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

Alternative forms

• ùwọ (SEY)
• ụ̀ọ (Ekiti)
• ùgwọ (Ao)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ì.wɔ̄/

Pronoun

ìwọ

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

   Synonym: ụ̀wẹ

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

Alternative forms

• ùghọ́ (Ìkálẹ̀, Ìlàjẹ, Ọ̀wọ̀, Oǹdó)
• ùwọ́ (Ìjùmú, Ìjẹ̀bú)
• ụ̀ọ́ (Èkìtì, Ìjẹ̀ṣà)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ì.wɔ́/, /ī.wɔ̀/

Noun

ìwọ́ or iwọ̀

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

   Synonyms: idodo, udodo

Usage notes

• iwọ̀ is only used by speakers of the Northeast Yoruba dialect of Owe