Orí, Àṣẹ and the Yoruba Body: A Complete Guide·Glossary
Glossary & pronunciation
Yoruba is a tonal language with three tones — and tone changes meaning, not just melody:
| Mark | Tone |
|---|---|
| á | High |
| a | Mid (no mark) |
| à | Low |
And two extra vowels, with a dot below:
| Letter | Pronunciation |
|---|---|
| ẹ | open e |
| ọ | open o |
| ṣ | sh |
| j | j (as in English jam) |
| p | kp — simultaneous k and p |
| gb | gb — simultaneous g and b |
Examples: Yorùbá = yo-RU-ba · orí = o-RI · àṣẹ = A-she · Ọ̀ṣun = O-shun · Ṣàngó = SHAN-go · Èṣù = E-shu · bàbáláwo = ba-ba-LA-wo.
That the language is tonal will prove critical in chapter 12 — because it is what lets a drum literally speak.