ọkin

Yoruba

Ọ̀kín

Alternative forms

• ọ̀kị́n
• ọ̀kẹ́n

Etymology

The ọ̀kín bird originally referred to the white morph of the African Paradise flycatcher, which has extremely long, white wings. It is praised as "king of the birds." Upon the introduction of peacocks to Nigeria sometime in the mid-1900s, ọ̀kín became a neologism referring to the peacock, and now it is widely used.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɔ̀.kĩ́/

Noun

ọ̀kín

1. (dated) African paradise flycatcher, especially the white morph form with white tail feathers
   • 2015 February 12, John Idakwoji, An Ígálá-English Lexicon, Partridge Publishing Singapore, →ISBN, page 288:

     Ọ̀kín bàbá ẹiyẹ, ọ̀kín ẹlẹ́wà àlà

     Okin the father of the birds, okin, the one with the beautiful white feathers

2. (modern) peafowl; peacock (peacocks did not live in the range of Yorubaland in the past, and were introduced in recent times)

Derived terms

• Ìlárá-Mọ̀kín
• Afunbíọ̀kín