Most Nigerian songs that use our native language use Yoruba language.

Most slangs used outside of Nigeria have a relationship with Yoruba language.

Most foreigners who want to learn or study a Nigerian language choose to study Yoruba. Titi Oyinbo and her colleagues, among others, can bear witness to this.

Yoruba people seem to travel outside of Nigeria more than any other Nigerian tribe (this is based on anecdotal evidence, so don't crucify me).

Anyone who disagrees with me should say so, but please do so civilly.

Princek12:

Most Nigerian songs that use our native language use Yoruba language.

Most slangs used outside of Nigeria have a relationship with Yoruba language.

Most foreigners who want to learn or study a Nigerian language choose to study Yoruba. Titi Oyinbo and her colleagues, among others, can bear witness to this.

Yoruba people seem to travel outside of Nigeria more than any other Nigerian tribe (this is based on anectodal evidence, so don't crucify me).

Anyone who disagrees with me should say so, but please do so civilly.

This is a bad thing and very unationalist. We need to start building our own nation.

There is no doubt that Yoruba has gained some popularity among Western linguists but you might want to consider some of your points.

You said: "Most Nigerian songs that use our native language use Yoruba language."
Does this mean that Ibibio songs use Yoruba or Igbo songs are sung in Yoruba? Every ethnic group has it's own entertainment giants and artists. It's a thing to say that there are many songs in Yoruba but to say that most Nigerian songs are sung in Yoruba is something else. Until you have listened to an extensive collection of music from every ethnic group, you can't make this statement. 'Till then, it's merely a thing of opinion.

You also said: "Yoruba people seem to travel outside of Nigeria more than any other Nigerian tribe (this is based on anectodal evidence, so don't crucify me)." This can also be an opinion because until you've lived in every Nigerian-diaspora community you can't find out. And what anecdotal evidence was this?

As for the part about Yoruba language, you're correct. The Yoruba civilisation is studied by Afrologists and archaeologists so it's natural for the language to also be studied.

It's its survival in Latin America that popularized it.(kudos to the cubans, brazilians, etc)

Outside Nigeria where,Europe abi Africa

Last I checked there are Hausa speakers in:
Ghana
Burkina Faso
Niger
Senegal
Ivory Coast
Mali
Guinea Conakry etal

So,IMO,the most influential and widely spoken lingo in Nigeria and indeed W.Africa is Hausa.

@OP,you however are entitled to ya opinion.

odumchi:

It's not as if the people there speak full-fledged Yoruba. What they have is a creole language (Gullah) that contains recognizable bits of Yoruba. Even in Haiti where people are rumored to speak Igbo all they have is a creole language with bits of Igbo-like words. These languages arent spoken as a vernacular but are used for special occasions and/or religious festivals. And besides, only a percentage of the people actually know them today.

Your comment in bold is true. The Ifa religion also played a role in the appeal of Yoruba among these latin americans. They're were lucky to have had slave masters who tolerated african culture and languages.

Princek12:

Most Nigerian songs that use our native language use Yoruba language.

Most slangs used outside of Nigeria have a relationship with Yoruba language.

Most foreigners who want to learn or study a Nigerian language choose to study Yoruba. Titi Oyinbo and her colleagues, among others, can bear witness to this.

Yoruba people seem to travel outside of Nigeria more than any other Nigerian tribe (this is based on anecdotal evidence, so don't crucify me).

Anyone who disagrees with me should say so, but please do so civilly.

You're obviously very sheltered in your region, and obviously none of this is backed up so how do we disagree or agree without entering a useless argument?

Some communities speak full/broken Yoruba, unlike most other African languages. The only other language that survived like Yoruba was Efik. How do we judge influence of language?

ezeagu:
The only other language that survived like Yoruba was Efik.

What aspects of Efik were preserved in the Americas?

mbatuku2:

What aspects of Efik were preserved in the Americas?

Ekpe was taken to Cuba, at first they spoke a spin off of the Isuama language they called Suama, that died, and the Ekpe (Abakua in Cuba) switched to Efik for their ceremonies.

Princek12:

Most Nigerian songs that use our native language use Yoruba language.

Most slangs used outside of Nigeria have a relationship with Yoruba language.

Most foreigners who want to learn or study a Nigerian language choose to study Yoruba. Titi Oyinbo and her colleagues, among others, can bear witness to this.

[b]Yoruba people seem to travel outside of Nigeria more than any other Nigerian tribe (this is based on anecdotal evidence, so don't crucify me).[/b]Anyone who disagrees with me should say so, but please do so civilly.

relating to the bolded, lies, lies and lies.
The only country in this World where the Yorubas travel more than Ndigbo is the U.K.
Even the Edos, Ibibios and Urhobos travel out of Nigeria more than the Yorubas.
I will not crucify you for your shallow knowledge.

Andre Uweh:

relating to the bolded, lies, lies and lies.
The only country in this World where the Yorubas travel more than Ndigbo is the U.K.
Even the Edos, Ibibios and Urhobos travel out of Nigeria more than the Yorubas.
I will not crucify you for your shallow knowledge.

true,those black Americans know what akata means now!

