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Language Information

Yoruba, with the stress on the first syllable, is one of the major languages of Nigeria. It is spoken in the southwestern part of the country, in the region whose principal city is Ibadan. There are about 30 million speakers.

Yoruba is one of the Kwa languages, which form a subgroup of the Niger-Congo family.

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Family: Niger-Congo
Subgroup: Western Sudanic
Branch: Kwa

Writing Sample

Translation

The king is chosen by a council of elders from among those who have a certain blood descent. A curious ceremony precedes a king's election. His powers of endurance and self-restraint are tested by the chiefs, who, on the day appointed for the coronation, go to the king's palace, get hold of him forcibly, and flog him with a whip. If the ordeal is suffered without flinching, then the king is crowned; if not, another king is chosen.

A King's Election in Yoruba Land