maluu

Yoruba

Agbo màlúù ní Nàìjíríà.

Etymology

Possibly from an older form màlúwù. It is a very old loan word, likely from a language of what is now Northern Nigeria (as that is how cows likely arrived to Yorubaland, perhaps from Fula. Cognate words do not exist or have not been found in the modern vocabulary of Northern languages that have vocabulary borrowed by the Yoruba (Baatonum, Fulfulde, Hausa, Nupe), thus possibly suggesting it may have likely borrowed from a now extinct language, or a word no longer used in the vocabulary of the original language.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /mà.lúù/

Noun

màlúù

1. cow, ox, cattle; (in particular) zebu cow

Synonyms

Yoruba varieties (cow)

Language Family	Variety Group	Variety	Words
Proto-Itsekiri-SEY	Southeast Yoruba	Ìjẹ̀bú	màlúù
		Ìkálẹ̀	-
		Ìlàjẹ	-
		Oǹdó	màlúù
		Ọ̀wọ̀	màlúghù
		Usẹn	-
Proto-Yoruba	Central Yoruba	Èkìtì	ẹlịlá
		Ifẹ̀	-
		Ìgbómìnà	-
		Ìjẹ̀ṣà	-
		Western Àkókó	-
	Northwest Yoruba	Àwórì	-
		Ẹ̀gbá	-
		Ìbàdàn	màlúù
		Ọ̀yọ́	màlúù
		Standard Yorùbá	màlúù
	Northeast Yoruba/Okun	Ìbùnú	-
		Ìjùmú	-
		Ìyàgbà	ẹinlá
		Owé	ẹlá
		Ọ̀wọ̀rọ̀	-

Descendants

• → Edo: emẹlu (“bull”)
• → Urhobo: imelu (“cattle”)