Possibly cognate with Igala ékwù, Igala òkwúkwù, cognate with Olukumi órókún, Itsekiri oríkẹ́sẹ̀, Ifè ìrúkú, and Àhàn égú, Proto-Lower Cross River *é-kùɔŋ, Igbo ǹkù (“a protruding part of the body”). Proposed to be derived from Proto-Yoruba *o-ríkṹ, *e-kíkṹ, from Proto-Edekiri *o-ríkṹ, *e-kíkṹ, ultimately from the root Proto-Yoruba *-kṹ (“to kneel”). See Doublet of gún (to stick out) and Doublet of kúnlẹ̀ (to kneel). Equivalent to orí (“head, surface”) + kún (“to kneel”), literally “The surface that which kneels”