ọrọ

See also: Appendix:Variations of "oro"

Yoruba

Etymology 1

Proposed to be derived from Proto-Yoruboid *ɔ̀-là, compare with Igala ọ̀là

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ɔ̀.ɾɔ̀/

Noun

ọ̀rọ̀

word, phrase, uttering
matter, affair

Synonyms

Yoruba varieties and languages: ọ̀rọ̀ (“word”)
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Language family	Variety group	Variety/language	Subdialect	Location	Words
Proto-Itsekiri-SEY	Southeast Yoruba	Ào		Ìdóàní	ọfọ̀
		Ìjẹ̀bú	Ìjẹ̀bú	Ìjẹ̀bú Òde	ọ̀rọ̀
				Àgọ́ Ìwòyè	ọ̀rọ̀
				Ìjẹ̀bú Igbó	ọ̀rọ̀
			Rẹ́mọ	Ẹ̀pẹ́	ọ̀rọ̀
				Ìkẹ́nnẹ́	ọ̀rọ̀
				Ìkòròdú	ọ̀rọ̀
				Òde Rẹ́mọ	ọ̀rọ̀
				Ṣágámù	ọ̀rọ̀
		Ifọ́n		Ifọ́n	ọfọ̀
		Ìkálẹ̀ (Ùkálẹ̀)		Òkìtìpupa	ọfọ̀
		Ìlàjẹ (Ùlàjẹ)		Mahin	ọfọ̀
				Òde Ùgbò	ọfọ̀
				Òde Etíkàn	ọfọ̀
		Oǹdó		Oǹdó	ètítò
		Ọ̀wọ̀ (Ọ̀ghọ̀)		Ọ̀wọ̀ (Ọ̀ghọ̀)	ọfọ̀
		Usẹn		Usẹn	ọfọ̀
	Ìtsẹkírì			Ìwẹrẹ	ọ̀fọ̀
	Olùkùmi			Ugbódù	ọfọ̀
Proto-Yoruba	Central Yoruba	Èkìtì	Èkìtì	Àdó Èkìtì	ọfọ̀
				Òdè Èkìtì	ọfọ̀
				Òmùò Èkìtì	ọfọ̀
				Awó Èkìtì	ọfọ̀
				Ìfàkì Èkìtì	ọfọ̀
			Àkúrẹ́	Àkúrẹ́	ọfọ̀
		Western Àkókó		Ọ̀gbàgì Àkókó	ọfọ̀
	Northwest Yoruba	Àwórì		Èbúté Mẹ́tà	ọ̀rọ̀
				Ìgbẹsà	ọ̀rọ̀
				Ọ̀tà	ọ̀rọ̀
				Agége	ọ̀rọ̀
				Ìlogbò Erémi	ọ̀rọ̀
		Ẹ̀gbá		Abẹ́òkúta	ọ̀rọ̀
		Ẹ̀gbádò		Ayétòrò	ọ̀rọ̀
				Igbógila	ọ̀rọ̀
				Ìjàká	ọ̀rọ̀
				Ìlaròó	ọ̀rọ̀
				Ìṣàwọ́njọ	ọ̀rọ̀
		Èkó		Èkó	ọ̀rọ̀
		Ìbàdàn		Ìbàdàn	ọ̀rọ̀
		Ìbàràpá		Igbó Òrà	ọ̀rọ̀
		Ìbàràpá		Èrúwà	ọ̀rọ̀
		Ìbọ̀lọ́		Òṣogbo (Òsogbo)	ọ̀rọ̀
		Ìbọ̀lọ́		Ọ̀fà	ọ̀rọ̀
		Ìlọrin		Ìlọrin	ọ̀rọ̀
		Oǹkó		Òtù	ọ̀rọ̀
				Ìwéré Ilé	ọ̀rọ̀
				Òkèhò	ọ̀rọ̀
				Ìsẹ́yìn	ọ̀rọ̀
				Ṣakí	ọ̀rọ̀
				Tedé	ọ̀rọ̀
				Ìgbẹ́tì	ọ̀rọ̀
		Ọ̀yọ́		Ọ̀yọ́	ọ̀rọ̀
				Ògbómọ̀ṣọ́ (Ògbómọ̀sọ́)	ọ̀rọ̀
				Ìkirè	ọ̀rọ̀
				Ìwó	ọ̀rọ̀
		Standard Yorùbá		Nàìjíríà	ọ̀rọ̀
		Standard Yorùbá		Bɛ̀nɛ̀	ɔ̀rɔ̀
	Northeast Yoruba/Okun	Ìyàgbà		Ìsánlú Ìtẹ̀dó	ọ̀rọ̀
	Northeast Yoruba/Okun	Owé		Kabba	ọ̀rọ̀
	Ede languages/Southwest Yoruba	Ǹcà (Ìcà, Ìncà)		Baàtɛ	afɔ̀
		Ọ̀họ̀rí/Ɔ̀hɔ̀rí-Ìjè	Ọ̀họ̀rí/Ɔ̀hɔ̀rí/Ìjè	Ìkpòbɛ́	ɔ̀rɔ̀
				Ọ̀húnbẹ́	ọ̀rọ̀
				Onigbolo	ɔ̀rɔ̀
			Kétu/Ànàgó	Ìlárá	ọ̀rọ̀
				Ìdọ̀fà	ọ̀rọ̀
				Ìmẹ̀kọ	ọ̀rọ̀
				Ìwòyè Kétu	ọ̀rọ̀
				Kétu	ɔ̀rɔ̀
		Ifɛ̀		Akpáré	afɔ̀
				Atakpamɛ	afɔ̀
				Boko	afɔ̀
				Est-Mono	afɔ̀
				Moretan	afɔ̀
				Tchetti (Tsɛti, Cɛti)	afɔ̀
		Mɔ̄kɔ́lé		Kandi	ide
		Mɔ̄kɔ́lé		Kpɛdɛ	ide
		Southern Nago		Ìsakété	ɔ̀rɔ̀
		Southern Nago		Ìfànyìn	ɔ̀rɔ̀
Note: This amalgamation of terms comes from a number of different academic papers focused on the unique varieties and languages spoken in the Yoruboid dialectal continuum which extends from eastern Togo to southern Nigeria. The terms for spoken varieties, now deemed dialects of Yorùbá in Nigeria (i.e. Southeast Yorùbá, Northwest Yorùbá, Central Yorùbá, and Northeast Yorùbá), have converged with those of Standard Yorùbá leading to the creation of what can be labeled Common Yorùbá (Funṣọ Akere, 1977). It can be assumed that the Standard Yorùbá term can also be used in most Nigerian varieties alongside native terms, especially amongst younger speakers. This does not apply to the other Nigerian Yoruboid languages of Ìṣẹkírì and Olùkùmi, nor the Èdè Languages of Benin and Togo.

