iwaju

Yoruba

Alternative forms

  • ụwá, ụwájú (Ekiti)
  • ugwá (Owo)
  • ugwájú (Ikale, Ondo)
  • uwájú (Eastern Akoko)

Etymology

From iwá (front) +‎ ojú (face).[1] Compare with Ifè iwádzú, Olukumi úgwázú, Itsekiri ugwájú, proposed to be derived from Proto-Yoruba *ʊ-gʷájú, from Proto-Edekiri *ʊ-gʷájú

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ī.wá.d͡ʒú/

Noun

iwájú

  1. front
    Synonym: iwá

Derived terms

  • níwájú (in front)
  • síwájú (forwards)
  • ṣáájú
  • tẹ̀ síwájú (to progress/advance)
  • ìtẹ̀síwájú (progress)

References

  1. ^ Ogunwale, Joshua Abiodun (2005) “Problems of Lexical Decomposition: The Case of Yoruba Complex Verbs”, in Nordic Journal of African Studies 14[1], archived from the original on 24 June 2021