baalẹ
Yoruba
Etymology
From baba (“father”) + oní (“one who has”) + ilẹ̀ (“land”), literally “Father of the town”
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /bāá.lɛ̀/
Noun
baálẹ̀
- In pre-colonial Yoruba society, the head or ruler of a small village or a town. In modern day Nigeria, most baálẹ̀ have been recognized as a king of their own respective village.
- Examples of modern day monarchs in Nigeria whom were originally baálẹ̀ include the Ṣọ̀ún of Ògbómọ̀ṣọ́ and the Olúbàdàn of Ìbàdàn, whom both answered to the Aláàfin
- baálórí l'ó nilórí, baálẹ̀ l'ó nìlú, òun sì lọkọ ìlú, ṣùgbọ́n ọba l'ó nilẹ̀ ― The husband owns the house, and the baálẹ̀ owns the village, he is the lord of the community, but the king owns the land(proverb on authority)
Derived terms
- Baálẹ̀ (“a title given to a baálẹ̀”)