Derived terms

ẹ̀dà òye-ọ̀rọ̀ (“a paraphrase”)
fọ̀rọ̀ wá ọ̀rọ̀ wò lẹ́nu (“to interview”)
kókó-ọ̀rọ̀ (“theme, main idea”)
ọlọ́rọ̀ (“speaker”)
ọ̀rọ̀ ẹ̀yìn (“gossip”)
ọ̀rọ̀ àgbà (“wise words, words of the elders”)
ọ̀rọ̀ àjọsọ (“group discussion”)
ọ̀rọ̀ àkànlò (“idiom”)
ọ̀rọ̀ àṣírí (“a secret matter, classified”)
ọ̀rọ̀ àwàdà (“a joke”)
ọ̀rọ̀ àìbófin-ilé-ìgbìmọ̀-aṣòfin-mu (“unparliamentary language”)
ọ̀rọ̀-orúkọ (“noun”)
ọ̀rọ̀-ìṣe (“verb”)
ọ̀rọ̀kọ́rọ̀ (“any word, a bad word”)
sọ̀rọ̀ (“to talk, to speak”)
àká-ọ̀rọ̀ (“lexicon”)
ìfọ̀rọ̀dárà (“word play”)
ìfọ̀rọ̀wánilẹ́nuwò (“interview”)

Etymology 2

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ɔ̀.ɾɔ̀/

Noun

ọ̀rọ̀

(mythological) a supernatural fairy or spirit, believed to reside in physical objects and possess people
Synonym: iwin

Ọmọ yìí ti ya ọ̀rọ̀ ― This child has become a mysterious being.

Etymology 3

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ɔ̄.ɾɔ̀/

Noun

ọrọ̀

wealth, riches
Synonym: ọlà

Derived terms

ọlọ́rọ̀ (“wealthy person”)

Etymology 4

An old Proto-Yoruboid form only maintained in the Ekiti dialect and Igala language, see Igala ọ̀dọ̀, perhaps derived from Proto-Yoruboid *ɔ̀-ɗɔ̀. Some linguists of the Ekiti dialect suggest the r in this word is /ɽ/, differing from the usual /ɾ/

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ɔ̀.ɾɔ̀/, /ɔ̀.ɽɔ̀/

Noun

ọ̀rọ̀

(Ekiti) wall
Synonyms: ìgànná, ògiri

Usage notes

Only used by Northern speakers of the Ekiti dialect, not by speakers of the Akure Subdialect (consisting of the southern part of the Ekiti speaking region)

Etymology 5

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ɔ̄.ɾɔ̀/

Noun

ọrọ̀

matters, a concern of great urgency, issue

Derived terms

ọrọ̀-ajé (“business”)

Etymology 6

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ɔ̄.ɾɔ̄/

Noun

ọrọ

the tree Antiaris toxicaria

Etymology 7

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ɔ̄.ɾɔ̄/, /ɔ̄.ɾɔ́/

Noun

ọrọ or ọrọ́

The plants of the Euphorbia genus, specifically Euphorbia kamerunica, often misidentified as a cactus due to their similar appearances

Alternative forms

ọrọ́ agogo
ọrọ́ aláìdan

Etymology 8

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ɔ̄.ɾɔ́/

Noun

ọrọ́

Any of the various species of cactus, or a variety of other species of the Euphorbia genus and other genera erroneously identified as cactus

Derived terms

ọrọ́ agogo (“a plant of the genus Euphorbia, specifically Euphorbia kamerunica”)
ọrọ́ aláìdan (“a plant of the genus Euphorbia”)
ọrọ́ eléwé (“a plant of species Euphorbia hirta”)
ọrọ́ ẹnukòpiyè (“a plant of the genus Euphorbia”)
ọrọ́ ọ̀pẹ (“a fern of the genus Pteris”)

Etymology 9

Ọrọ́ méjì

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ɔ̄.ɾɔ́/, /ɔ̀.ɾɔ́/

Noun

ọrọ́ or ọ̀rọ́

The plants Nesogordonia papaverifera and Sterculia rhinopetala of the former Sterculiaceae family

Etymology 10

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ɔ̄.ɾɔ́/

Noun

ọrọ́

the plant Strophanthus hispidus