Still on Nigerian names and their meanings…

 

I was in Gombe during the week on an official assignment along with two of my colleagues. The trip threw my schedule out of gear. So, I dived into the ‘morgue’ to reproduce the piece below for your reading pleasure. Enjoy:

I am no great shakes as a linguistic geographer but my expertise in interpreting Nigerian names and locations can hardly be faulted. It has, therefore, become my favourite pastime to update my readers on names and their interpretations in other Nigerian languages whenever the need arises.

As I have noted before in this space, the whole confusion started from the Biblical days when the inhabitants of a city called Babel decided to construct a tower that would link heaven and the earth. Before embarking on the unthinkable adventure, the entire earth was peopled by one race with one common language. To frustrate their ambition, God decided to put different languages on their lips, so that when, for instance, a mason asked his labourer to bring cement, he would instead produce a bowl of sand. That communication barrier frustrated the project, and all of them had to scatter abroad in a blah, blah, blah fashion.

Several of the Babelians “blahblah” their ways to a geographical expression called Nigeria. Can you imagine Nigeria without a lingua franca? Now, come with me again… that is if you have read this piece before.

There is a settlement along Ilorin- Jebba road called Biribiri. Biribiri is known to many Nigerians as 419, dishonesty, crookedness, etc. So, if a native of that settlement introduces himself/herself as a Biribiri person, how would you react?

The Nigerlites have never stopped amusing me. After Mokwa are a number of settlements whose names would shock an average Yoruba man. Nami means hit me. Gbamita means take me for sale, while Yanmigbe means roast me dry. Imagine Namians, Gbamitans or Yanmigbes living in a settlement named Wasimi (meaning come and rest) in Ogun state. Those Nigerlites would not be at home in that restful community at all!

There is a place in Ibadan named Mosafejo – I flee from litigation. Inhabitants of the area must be lovers of peace, I guess. Then we have Abuja, meaning shortcut in Yoruba. Little wonder, everyone here (excluding me) is cutting corners to opulence.

The meaning of the following Yoruba names will also leave you agape. So, ensure that you are not close to an abattoir because a battalion of green flies might turn your mouth into a refugee camp!

Mepaiyeda – I did not change life. But life is already undergoing a change under Buhari! Ajanlekoko – dog is pursuing hyena. What kind of hyena would that be, anyway? Arapaja – a possessor of quarrelsome arms. If you have an Arapaja living in your neighbourhood, then say farewell to peaceful co-existence.

Mabogunje – don’t spoil medicine. This protector of medicine must be a NAFDAC material. NAFDAC boss should please take note! Okebiorun – mountain like heaven. He must be a descendant of the builders of the aborted Tower of Babel. Alasoadura – owner of prayer garment. This person should go into the ministry. He will be extremely wealthy especially in a Pentecostal environment!

Erubami – I am afraid. A bearer of this name must be a born coward. With such people around, there would be no forces to challenge the Boko Haram terrorists or the marauding herdsmen! Soyinka – I am surrounded by wizards. Then you need a lot of prayers. Odegbami – I was saved by a hunter. Wow! That is my man because with him, I would never lack bush meat… my delicacy.

Shomefun – wizard grabs chalk. This is one wizard that would definitely make heaven, chalk in hand, because therein lies his reward. Shomefun is also a homograph of ‘show me fun’. And that is exactly what I am doing to you right now – showing you fun! Anikulapo – one with death in his pocket. Remember the legendary Fela? How then did death succeed in pocketing the pocketer of death? Onigbinde – the snail merchant has arrived. This man must be very rich because snails are very expensive anywhere in Nigeria.

Then there is also the miracle worker known as Opadokun – a staff turned into ocean, whereas Moses used his own staff to part the Red Sea. Ikuforiji – forgiven by death. In that case, an Ikuforiji will be an immortal. Oloyede – an honorable has arrived. This must be a dyed-in-the-wool politician who has come to chop life at the expense of the poor masses like you and I.

Fijabi – born out of hostility. Will this man ever know any peace in his lifetime? Gbemisola – lift me into opulence. Me too! Abiona – born on the road. Here is a waka-about for you. Bolorunduro – one with God. He is certainly in the majority. Abegunde – arriving with a masquerade. Ojuju Calabar!
Abegunrin – one who walks with a masquerade. He is a cousin of Abegunde just defined above. Okutepa – corpse selling groundnuts. Groundnut eaters should watch out who they buy groundnuts from after reading this piece. Okugbe is a settlement in Edo State close to Okpella. To a Yoruba person, okugbe means dry cadaver!

Iro is a Hausa name whereas it means an enemy in Igbo or a lie in Yoruba. There was this ‘lie’ drama in a police station starring a Hausa damsel and a Yoruba man. It was the Hausa girl who was first asked to render her grouse. At a point, the Yoruba man cut in, screaming “Iro ni! Iro ni!” (It is a lie! It is a lie!) The Hausa girl in turn hit back, yelling “Kariya ne! Kariya ne! Iro, dan uwaana baya wurin a lokacin”, meaning: It is a lie! It is a lie! Iro my brother was not present at the time! It is perhaps the reason why the Hausa added letter “h” to Iro (Iroh) to escape the confusion the homophonic words can precipitate.

Arokoyo is a Yoruba name, though not too commonly borne. It means one who rejoices over a thriving farm. But if a woman who is married to Arokoyo introduces herself to a man or woman with a lewd sense of humour (not me), she is most likely to be mocked and/or embarrassed. This is because Mrs. Arokoyo would be passed as a woman who rejoices at the sight of manhood!
Have a fabulous weekend, everyone out there.

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