oní-
prefix
/ō.nĩ́/
olí- (alternative), lí- (alternative)
Definitions
-
a prefix (added to nouns to detail ownership or association to the noun)
oni- + ilé (“house”) → onílé (“landlord”)oni- + adé (“crown”) → aládé (“royal, prince”)oni- + ìṣègùn (“medicine”) → oníṣègùn (“doctor”)oni- + ààfin (“palace”) → Aláàfin (“title of a king”)oni- + oyè (“chieftaincy title”) → olóyè (“chief”)oni- + ẹmu (“palm wine”) → ẹlẹ́mu (“palm wine seller”)oni- + ọmọ (“child”) → ọlọ́mọ (“parent”)oni- + edé (“crayfish”) → elédé (“crayfish seller”)oni- + uṣu (“yam”) → onúṣu (“yam seller”)oni- + múrí méjì (“40 naira”) → onímúrí méjì (“that which is worth 40 naira”)
Etymology
From o- (“nominalizing prefix”) + ní (“to have; to own”). The "o" prefix harmonizes with the initial vowel associated with the noun it precedes. Since /n/ and /l/ are allophonic in Yoruba, the prefix often changes to an /l/ when in compounds. However, it always remains an /n/ in Southeastern Yoruba dialects, while it always remains an /l/ in Central Yoruba dialects like Ekiti and in the Egba dialect.
Component words
o-nominalizing prefixníto have; to own
Source: Wiktionary,
where this word is spelled “oni-”.
Reference:
en-oni--yo-prefix-nTGMUeCG