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Secondly, the conventional (orthographically correct)
way of writing Yoruba frequently differs from the way it is
spoken. It is very common when speaking to add an extra vowel to
the end of some words
in a sentence depending on its context. Thus:
"Yoruba
Language" is written as "Èdè
Yorùbá" but pronounced "Èdèe
Yorùbá" The extra "e" is
necessary to lend fluency to speech. In order to make it
possible to learn to speak Yoruba properly from reading Yoruba
text and save the beginner from the error of developing
"staccato speech", we have departed from the
convention on occasions and inserted this extra vowel to the written text
for teaching purposes. This extra vowel that
has to be pronounced as a terminal slur is indicated in italics
with the font size of the letter reduced to draw attention
to it. Thus: "Èdè Yorùbá",
pronounced "Èdèe Yorùbá" is written as "Èdèe Yorùbá".
We intend to try to add sound clips as
much as possible to the Yoruba text on this site as time
permits. In order to derive full benefits from what we have to
offer it is recommended that you join our "Yoruba Readers'
Club of North America". A password-protected section
is currently being developed for members who will enjoy special
privileges (for a small fee) in their quest to learn
Yoruba.
Watch out for further details. |