igi iwe

Yoruba

Etymology

From igi (“tree; wood”) +‎ ìwé (“book”), literally “tree of books”.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ī.ɡī ì.wé/

Noun

igi ìwé

1. (figurative, colloquial) bookworm; avid reader; serious student

   Synonym: ìwé ọgbà

   Antonym: èso òdo

   igi ìwé, èso òdo ― always studying, yet always failing (literally, “tree of books, fruit of zero”)