iwọ

See also: iwo

Yoruba

Etymology 1

Cognate with Igala íwọ, ultimately from Proto-Yoruboid *ɪ́-wɔ

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ī.wɔ̄/

Noun

iwọ

1. poison

   Synonyms: májèlé, oró

Etymology 2

From ì- +‎ wọ, compare with Olukumi úwọ and Igala ùwẹ

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ì.wɔ̄/

Pronoun

ìwọ

1. you (emphatic second-person singular personal pronoun)

Synonyms

Yoruba Varieties and Languages - ìwọ (“you sing., emphatic subject pronoun”)
view map; edit data
Language Family	Variety Group	Variety/Language	Subdialect	Location	Words
Proto-Itsekiri-SEY	Southeast Yoruba	Ào		Ìdóàní	ùgwọ
		Ìdànrè		Ìdànrè	ùwọ
		Ìjẹ̀bú	Ìjẹ̀bú	Ìjẹ̀bú Òde	ùwọ
			Rẹ́mọ	Ẹ̀pẹ́	ùwọ
				Ìkòròdú	ùwọ
				Ṣágámù	ùwọ
		Ìkálẹ̀		Òkìtìpupa	ùwọ
		Ìlàjẹ		Mahin	ùwọ
		Oǹdó		Oǹdó	ùwọ
		Ọ̀wọ̀		Ọ̀wọ̀	ùwọ
		Usẹn		Usẹn	ùwọ
	Ìtsẹkírì			Ìwẹrẹ	ùwọ
	Olùkùmi			Ugbódù	úwọ
Proto-Yoruba	Central Yoruba	Èkìtì	Èkìtì	Àdó Èkìtì	ụ̀ọ, ùwẹ, ùwe
			Àkúrẹ́	Àkúrẹ́	ụ̀ọ, ùwẹ, ùwe
			Mọ̀bà	Ọ̀tùn Èkìtì	ụ̀ọ, ùwẹ, ùwe
		Ifẹ̀		Ilé Ifẹ̀	ìwọ
	Northwest Yoruba	Àwórì		Èbúté Mẹ́tà	ìwọ
		Èkó		Èkó	ìwọ
		Ìbàdàn		Ìbàdàn	ìwọ
		Ìbọ̀lọ́		Òṣogbo	ìwọ
		Ìlọrin		Ìlọrin	ìwọ
		Oǹkó		Ìtẹ̀síwájú LGA	ìwọ
				Ìwàjówà LGA	ìwọ
				Kájọlà LGA	ìwọ
				Ìsẹ́yìn LGA	ìwọ
				Ṣakí West LGA	ìwọ
				Atisbo LGA	ìwọ
				Ọlọ́runṣògo LGA	ìwọ
		Ọ̀yọ́		Ọ̀yọ́	ìwọ
		Standard Yorùbá		Nàìjíríà	ìwọ
				Bɛ̀nɛ̀	ìwɔ
	Northeast Yoruba/Okun	Owé		Kabba	ìwọ
	Ede Languages/Southwest Yoruba	Ìdàácà	Benin	Igbó Ìdàácà	wɔ̀ɔ
		Ifɛ̀		Akpáré	ìwɔ
				Atakpamé	ìwɔ
				Tchetti	ìwɔ
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.

See also

Affirmative subject pronouns

	singular	plural or honorific
1st person	mo	a
2nd person	o	ẹ
3rd person	ó	wọ́n

Negative subject pronouns

	singular	plural or honorific
1st person	mi / n	a
2nd person	o	ẹ
3rd person	[pronoun dropped]	wọn

Object pronouns

	singular	plural or honorific
1st person	mi	wa
2nd person	ọ / ẹ	yín
3rd person	[preceding vowel repeated for monosyllabic verbs] / ẹ̀	wọn

Note: except for yín, object pronouns have a high tone following a low or mid tone monosyllabic verb, and a mid tone following a high tone. For complex verbs, the tone does not change.

Emphatic pronouns

	singular	plural or honorific
1st person	èmi	àwa
2nd person	ìwọ	ẹ̀yin
3rd person	òun	àwọn

Etymology 3

Compare with Itsekiri ùghọ́, possibly cognate with Ifè ìfɔ̃́ (“navel”). Proposed to be derived from Proto-Yoruba *ʊ̀-ɣɔ́, *ɪ̀-ɣɔ́, ultimately from Proto-Edekiri *ʊ̀-ɣɔ́, *ɪ̀-ɣɔ́. Originally only referring to the umbilical cord, it has semantically shifted to also refer to the navel, becoming synonymous with idodo

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ì.wɔ́/

Noun

ìwọ́

1. (anatomy) umbilical cord
2. (anatomy) navel

   Synonyms: idodo, udodo

Synonyms

Yoruba Varieties and Languages - ìwọ́ (“navel, umbilical cord”)
view map; edit data
Language Family	Variety Group	Variety/Language	Subdialect	Location	Words
Proto-Itsekiri-SEY	Southeast Yoruba	Ìjẹ̀bú	Ìjẹ̀bú	Ìjẹ̀bú Òde	ùwọ́
			Rẹ́mọ	Ẹ̀pẹ́	ùghọ́
				Ìkòròdú	ìghọ́
				Ṣágámù	ùghọ́
		Ìkálẹ̀		Òkìtìpupa	ùghọ́
		Ìlàjẹ		Mahin	ùghọ́
		Oǹdó		Oǹdó	ùghọ́
		Ọ̀wọ̀		Ọ̀wọ̀	ùghọ́
		Usẹn		Usẹn	ùghọ̀
	Ìtsẹkírì			Ìwẹrẹ	ùghọ́
	Olùkùmi			Ugbódù	ughọ́
Proto-Yoruba	Central Yoruba	Èkìtì	Èkìtì	Àdó Èkìtì	ụ̀ọ́
			Àkúrẹ́	Àkúrẹ́	ụ̀ọ́
			Mọ̀bà	Ọ̀tùn Èkìtì	ụ̀ọ́
		Ìgbómìnà		Ìfẹ́lódùn LGA	àwẹ́
				Ìrẹ́pọ̀dùn LGA	ìwẹ́
				Ìsin LGA	ìwẹ́
		Ìjẹ̀ṣà		Iléṣà	ụ̀ọ́
	Northwest Yoruba	Àwórì		Èbúté Mẹ́tà	ìwọ́
		Èkó		Èkó	ìwọ́
		Ìbàdàn		Ìbàdàn	ìwọ́
		Ìlọrin		Ìlọrin	ìwọ́
		Ọ̀yọ́		Ọ̀yọ́	ìwọ́
		Standard Yorùbá		Nàìjíríà	ìwọ́
				Bɛ̀nɛ̀	ìwɔ́
	Northeast Yoruba/Okun	Ìjùmú		Ìjùmú	ùwọ́
		Owé		Kabba	iwọ̀, uwọ̀
	Ede Languages/Southwest Yoruba	Ifɛ̀		Akpáré	ìfɔ̃́ (navel), okùfɔ̃́ (umbilical cord)
				Atakpamé	ìfɔ̃́ (navel), okùfɔ̃́ (umbilical cord)
				Tchetti	ìfɔ̃́ (navel), okùfɔ̃́ (umbilical cord)
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.