iyẹn

Yoruba

Etymology

An intralingual borrowing from SEY spoken varieties into NWY and CY. The opposition between the demonstrative pronouns 'this' and 'that' is expressed by èyí and èyinì respectively in NWY and CY. In some SEY spoken varieties, however, it is ìyí and ìyẹn. In some NWY and CY spoken varieties èyinì and ìyẹn are still used side by side, but with ìyẹn gaining ground over èyinì.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ì.jɛ̃̄/
• (Ìjẹ̀bú, Ìkálẹ̀) IPA^(key): /ì.jɛ̃̀/

Pronoun

ìyẹn

1. that thing/person

   Synonyms: (NWY, CY) èyinì (“that”), ìyun-ùn

   Antonyms: èyí (“this”), (SEY) ìyí (“this”)

Pronoun

ìyẹ̀n

1. (Ikalẹ, Ijebu) that thing/person

Derived terms

• nìyẹn

 

Related terms

Standard Yorùbá

• wọ̀nyẹn (“those”)
• wọ̀nyí (“these”)
• yẹn (“that”)
• yìí (“this”)
• èyí (“this”)
• ìwọ̀nyẹn (“those”)
• ìwọ̀nyí (“these”)

 

Ìjẹ̀bú

• ọ̀wọ̀nwé (“these”)
• ọ̀wọ̀nyẹ̀n (“those”)
• wọ̀nwé (“these”)
• wọ̀nyẹ̀n (“those”)
• wèé (“this”)
• yẹ̀n (“that”)
• ìwé (“this”)

 

Ìkálẹ̀

• ghànyẹ̀n (“those”)
• ghànyí (“these”)
• yẹ̀n (“this”)
• yí (“this”)
• ìghànyẹ̀n (“those”)
• ìghànyí (“these”)
• ìyí (“this”)