Omoluwabi

The Omoluwabi is a philosophical and cultural concept that's native to the Yoruba people. It's used to describe a person of good character. The omoluabi concept signifies courage, hard work, humility and respect.[1] An omoluabi is a person of honor who believes in hard work, respects the rights of others, and gives to the community in deeds and in action. Above all, an omoluwabi is a person of integrity.[2]

The Omoluwabi concept is an adjectival Yoruba phrase, which has the words - "Omo + ti + Olu-iwa + bi" as its components. Literally translated and taken separately, omo means 'child', ti means 'that or which', Olu-iwa meaning the chief or master of Iwa (character), bi means 'born'. When combined, Omoluabi translates as "the child begotten by the chief of iwa. Such a child is thought of as a paragon of excellence in character.[3]

An omoluwabi demonstrates and exhibits the inherent virtue and value of Iwapele. Iwapele is ultimately the basis of moral conduct in Yoruba culture and a core defining attribute of an omoluwabi. The most fundamental of these principles demonstrated by an omoluabi are;[4]

  • Oro Siso (Spoken word, the Yoruba accord great respect for intelligent and expert use of language)
  • Iteriba (Respect)
  • Inu Rere (Good will, Having a good mind towards others)
  • Otito (Truth)
  • Iwa (Character)
  • Igboya (Bravery) personified by an "Akinkanju"
  • Ise (Hardwork)
  • Opolo Pipe (Intelligence)[5]

An individual can be termed an omoluabi irrespective of the religion the person adheres to. Consequently, some of the characteristics and traits of an omoluabi are considered virtues in many religions, for example, humility, truth and honesty. Omoluwabi is a variant of Omoluabi broken down into Omo-l-ua-bi. As defined previously, Omo is child. The letter "l" is a link similar to "ti" meaning that or which. The word "ua" means community meeting place, normally at the palace when the Oba presides. The word "bi" means "born". Put together, Omo-l-ua-bi means a child born (nurtured / raised / trained) by the community. The only change being highlighted here is "ua" as a Yoruba word.

See also

References
  1. Fola Kareem Olajoku - "Nigeria: The Omoluwabi Terminology"
  2. Dolapo Adeniji-Neill, PH.D. Adelphi University Ruth S. Ammon School of Education Garden City, NY - "Omoluwabi: The Way Of Human Being: An African Philosophy's Impact On Nigerian Voluntary Immigrants Educational And Other Life Aspirations"
  3. Fayemi, Ademola Kazeem, Department of Philosophy, Lagos State University Ojo, Lagos - "Human Personality and the Yoruba Worldview: An Ethico-Sociological Interpretation"
  4. Abimbola, Wande (1975) “Iwapele: The Concept of Good Character in Ifa Literary Corpus”, Wande Abimbola (ed.) Yoruba Oral Tradition: Poetry in Music Dance and Drama (Ibadan: University of Ibadan Press).
  5. "What does "iwa ibajẹ" mean in Yoruba?". WordHippo. 2009-02-19. Retrieved 2019-09-29.
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