Oluwo of Iwoland, Abdulrosheed Adewale has enjoined Yoruba scholars to upgrade and fill gaps in Yoruba language and curriculum in schools.
The monarch asked stakeholders and professionals to update, upgrade and refurbish the language to strengthen it.
He said, “ the Chinese use their language to study other subjects and courses from elementary to tertiary institutions.”
Oluwo implored scholars to organise summits concerning what he described as a lacuna in the indigenous language.
In a statement by his press secretary, Alli Ibraheem, Oluwo said Yoruba is the best language all over the world.
“I call on stakeholders to hold a summit and constitute a powerful team of Yoruba scholars that will adopt names for items of no Yoruba translation. For example, we only say chairs (Aga)when there are many types of chairs. Equally, Yoruba numerical counting is limited.
“What is Yoruba for trillion? Do we have names for categories of lights? How can we fix Yoruba names for everything such that it will be an independent language?
“It is only in Yoruba a single word can mean different things depending on the usage. The strength in the language should be updated, upgraded and refurbished. Yoruba professors, doctors, teachers and students should harmonize to address the lacuna in the language.
“Hardly will you speak Yoruba for 2-minute without incorporating English? Many English words, objects and events are without Yoruba translation. I continually ask myself why scholars are not interested in challenging the challenge,” he said.
