Yoruba

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Agbo màlúù ní Nàìjíríà.

Etymology

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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

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Noun

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màlúù

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

Synonyms

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Descendants

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  • Edo: emẹlu (bull)
  • Urhobo: imelu (cattle)