Q: K ni o f? What do you (sg.) want?

R: Mo f ow. I want money.

Q: K ni ork r? What is your (sg.) name?

R: Ork mi ni Bd Adlk. My name is Bd Adlk.

Q: wn f ow? Do they want money?

R: B ni, wn f ow. Yes, they want money.

Q: o f jun? Do you want to eat?

R: B ni, mo f jun. Yes, I want to eat.

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 Or Kn (Chapter 1) k Krin ( Lesson 4 )

I e 1
Dhn wn br wny n knrr.
Answer the following questions in complete sentences.

B pr:

K ni wn k? (w)
Wn ka w.

1. K ni a f j? (onj)

2. K ni wn k? (w)

3. K ni yin t? (rs) (in conversational context)*

4. K ni Ol f? (ow)

5. K ni w n? (il)? (in conversational context)*

6. K ni w ti un f? (m)

7. K ni wa ti yin n? (lf)

8. f ow?
B ni,
9. f ow? (in conversational context)*
B ni,
10. wn f kk?
B ni,

* Conversational context implies that you are engaged in a conversation. Therefore, you respond
accordingly.

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 Or Kn (Chapter 1) k Krin ( Lesson 4 )

I e 2
Respond to the following questions in conversational context using a regular subject
pronoun.

B pr:

w frn rs?
B ni, mo frn rs.

1. w gb n Il-If?
B ni, gb n Il-If.

2. bb r n ow?
B ni, n ow.

3. Ky f j rs?
B ni, f j rs.

4. bb ti mm r n il?
B ni, n il.

5. Bnmi ni k?
B ni, n k.

I e 3
In pairs, ask your friend the following questions. Let your friend respond. Then take turns.

1. K ni r?
2. K ni o f?
3. K ni s?
4. K ni bb ti mm r frn?_
5. K ni mm r f?

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 Or Kn (Chapter 1) k Krin ( Lesson 4 )

I e 4
Par wn gblhn wny.
Complete the following sentences.

1. Wl f j rs s f omi.
a. j
b. mu
c. w
d. se

2. Tnd f s ib y.
a. r
b. n
c. w
d. m

3. Tt f s ori bd.
a. sn
b. w
c. w
d. l

4. Bba Jd f bt fn Jd.
a. l
b. ra
c. g
d. t

5. Knl f s or ga.
a. j k
b. jk
c. dde
d. gb

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 Or Kn (Chapter 1) k Krin ( Lesson 4 )

I e 5
In pairs, ask your partner in class what his/her father wants in life, followed by what the
partner wants in life. Write down what your partners father wants in life, and what you
want in life. Then take turns.

I e 6
Let one student ask the teacher what the teacher wants in life. That student should report
to the rest of the class what the teacher said h/she wants in life.

I e 7
In class, students work in pairs to create dialogues using the verbs f, n, s, t, k and
k with the interrogative forms and k ni. Do these first orally and then in written form.

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 Or Kn (Chapter 1) k Krin ( Lesson 4 )

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