eniyan

Yoruba

Alternative forms

• èèyàn
• ọ̀nìyàn (Ijebu, Ìdàáṣà)
• ọ̀nị̀yọ̀n (Ekiti)
• 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

Derived terms

• ẹ̀dá-ènìyàn (“homo sapiens”)