awọn

See also: awon

Yoruba

Etymology 1

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ā.wɔ̃́/

Noun

awọ́n

(Igbomina) tongue

Alternative forms

ahán, ahọ́n

Etymology 2

a- (“agent-creating prefix”) +‎ wọ́n (“to be expensive”)

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ā.wɔ̃́/

Noun

awọ́n

something or someone that is expensive

Etymology 3

Proposed to be derived from Proto-Yoruboid *à-ɓã, see Itsekiri àghan, Ifè àŋa, Igala àma, Olukumi àwan, Àhàn xà

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /à.wɔ̃̄/

Particle

àwọn

Precedes a noun to mark it as plural.

Pronoun

àwọn

they (emphatic third-person plural personal pronoun)
he, she, they (emphatic honorific third-person singular personal pronoun)

Synonyms

Yoruba Varieties and Languages - àwọn (“they, plural particle”)
view map; edit data
Language Family	Variety Group	Variety/Language	Subdialect	Location	Words
Proto-Itsekiri-SEY	Southeast Yoruba	Ào		Ìdóàní	ọ̀nọn
		Eastern Àkókó	Àkùngbá	Àkùngbá Àkókó	ọ̀ghọn, ọ̀wọn
		Eastern Àkókó	Ṣúpárè	Ṣúpárè Àkókó	ọ̀wọn
		Ìjẹ̀bú	Ìjẹ̀bú	Ìjẹ̀bú Òde	ọ̀wọn
		Ìkálẹ̀ (Ùkálẹ̀)		Òkìtìpupa	àghan
		Ìlàjẹ (Ùlàjẹ)		Mahin	àghan
		Oǹdó		Oǹdó	àghan
		Ọ̀wọ̀ (Ọ̀ghọ̀)		Ọ̀wọ̀ (Ọ̀ghọ̀)	ọ̀ghọn
		Usẹn		Usẹn	àghan
	Ìtsẹkírì			Ìwẹrẹ	àghan
	Olùkùmi			Ugbódù	àwan
Proto-Yoruba	Central Yoruba	Èkìtì	Èkìtì	Àdó Èkìtì	ị̀n-ọn
			Àkúrẹ́	Àkúrẹ́	ị̀n-ọn
			Mọ̀bà	Ọ̀tùn Èkìtì	ị̀n-ọn
		Ifẹ̀ (Ufẹ̀)		Ilé Ifẹ̀ (Ulé Ufẹ̀)	ìghan
		Ìjẹ̀ṣà (Ùjẹ̀ṣà)		Iléṣà (Uléṣà)	ìghan
	Northwest Yoruba	Àwórì		Èbúté Mẹ́tà	àwọn
		Ẹ̀gbádò		Ìjàká	ọ̀họn
		Ìbàdàn		Ìbàdàn	àwọn
		Ìbọ̀lọ́		Òṣogbo (Òsogbo)	àwọn
		Ìlọrin		Ìlọrin	àwọn
		Ọ̀yọ́		Ọ̀yọ́	àwọn
		Standard Yorùbá		Nàìjíríà	àwọn
	Northeast Yoruba/Okun	Ìyàgbà		Ìsánlú Ìtẹ̀dó	ìghọn
	Northeast Yoruba/Okun	Owé		Kabba	ọ̀ghọn
	Ede Languages/Southwest Yoruba	Ifɛ̀		Akpáré	àŋa
Note: This amalgamation of terms comes from a number of different academic papers focused on the unique varieties and languages spoken in the Yoruboid dialectal continuum which extends from eastern Togo to southern Nigeria. The terms for spoken varieties, now deemed dialects of Yorùbá in Nigeria (i.e. Southeast Yorùbá, Northwest Yorùbá, Central Yorùbá, and Northeast Yorùbá), have converged with those of Standard Yorùbá leading to the creation of what can be labeled Common Yorùbá (Funṣọ Akere, 1977). It can be assumed that the Standard Yorùbá term can also be used in most Nigerian varieties alongside native terms, especially amongst younger speakers. This does not apply to the other Nigerian Yoruboid languages of Ìṣẹkírì and Olùkùmi, nor the Èdè Languages of Benin and Togo.

Etymology 4

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /à.wɔ̃̀/

Noun

àwọ̀n

net
veil

Derived terms

àtòpọ̀-àwọ̀n (“network”)
àwọ̀n ẹ̀fọn (“mosquito net”)

		subject		object¹	emphatic
		affirmative	negative	object¹	emphatic
singular	1st person	mo	mi / n	mi	èmi
	2nd person	o		ọ / ẹ	ìwọ
	3rd person	ó	[pronoun dropped]	[preceding vowel repeated for monosyllabic verbs] / ẹ̀	òun
plural	1st person	a		wa	àwa
	2nd person	ẹ		yín	ẹ̀yin
	3rd person	wọ́n	wọn	wọn	àwọn