obinrin
Yoruba
Alternative forms
- obìẹn (Oǹdó)
- obìnrẹn (Ọ̀wọ̀, Ìkálẹ̀, Rẹ́mọ)
- obìrẹn (Ìlàjẹ, Ìjẹ̀bú)
- ọbìnrin (Èkìtì)
Etymology
- Said to have evolved from the word *òbò (“vagina”), ultimately from *ò- (“nominalizing prefix”) + *bò (“to cover”), literally “That which covers”, compare with abo (“female”).
- Possibly from òbò (“vagina”) + ènìyàn (“person”), literally “Person with a vagina”
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ō.bĩ̀.ɾĩ̄/
Noun
obìnrin
- woman, female
- Synonym: abo
- bí ọkùnrín bá rí ejò, tí obìnrín sì pa á, kò burú; kí ejò ṣáà má ti lọ ― If a man sees a snake, and a woman kills it, that is not bad; the important thing is for the snake not to escape
- wife
- Synonyms: aya, ìyàwó
- èyí t'ó wù ẹ́ kò wù mí ni kò jẹ́ k'á pawó pọ̀ láti fẹ́ obìnrin ― What appeals to you may not appeal to me, this is why we cannot pool our financial resources together to marry one wife(proverb on personal preference)
Derived terms
- ẹ̀kọ́ àìsàn-obìnrin (“gynecology”)
- ẹrúbìnrin (“female slave”)
- ìmọ̀ ìtọ́jú ẹ̀yà-ara-obìnrin (“gynecology”)
- ìránṣẹ́bìnrin (“maid”)
- ọbabìnrin (“queen”)
- ọ̀gá-ilé-ìwé lóbìnrin (“headmistress”)
- ọmọbìnrin (“girl”)
- ọmọdébìnrin (“adolescent girl”)
Coordinate terms
- ọkùnrin
References
- Adebayo, Taofeeq SOME DIACHRONIC CHANGES IN YORUBA GRAMMAR , 2020