If we're going by what words they know, then Kongo is the most influential language in Africa after Swahili. And the whole word knows what okra is, which is Igbo.

ezeagu:

If we're going by what words they know, then Kongo is the most influential language in Africa after Swahili. And the whole word knows what okra is, which is Igbo.

In the English-speaking world that is. It's also known as lady's fingers outside the U.S and Africa.

Ilamina:

It's true.

Hausa.

ifyalways:

Outside Nigeria where,Europe abi Africa

Last I checked there are Hausa speakers in:
Ghana
Burkina Faso
Niger
Senegal
Ivory Coast
Mali
Guinea Conakry etal

So,IMO,the most influential and widely spoken lingo in Nigeria and indeed W.Africa is Hausa.

@OP,you however are entitled to ya opinion.

Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Togo, Benin, Chad, Cameroon

Outside Africa Yoruba is more speakers. 

It depends on what region or country outside Nigeria because if you mean other countries like Niger then I would say Hausa is most influential there but if it Yoruba I would say Brazil and Cuba. So i guess it depends on the country however most Nigerian hip hop and rap singers outside Nigeria like D'banj, Ice prince, and etc use alot of Yoruba infused in English in their music so there could be some truth to that.

First of all, we haven't defined "influential"

Secondly, Nigerian/Sierra Leonean pidgin English/Jamaican Patois is most influenced by Igbo/Niger Delta languages.

mbatuku2:

In the English-speaking world that is. It's also known as lady's fingers outside the U.S and Africa.

I checked, and the plant is also known as Okra (Okura) in Japanese, Dutch, Tagalog, Swedish, Finnish, Catalan, and a few other languages.

It's only on NL that I found out that okro is an Igbo word lol. A slave-period adopted word.
Seriously, who knew ?

Princek12:

Most Nigerian songs that use our native language use Yoruba language.

Most slangs used outside of Nigeria have a relationship with Yoruba language.

Most foreigners who want to learn or study a Nigerian language choose to study Yoruba. Titi Oyinbo and her colleagues, among others, can bear witness to this.

Yoruba people seem to travel outside of Nigeria more than any other Nigerian tribe (this is based on anecdotal evidence, so don't crucify me).

Anyone who disagrees with me should say so, but please do so civilly.

Yoruba is easy to learn.

And Yoruba to Westerner is like water that quenches their African curiosity thirst.

But outside of Nigeria, Swahili takes the cake.

Hausa barely goes beyond Africa, I mean most of the upper African continent is populated by Hausas, it has to travel. We have Burkina Fasos who are Hausas. Nigeria aint their only country o.

Andre Uweh:

relating to the bolded, lies, lies and lies.
The only country in this World where the Yorubas travel more than Ndigbo is the U.K.
Even the Edos, Ibibios and Urhobos travel out of Nigeria more than the Yorubas.
I will not crucify you for your shallow knowledge.

Let's hope that you have facts to back up your statement. Una still think we dey in the 1960s
Or you and the OP making statements based on what you see around your area?
Infact Ekitis, one of Nigeria poorest state travel out more than the Ndigbos. But when we think about the unequal population, then one can say Ndigbo travel out more than Ekiti ppl. But in reality, 5 Ekitis to 1 Igbo.


PS: What happened to writing Igbo on the 2010 US census? Not enough ppl?

Ileke-IdI:

Let's hope that you have facts to back up your statement. Una still think we dey in the 1960s
Or you and the OP making statements based on what you see around your area?
Infact Ekitis, one of Nigeria poorest state travel out more than the Ndigbos. But when we think about the unequal population, then one can say Ndigbo travel out more than Ekiti ppl. But in reality, 5 Ekitis to 1 Igbo.


PS: What happened to writing Igbo on the 2010 US census? Not enough ppl?

Even within the Yoruba race, Ekiti people are not the most travelled.
Take it or leave it, the only country Yorubas travel more than Ndigbo is the U.K.

They are many yorubas in Canada tho

Ilamina:

They are many yorubas in Canada tho

Yea, yet Ndigbo outnumbers them.

Andre Uweh:

Even within the Yoruba race, Ekiti people are not the most travelled.
Take it or leave it, the only country Yorubas travel more than Ndigbo is the U.K.

LOL yea, as you took/left my previous post.

Andre Uweh:

Yea, yet Ndigbo outnumbers them.

Take it or leave it, they dont.

Andre Uweh:

Even within the Yoruba race, Ekiti people are not the most travelled.
Take it or leave it, the only country Yorubas travel more than Ndigbo is the U.K.

What's the point arguing a well know fact. Or maybe it's only inside Nigeria Igbo people are found everywhere in higher numbers than other minorities?

It is Hausa.

Hausa is more influential within Africa.

Outside of the continent of Africa, yes, I think Yoruba is arguably the most influential language in Nigeria.

At least if you judge by say universities which offer courses in it, things like that.

Who cares why does a thread like this exists