Welcome Ajami

 
 
 
The Yoruba people have a long history of existence, so their language. Several factors have helped in the codification of Yoruba into a recognized language, and a major means of communication. No doubt, these developments have made writing, documentation, and preservation of information for short and long terms possible in Yoruba language. These factors are:

The Role of  AJAMI

Yoruba was first reduced to writing around 17^th century by Islamic scholars who introduced Ajami- an Arabic word for foreign things or foreigners. Ajam in Arabic means “one who is illiterate in language” “silent” or “mute.” The term at first referred to non Arabs and people of Southern Persia, who lived, or who were on a temporary visit to any of the Arabian lands or countries. But as time went by, the derogatory Arabic term assumed a new meaning of arabized version of foreign languages and names. According to Wara Alma, Ajami is a system or method of writing other languages by adopting Arabic modified script.  Empires in Western Sudan between 10^th and 17^th centuries benefited from this writing system: old Ghana, Mali, Songhai, Mandinka, Kanuri, Yoruba, Berber, Hausa, Wolof, and Fulfulde. Ajami was so popular not only in West Africa but also in other parts of Africa which explains the similarities in many of the Sudanese languages. Sudanese languages constitute a major block under Niger-Congo language families spoken by most African people.

In fact, Ajami script writing had significant impact on Yoruba, because, some of the spoken words and phrases in our day-to-day conversation were derivatives from Arabic words or terms. Abu Abdullah Adelabu documented some of these words, also, Baldi Sergio in his book, “On Arabic Loan in Yoruba” gave a list of some of these Arabic words found in Yoruba. However, original or (probable) Yoruba terms are provided by this author.

Again, it should be borne in mind that these derivatives and many more have their Yoruba equivalents.

With Ajami, native speakers were able to learn, and to write in Yoruba by using Arabic script; more important, they were able to record and to document things such as: “family eulogies, genealogies, births, (even death), weddings, biographies, poetry, political satires, advertisements, road signs, public announcements, speeches and personal correspondences” says Wara Alma.

Also, Ajami writing system made the codification of diseases/sicknesses possible. Native doctors were able to document causes, prognosis, and cures for sicknesses; and above all, administrative correspondences were possible, as kings had secretaries, who wrote and kept all the official documents: diplomatic, legal, administrative, and economic matters (Hassane, 2008; 115-117).

Ajami script method reached a crescendo in 18th and early part of 19th centuries, when a new wave of Islam revivalists swept through Western Sudan by the Futa-Tooroo Fulanis of Senegal and Wolof; and also the Futa-Jalon Fulanis in Guinea–some of who, migrated to Ghana and modern day Nigeria. The most prominent of them was Usman Dan Fodio, who led the jihad in the Hausa and Kanuri geo-confines (now Northern Nigeria) at the beginning of 19th century, a movement that altered the political landscape of several kingdoms which constituted the modern day Nigeria in 1914 (Gerald, 1981).

Nevertheless, Ajami popularity started declining with the introduction of Christianity, and the colonization of Africa; the outcome of African partition by European powers after the 1884 Berlin Conference. In fact, another era was opened in Yoruba history, as a spoken language in terms of speech making and writing.