iṣu

Yoruba

Iṣu

Etymology

Cognate with Igala úchu, Ede Idaca icu, proposed to be derived from Proto-Yoruba *u-cu, Proto-Edekiri *u-cu, ultimately from Proto-Yoruboid *ú-cu

Possible cognates include Igbo ji, Nupe eci, Arigidi iʃɛ̃, Igasi Arigidi ìti, Uro/Aje Arigidi ìsi, Proto-Plateau *ì-tsit, Igede iju, Idoma ihi, Proto-Gbe *-te

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ī.ʃū/

Noun

iṣu

1. any of the various species of wild and cultivated yam in the family Dioscorea
2. (extension) tuber; (especially) yam tuber
3. (extension) bulb; (especially) onion or garlic bulb

   ọmọ kùrùbútú búṣu ùdí ìlàǹbásà

   The man who is round like the bulb of an onion

Synonyms

Yoruba Varieties and Languages - iṣu (“yam”)
view map; edit data
Language Family	Variety Group	Variety/Language	Subdialect	Location	Words
Proto-Itsekiri-SEY	Southeast Yoruba	Ào		Ìdóàní	èrún
		Ìdànrè		Ìdànrè	uṣu
		Ìjẹ̀bú	Ìjẹ̀bú	Ìjẹ̀bú Òde	uṣu
			Rẹ́mọ	Ẹ̀pẹ́	uṣu
				Ìkòròdú	iṣu
				Ṣágámù	uṣu
		Ìkálẹ̀		Òkìtìpupa	usu
		Ìlàjẹ		Mahin	usu
		Oǹdó		Oǹdó	uṣu
		Ọ̀wọ̀		Ọ̀wọ̀	uchu
		Usẹn		Usẹn	usu
	Ìtsẹkírì			Ìwẹrẹ	awará
Proto-Yoruba	Central Yoruba	Èkìtì	Èkìtì	Àdó Èkìtì	uṣu
			Àkúrẹ́	Àkúrẹ́	uṣu
			Mọ̀bà	Ọ̀tùn Èkìtì	uṣu
		Ìjẹ̀ṣà		Iléṣà	uṣu
		Òkè Igbó		Òkè Igbó	isu
	Northwest Yoruba	Àwórì		Èbúté Mẹ́tà	iṣu
		Ẹ̀gbá		Abẹ́òkúta	iṣu
		Èkó		Èkó	iṣu
		Ìbàdàn		Ìbàdàn	isu
		Ìbọ̀lọ́		Òṣogbo	isu
		Ìlọrin		Ìlọrin	isu
		Oǹkó		Ìtẹ̀síwájú LGA	ichu
				Ìwàjówà LGA	ichu
				Kájọlà LGA	isu
				Ìsẹ́yìn LGA	isu
				Ṣakí West LGA	isu
				Atisbo LGA	isu
				Ọlọ́runṣògo LGA	isu
		Ọ̀yọ́		Ọ̀yọ́	isu
		Standard Yorùbá		Nàìjíríà	iṣu
				Bɛ̀nɛ̀	ishu
	Northeast Yoruba/Okun	Owé		Kabba	usu, isu
	Ede Languages/Southwest Yoruba	Ìdàácà	Benin	Igbó Ìdàácà	icu
		Ifɛ̀		Akpáré	itsu
				Atakpamé	itsu
				Tchetti	itsu
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.

Hypernyms

• àpàdá
• àgị̀da
• dàgídàgí
• efùrù
• èmìnà (“Dioscorea bulbifera”)
• èsúrú (“Dioscurea dumetorum, Dioscurea odoratissima”)
• èsùsú (“Diospyros barteri; Dioscorea mangenotiana”)
• ewo (“Dioscorea smilacifolia”)
• ewùrà, ẹụ̀rà (water yam)
• ewùrà ẹṣin (“Dioscorea bulbifera”)
• iṣu àwọ́n (“Dioscorea praehensilis”)
• iṣu-ọdẹ (“Dioscorea praehensilis”)
• làlá
• okùn owó (“Dioscorea hirtiflora”)
• ọlọ̀ú
• tìẹ́tìẹ́ (“Dioscorea dumetorum”)
• uṣu uyẹ
• uṣu aro

Related terms

• ègbodò
• ọdún Ìjẹ̀ṣu

Descendants

• → Arigidi: adʒu