Meaning of oriki | Babel Free

Definitions

1. A form of Yoruba oral praise poetry, (ewì), it is characterized by long epithets praising and acknowledging the traits, accomplishments, and or attributes a specific person, family or lineage, town, animal, òrìṣà, subethnic group etc.
2. A class of Yoruba names, this form of oriki known as oríkì ṣókí, it consists of short single Yoruba praise names or nicknames.
3. definition

Examples

“This form of oriki is known as oríkì jáǹtìrẹrẹ, and are normally chanted or sang.”

“Oríkì ní ó gbajúmọ̀ jù nínú gbogbo ohùn-ẹnu Yorùbá”

Oriki is the most popular of the Yoruba oral poetic genres

“It is often given by one's grandmother or older relative, similar to a cognomen. These often are informal and not part of the official name of a person.”

“a kì í pe orúkọ ẹni k'á báni wí; a kì í porúkọ odò k'ódò gbéni lọ; bẹ́ẹ̀ náà ni a kì í sọ oríkì ọmọ kínúu rẹ̀ má yọ̀ síni”

We do not call someone's name and begin to reprimand him; we do not cite the name of a river and get drowned by it; similarly we do not recite the praise name of a child and he does not rejoice at it

CEFR level