ohun

Gun

Ohùn àlɔ̀ví / Ohùn àlọ̀ví

Etymology 1

From Proto-Gbe *-ʁʷũ. Cognates include Fon hùn, Saxwe Gbe ɛhùn, Saxwe Gbe ahùn, Adja ehùn

Alternative forms

• hùn

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ò.hũ̀/, /ō.hũ̀/

• Audio (Nigeria):

  (file)

Noun

òhùn or ohùn (plural òhùn lɛ́ or òhùn lẹ́ or ohùn lɛ́ or ohùn lẹ́)

1. blood

Etymology 2

Ohún ɖòkpó / Ohún dòpó

Cognates include Fon hùn, Saxwe Gbe ohùn, Adja ehun, Ewe evu

Alternative forms

• hún

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ò.hṹ/, /ō.hṹ/

Noun

òhún or ohún (plural òhún lɛ́ or òhún lẹ́ or ohún lɛ́ or ohún lẹ́)

1. drum

Derived terms

• ohúnhòtọ́ (“drummer”)
• ohúnxòtɔ́ (“drummer”)

Etymology 3

Ohún ɖòkpó / Ohún dòpó

From Proto-Gbe *-ʁʷṹ. Cognates include Fon hún, Saxwe Gbe ohùn, Adja ehun, Ewe ʋu

Alternative forms

• hún

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ō.hṹ/

Noun

ohún (plural ohún lɛ́ or ohún lẹ́)

1. vehicle, car

Yoruba

Alternative forms

• وْهُن

Etymology 1

Compare with Igala ẹ́nwu

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ō.hũ̄/

Noun

ohun

1. thing

   Synonyms: nǹkan, unun, unrun

   ohun tí a bá ṣe pẹ̀sẹ̀, kí a máá fi ṣe ìkánjú; b'ó pẹ́ títí ohun gbogbó á tọwọ́ ẹni

   What we can do very easily, we should not be done hurriedly, for after a long while, all things will come to our hands

   (proverb on patience)

Pronoun

ohun

1. what, whatever

   ohun t'á a fẹlẹ́mọ̀ṣọ́ ṣọ́ níí ṣọ́ ― Whatever we give Ẹlẹ́mọ̀ṣọ́ to guard is what he guards (proverb against eavesdropping)

Usage notes

• Serves as a head of a relative clause introduced by tí

Synonyms

Yoruba Varieties and Languages - ohun (“thing”)
view map; edit data
Language Family	Variety Group	Variety/Language	Subdialect	Location	Words
Proto-Itsekiri-SEY	Southeast Yoruba	Ào		Ìdóàní	urun
		Eastern Àkókó	Ọ̀bà	Ọ̀bà Àkókó	uun
		Ìdànrè (Ùdànè, Ùdànrè)		Ìdànrè (Ùdànè, Ùdànrè)	urun
		Ìjẹ̀bú	Ìjẹ̀bú	Ìjẹ̀bú Òde	urun
			Rẹ́mọ	Ẹ̀pẹ́	urun
				Ìkòròdú	irun
				Ṣágámù	urun
		Ìkálẹ̀ (Ùkálẹ̀)		Òkìtìpupa	unrun
		Ìlàjẹ (Ùlàjẹ)		Mahin	unrun
		Oǹdó		Oǹdó	uun
		Ọ̀wọ̀ (Ọ̀ghọ̀)		Ọ̀wọ̀ (Ọ̀ghọ̀)	ughun
		Usẹn		Usẹn	ohun
	Ìtsẹkírì			Ìwẹrẹ	urun
	Olùkùmi			Ugbódù	urun
Proto-Yoruba	Central Yoruba	Èkìtì	Èkìtì	Àdó Èkìtì	uun
				Ìfàkì Èkìtì	uun
			Àkúrẹ́	Àkúrẹ́	uun
	Northwest Yoruba	Ẹ̀gbá		Abẹ́òkúta	ohun
		Ìbàdàn		Ìbàdàn	ohun
		Ìbọ̀lọ́		Òṣogbo (Òsogbo)	ohun
		Ìlọrin		Ìlọrin	ohun
		Ọ̀yọ́		Ọ̀yọ́	ohun
		Standard Yorùbá		Nàìjíríà	ohun
				Bɛ̀nɛ̀	ohun
	Northeast Yoruba/Okun	Owé		Kabba	ughun, unghun
	Ede Languages/Southwest Yoruba	Ìdàácà	Benin	Igbó Ìdàácà (Dasa Zunmɛ̀)	unwun
		Ọ̀họ̀rí/Ɔ̀hɔ̀rí-Ìjè	Ọ̀họ̀rí/Ɔ̀hɔ̀rí/Ìjè	Ìkpòbɛ́	ihun
				Onigbolo	ihun
			Kétu/Ànàgó	Kétu	ihun
		Ifɛ̀		Akpáré	iŋɛ́
				Atakpamɛ	iŋɛ́
				Tchetti (Tsɛti, Cɛti)	iŋɛ́
		Southern Nago		Ìsakété	ihun
				Ìfànyìn	ihun
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

• nǹkan
• ohunkóhun (“anything”)
• olóhun (“owner”)
• oúnjẹ (“food”)
• òǹ-

Etymology 2

Proposed to be derived from Proto-Yoruboid *ó-ɓũ̀ (“sound, language”). Compare with Igala ómù, Itsekiri owùn, possibly Igbo onu

Alternative forms

• owùn
• oùn
• eréwùn, eréùn

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ō.hũ̀/

Noun

ohùn

1. voice, sound

   Synonym: ìró

   a óò gbọ́ ohùn ìyá, a óò gbọ́ ohùn ọmọ ― May we hear the voice of the mother, may we hear the voice of the baby (prayer for a pregnant woman)

2. tone, accent
3. speech, utterance

   Synonyms: ifọ̀, ọ̀rọ̀

   ìjìnlẹ̀ ohùn ẹnu Ifá ― The philosophical speech from the mouth of Ifa

Synonyms

Yoruba varieties

Language Family	Variety Group	Variety	Words
Proto-Itsekiri-SEY	Southeast Yoruba	Ìjẹ̀bú	eréùn, eréwùn, oùn, owùn
		Ìkálẹ̀	-
		Ìlàjẹ	-
		Oǹdó	-
		Ọ̀wọ̀	-
		Usẹn	-
Proto-Yoruba	Central Yoruba	Èkìtì	oùn
		Ifẹ̀	-
		Ìgbómìnà	-
		Ìjẹ̀ṣà	-
		Western Àkókó	-
	Northwest Yoruba	Àwórì	-
		Ẹ̀gbá	-
		Ìbàdàn	ohùn
		Òǹkò	-
		Ọ̀yọ́	ohùn
		Standard Yorùbá	ohùn
	Northeast Yoruba/Okun	Ìbùnú	-
		Ìjùmú	-
		Ìyàgbà	-
		Owé	ohùn
		Ọ̀wọ̀rọ̀	-

Derived terms

• dá lóhùn (“to answer”)
• dáhùn (“to answer”)
• ewì alohùn (“oral poetry”)
• ẹ̀rọ amóhùngbilẹ̀ (“amplifier”)
• ẹ̀rọ gbohùngbohùn (“microphone”)
• gbohùngbohùn (“echo”)
• gbólóhùn (“sentence”)
• ohùn ìsàlẹ̀ (“low tone”)
• ohùn òkè (“high tone”)
• olóhùn (“vocal”)
• àmì ohùn (“tonal mark”)
• èdè olóhùn (“tonal language”)
• òhùn ààrin (“mid tone”)