awọn

See also: awon

Yoruba

Etymology 1

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ā.wɔ̃́/

Noun

awọ́n

1. (Igbomina) tongue

Alternative forms

• ahán, ahọ́n

Etymology 2

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

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ā.wɔ̃́/

Noun

awọ́n

1. 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

1. Precedes a noun to mark it as plural.

Pronoun

àwọn

1. they (emphatic third-person plural personal pronoun)
2. 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	Location	Words
Proto-Itsekiri-SEY	Southeast Yoruba	Ào	Ìdóàní	ọ̀nọn
		Eastern Àkókó	Àkùngbá Àkókó	ọ̀ghọn, ọ̀wọn
			Ṣúpárè Àkókó	ọ̀wọn
		Ìjẹ̀bú	Ìjẹ̀bú Òde	ọ̀wọn
		Ìkálẹ̀	Òkìtìpupa	àghan
		Ìlàjẹ	Mahin	àghan
		Oǹdó	Oǹdó	àghan
		Ọ̀wọ̀	Ọ̀wọ̀	ọ̀ghọn
		Usẹn	Usẹn	àghan
	Ìtsẹkírì		Ìwẹrẹ	àghan
	Olùkùmi		Ugbódù	àwan
Proto-Yoruba	Central Yoruba	Èkìtì	Àdó Èkìtì	ị̀n-ọn
			Àkúrẹ́	ị̀n-ọn
			Ọ̀tùn Èkìtì	ị̀n-ọn
		Ifẹ̀	Ilé Ifẹ̀	ìghan
		Ìjẹ̀ṣà	Iléṣà	ìghan
	Northwest Yoruba	Àwórì	Èbúté Mẹ́tà	àwọn
		Ìbàdàn	Ìbàdàn	àwọn
		Ìbọ̀lọ́	Òṣogbo	àwọn
		Ìlọrin	Ìlọrin	àwọn
		Ọ̀yọ́	Ọ̀yọ́	àwọn
		Standard Yorùbá	Nàìjíríà	àwọn
	Northeast Yoruba/Okun	Ìyàgbà	Yàgbà East LGA	ìghọn
		Owé	Kabba	ọ̀ghọn
	Ede Languages/Southwest Yoruba	Ọ̀họ̀rí/Ɔ̀hɔ̀rí-Ìjè	Yewa	ọ̀họn
		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.

See also

Affirmative subject pronouns

	singular	plural or honorific
1st person	mo	a
2nd person	o	ẹ
3rd person	ó	wọ́n

Negative subject pronouns

	singular	plural or honorific
1st person	mi / n	a
2nd person	o	ẹ
3rd person	[pronoun dropped]	wọn

Object pronouns

	singular	plural or honorific
1st person	mi	wa
2nd person	ọ / ẹ	yín
3rd person	[preceding vowel repeated for monosyllabic verbs] / ẹ̀	wọn

Note: except for yín, object pronouns have a high tone following a low or mid tone monosyllabic verb, and a mid tone following a high tone. For complex verbs, the tone does not change.

Emphatic pronouns

	singular	plural or honorific
1st person	èmi	àwa
2nd person	ìwọ	ẹ̀yin
3rd person	òun	àwọn

Etymology 4

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /à.wɔ̃̀/

Noun

àwọ̀n

1. net
2. veil

Derived terms

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