ORIGIN OF THE WORD “YANMIRI”

ORIGIN OF THE WORD “YANMIRI”

The word “Yanminri” as appelation for Igbo was not given to them by Hausa. Rather, it is a derivation from their own language “Nye m mmiri” which means ‘give me water’. This was what escapists and returnees from Biafra war were saying to the Yorùbá after the war, asking them to give them water to drink as a result of the long journey. Many Yorùbá did not understand the sentence but guessed what they want from their gestures. That was how Yorùbá started calling them “Yanminri” based on what they heard them say in common.

Hausa learned the word from Yorùbá. They also modified it in the way they could call it, “Yinmirin”. That’s why till today, the two derivative of the name exist in Yorùbá i.e. both yanmirin and yinmirin.

It should be noted that the word does not connote any abusive meaning initially. Just as aboki means friend in Hausa language.

Dish them facts, don’t abuse them.