E ku osu titun
To say "happy new month" in Yoruba, use E ku osu titun.
This greeting is used specifically at the beginning of a new month to acknowledge the transition and wish the recipient well.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of Ẹ kú (greetings/congratulations), osu (month) and tìtún (new).
Did you know?
- The greeting Ẹ kú is a versatile 'universal' prefix used to acknowledge almost any state of being, from waking up to working hard or even experiencing a hardship.
- The word òsù for 'month' is also used in Yoruba to refer to the moon, as the calendar is historically tied to lunar cycles.
- The particle ku in this context is related to a wide family of Niger-Congo words, including the Ewe word kuku, which shows the deep linguistic roots of the greeting.
Examples in context
- E ku osu titun fun gbogbo eniyan.Happy new month to everyone.
- E ku osu titun, mama mi.Happy new month, my mother.
Example conversation
Morenike and Tunde meet on the first morning of the month.
- MorenikeTunde, e ku osu titun!Tunde, happy new month!
- TundeE se, Morenike. E ku osu titun na.Thank you, Morenike. Happy new month to you too.
- MorenikeSe o ni ire l’osu yi?Will you have good luck this month?
- TundeBeeni, ire ni fun gbogbo wa.Yes, goodness for all of us.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ku, CC BY-SA 4.0.
