eniyan

Yoruba

Alternative forms

• عِنِيَن
• ènìà (archaic)

Etymology

Possibly from Proto-Yoruboid *Vnḭ. A folk etymology states it comes from eni (“being, person”) +‎ ì- (“nominalizing prefix”) +‎ yàn (“to choose”), literally “Chosen beings”, in comparison to earlier pre-human earthly beings called eníyán, translated as "the one's who were expelled."

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /è.nĩ̀.jã̀/

Noun

ènìyàn

1. person, people, human being

Synonyms

Yoruba Varieties and Languages - ènìyàn (“person”)
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Language Family	Variety Group	Variety/Language	Subdialect	Location	Words
Proto-Itsekiri-SEY	Southeast Yoruba	Eastern Àkókó	Ọ̀bà	Ọ̀bà Àkókó	ènìyàn, iráyé
		Ìjẹ̀bú	Ìjẹ̀bú	Ìjẹ̀bú Òde	ònìyọ̀n
			Rẹ́mọ	Ẹ̀pẹ́	ònìyọ̀n
				Ìkòròdú	ònìyọ̀n
				Ṣágámù	ònìyọ̀n
		Ìkálẹ̀		Òkìtìpupa	iráyé
		Ìlàjẹ		Mahin	iráyé
		Oǹdó		Oǹdó	iáyé
	Ìtsẹkírì			Ìwẹrẹ	irẹ́yé
Proto-Yoruba	Central Yoruba	Èkìtì	Èkìtì	Àdó Èkìtì	ọ̀nị̀yọ̀n, ịráyé
				Ìfàkì Èkìtì	ọ̀nị̀yọ̀n
			Àkúrẹ́	Àkúrẹ́	ọ̀nị̀yọ̀n, ịráyé
			Mọ̀bà	Ọ̀tùn Èkìtì	ọ̀nị̀yọ̀n
		Ìjẹ̀ṣà		Iléṣà	ònìyàn
	Northwest Yoruba	Àwórì		Èbúté Mẹ́tà	ènìyàn, èèyàn
		Èkó		Èkó	ènìyàn, èèyàn
		Ìbàdàn		Ìbàdàn	ènìyàn, èèyàn
		Ìlọrin		Ìlọrin	ènìyàn, èèyàn
		Oǹkó		Ìtẹ̀síwájú LGA	èèyẹ̀n
				Ìwàjówà LGA	èèyẹ̀n
				Kájọlà LGA	èèyẹ̀n
				Ìsẹ́yìn LGA	èèyẹ̀n
				Ṣakí West LGA	èèyẹ̀n
				Atisbo LGA	èèyẹ̀n
				Ọlọ́runṣògo LGA	èèyẹ̀n
		Ọ̀yọ́		Ọ̀yọ́	ènìyàn, èèyàn
		Standard Yorùbá		Nàìjíríà	ènìyàn, èèyàn
				Bɛ̀nɛ̀	ènìyàn, èèyàn
	Ede Languages/Southwest Yoruba	Ìdàácà	Benin	Igbó Ìdàácà	ònìyàn
		Ọ̀họ̀rí/Ɔ̀hɔ̀rí-Ìjè	Ọ̀họ̀rí/Ɔ̀hɔ̀rí/Ìjè	Ìkpòbɛ́	ònìyàn
				Onigbolo	ònìyàn
			Ẹ̀gbádò	Ìjàká	ònìyàn
			Kétu/Ànàgó	Kétu	ònìyàn
		Ifɛ̀		Akpáré	ɔ̀nyà
				Atakpamé	ɔ̀nyà
				Est-Mono	ɔ̀nyà
				Tchetti	ɔ̀nyà
		Southern Nago		Ìsakété	ònìyàn
				Ìfànyìn	ònìyàn
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

• ẹ̀dá-ènìyàn (“homo sapiens”)