YORUBA: A LANGUAGE TO BE CHERISHED OR DISDAINED?
Yorubas are the people occupying the South-Western region of Nigeria. They speak a language popularly known as the Yoruba language, this particular language has variants in different Yoruba states, towns and villages but they all still remain a variation of the original Yoruba language except for the people of Akoko, all other languages are understandable by the speakers of the original Yoruba language. However, it is a pity that nowadays, a lot of people now disdain the Yoruba language, most parents don't speak it to their children and most children and youths today don't even understand a word of the language. On the other hand, we have those people who can speak and understand the language perfectly well but form and pretend as if they don't know a word in Yoruba even if they've never stepped out of the country.
I know you're boiling already and wondering who I am to start ranting about the Yoruba language. I am a Yoruba girl who is very proud and unashamed of my tribe and culture. I understand the Yoruba language and can speak and write it perfectly, that doesn't make me razz. I also have a very good command of the English language and can speak it very well but I only speak it where and when it is necessary. I once had a classmate in secondary school, he was a Yoruba boy but he doesn't understand any Yoruba word. Back then, people cursed him and abused his parents and he'll start laughing cos he had no idea of what they were talking about. We're Nigerians first and always, even if we travel out and become citizens of other countries, we would be second-class citizens of such countries but we would always be first-class citizens of Nigeria. You will hardly see an Igbo man or a Hausa man who doesn't understand his language and can speak it well...let us borrow a leaf from those people and be proud of our language and heritage. Even a white girl paid to learn this language we aren't proud of. The whites we're copying are not copying us and on this note I'll like to end this write-up with a line of DaGrin's lyrics "won ni mi o gb'oyinbo...e jo e bami bere lowo won sh'oyinbo gbo yoruba?"
I know you're boiling already and wondering who I am to start ranting about the Yoruba language. I am a Yoruba girl who is very proud and unashamed of my tribe and culture. I understand the Yoruba language and can speak and write it perfectly, that doesn't make me razz. I also have a very good command of the English language and can speak it very well but I only speak it where and when it is necessary. I once had a classmate in secondary school, he was a Yoruba boy but he doesn't understand any Yoruba word. Back then, people cursed him and abused his parents and he'll start laughing cos he had no idea of what they were talking about. We're Nigerians first and always, even if we travel out and become citizens of other countries, we would be second-class citizens of such countries but we would always be first-class citizens of Nigeria. You will hardly see an Igbo man or a Hausa man who doesn't understand his language and can speak it well...let us borrow a leaf from those people and be proud of our language and heritage. Even a white girl paid to learn this language we aren't proud of. The whites we're copying are not copying us and on this note I'll like to end this write-up with a line of DaGrin's lyrics "won ni mi o gb'oyinbo...e jo e bami bere lowo won sh'oyinbo gbo yoruba?"
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