Yorkish Episode 3: Mutual idioms in Yoruba and Turkish

On By siddiqoyeIn Türkçe3 Comments

An Idiom is a group of words established by long usage as having a meaning not deducible from those of the individual words. Generally, the frequent, and proper use of idioms undoubtedly represents the eloquence and proficiency of a speaker. Idioms in a language are greatly influenced by the culture and environment of its speakers. Thus, like I have experienced, trying to pass a message with a language’s idiom in another language is difficult and sometimes embarrassing.

I have been able to pen down some mutual idioms in Turkish and Yoruba languages. To make reading easier, the items are stated in their literally English meaning which may make no sense or appear funny to someone who speaks none of the two languages.

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Yorkish Episode 2: Animal Metaphors in Yoruba and Turkish Language.

On By siddiqoyeIn Language and Culture, Türkçe7 Comments

The use of figurative statements, metaphors and similes (TR: benzetme YR: afiwe) is a long-established part of almost, if not all the world languages. While making this symbolization and representation, human liken each other to certain animals, in order to portray the fact that the one who is likened behaves or looks like the animal to which he or she is likened to. But then, human perceives situations differently, thus their representation culture is not always the same. In this episode, let’s see how animal metaphors are used in Yoruba and the Turkish languages. Which animal’s name represent what….

Continue reading “Yorkish Episode 2: Animal Metaphors in Yoruba and Turkish Language.” →

Yorkish Episode 1: Similar Turkish and Yoruba Words of Arabic Origin

On By siddiqoyeIn Language and Culture, Türkçe1 Comment

Although the relationship between Yoruba and Arabic language remains a subject of debate among scholars of linguistics and history, it will not be exaggeration to agree that the Arabic and Islamic culture has directly or indirectly, influenced the Yoruba language. In the case of Turkish, there is no doubt about the influence of Arabic language, as a whopping number of over 6000 words were loaned to Turkish-(let’s pretend it is an overdraft)…smirks. Well, no qualms as a language dies when it fails to loan words.

I will be sharing with you 10 out of many similar words in Turkish and Yoruba that have their roots in Arabic language. Enjoy your reading!

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YORKISH: A comparison between Turkish and Yoruba. (Intro)

On By siddiqoyeIn General, Language and Culture, TürkçeLeave a comment

It has been ages since I posted here, a situation that is not unconnected to my travel and learning a new language. Yeah! Installing a new language pack into my small head is the true definition of complication. And same is life in diaspora! Despite the hurdles and struggle, it is great to attain the lovely height of being a polyglot, a situation I had never foreseen. Hence you may not be wrong to guess that I suddenly became a language and culture lover! A new hobby that has brought me back here.

Undoubtedly, pouring out all I discovered or learnt in Turkish language or the Turkish society may be utopian. However, I will still love to serve you a part of the gist in the coolest way.

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It’s a race, not a play.

On By siddiqoyeIn Islam2 Comments

All doctors should be authors were my words to a doctor friend who got my feeble heart moved by narratives of people who fought hard to live in the same world I comfortably live in. people fight death for several days, months and years. Spending and selling all their worldly materials to remain in the same world. Like they say; nobody wants to die but everyone wants to go to heaven. Even though this has a large exemption if the paradise is what is intended. However, one would like to ask if people struggle so hard in getting the paradise?

track-field

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Nigeria; the curse that caused our problem

On By siddiqoyeIn People, PlacesLeave a comment

A nation blessed with resources and potential that keeps promising after 55 years of independence. Her government keeps moving from kinds of administrations. Her leadership swaps between looting technocrats and honest mediocrities. Little wonder, the country continues to sail like a ship with no route that even a kid would say “Nigeria is a cursed nation”.

Who cursed Nigeria?

flag-map-of-nigeria-600x480

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When the signs of Allah become His curse

On By siddiqoyeIn Islam, Places2 Comments

In the ancient city of Suleja, behold are sights of rocks and hills. Standing out is the magnificent one featured on the one hundred Naira note, a gigantic rock that could be seen virtually from any angle of the city. It sure calls for sightseeing.

In the dawn of my stay in Suleja, I had went visiting the Zuma rock site along with two other colleagues, an exploration we found worthy as first timers in the city. We walked around the rock, surveyed the environs, feasting our eyes on its flora and stream. Indeed we could not fathom why the government neglected such tourist attraction that’s a kingdom by itself, and close to the federal capital territory. Continue reading “When the signs of Allah become His curse” →

As a Press club member, what can I do for my school?

On By siddiqoyeIn Secondary Education10 Comments

press

Click this; if you want to know about Press Club activities in secondary school.

It was my pleasure to be at press club sent-forth ceremony of Community Secondary School Suleja on 29th July as guest, and this is my transcribed address.

The bright faces and nice dresses I’m seeing give a flash back at those days when I was a member of my secondary school press club. This is my third visit to your school, and I must say, your conduct and manners are indeed erasers to the negativity attributed to your school, thus I will say “As press members, you can do a lot for your school”. These includes but not limited to;

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Ile kewu on the blink; Recommendations from my little brain

On By siddiqoyeIn Islam5 Comments

In my earlier piece on our malfunctioning informal Islamic school system, I safely concluded that fingers are best pointed at the Muslim community as a whole on the problems facing this local learning centres. Reactions of the readers suggest that many share my opinion and thus, we ask; what are the solutions to these problems?

I decided to air my thoughts on some strategies which I feel could help in putting the local Islamic schooling system to shape, and here they are;

  • Appreciation

There definitely need to be a rise in value of the system, and the work revolves around person attitude, motivation and reinforcement. The myopic attitude of parents to the gains of the madaris saddens but could be corrected by orientation and reinforcement. Parents should be admonished about the virtues of the knowledge and viable perimeters should be put in place to attract their patronage. Continue reading “Ile kewu on the blink; Recommendations from my little brain” →