Fwd: ALAYE

Thu Mar 21 17:51:44 UTC 2002

George has the meaning of the word essentially right.
As he probably discovered, it's derived from  aye (M
H) "world" (the low, mid, and high tones in Yoruba will
be marked here as L, M, H in parens after the word.
Apply one tone per vowel unless two tones are
hyphenated, in which case they both go on one vowel.)
The nominalization o+ni+aye (M H M H) "one-
who+have+world" becomes  alaye (M H H) by normal
phonological processes in Yoruba and is a very frequent
structure that can have a lot of meanings.  o+ni+ata (m
H M M) "one-who+have+pepper" becomes  alata (M H M)
means "pepper seller".  alaye can be used as part of a
greeting to a chief and is sometimes also used in
reference to a chief.  The word translated as "king",
Oba (M M)  really refers to the often hereditary ruler
of a town.  Since the Yorubas are traditionally an urban-
dwelling culture, the role of  Oba  is important,
but "king" suggest things in English that  Oba  isn't.

There is another Yoruba word  aye (L L)  "chance,
opportunity", and the nominalization  alaya (M H-L L)
would mean something like "one who has an opportunity".
The words are completely different in Yoruba because the
tones are different.  In English they would be
homophones.

Of course, once the word gets into the Yoruba-influenced
sector of African-American culture it takes on a life of
its own that may have little to do with its Nigerian
meaning.  Yoruba name are now fairly common, although
they are pronounced as if they were English, and Yoruba
words for cultural artifacts and practices have also
come to be used.  A few years ago, I attended a drum
festival near Muncie led by a man in Yoruba costume and
with a Yoruba name.  He also used a few Yoruba words.
Afterwards I greeted him in Yoruba and complimented him
on the festival.  His Yoruba was tied exclusively to the
names of a few objects and practices in the festival and
was not conversational.  This is, of course, common
practice in a lot of subcultures in this country, where
a few words of the original first language survive but
few people still speak the language.

Herb Stahlke
Ball State University
> Anyone care to respond to him?  Please write him directly as well as
> posting to the list. Thanks.
>
> >Return-Path: georgeb2 at pgen.net
> >From: "georgeb2" <georgeb2 at pgen.net>
> >To: <jdhall at facstaff.wisc.edu>
> >Subject: ALAYE
> >Date: Thu, 21 Mar 2002 12:09:55 -0000
> >X-Priority: 3
> >X-MSMail-Priority: Normal
> >X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.50.4522.1200
> >
> >Yesterday I e-mailed your colleague but now I recognise this action may
> >have been in error as today on re-visiting your site I discover she
> >appears to be concerned with your webpage as opposed to the dictionary.
> >ALAYE is the word in question.
> >I have learned quite easily its Yoruba roots and present-day Nigerian
> >usage, as well as a Levantine usage of closely related  meaning.  Whether
> >the latter is coincidental or this word crossed the Sahara by the
> >commercial camel routes one way or the other I know not.  This is not my
> >primary concern.
> >What I need to know to complete my research is when and how did the word
> >ALAYE cross into the US.?
> >The only US. usage of which I am aware is the title 'Men of Alaye' for a
> >video and calendar(s) (V+C) published in 1998 et seq.  The sub-text for
> >both was 'Men fit to be king' or 'Men who would be king' which lines up
> >with the Yoruba usage, as 'owner of the universe' or 'king' or 'his
> >majesty', more colloquially 'the in-people'.  There are further Yoruba
> >references to place names including the word 'Alaye' and historical
> >honoured personal names.  The V+C referred to above were touted as
> >showcases for black achievers and included Shemar Moore, Rick Fox, Malcolm
> >Jamal-Warner, Ginuwine and others.  Since these (only) men were
> >photographed in various states of undress one might opine that a more
> >pragmatic goal for the publishers was to achieve beefcake sales.  Be that
> >as it may ...
> >Did the producers of the V+C. import the word Alaye from Nigeria for their
> >specific purpose, or did they pick up on this word by finding it already
> >in the US.?  If the latter then  it ought to be possible to find examples
> >of its use before 1998.  My advice from an eminent academic in UK. whose
> >special field is African languages is that it was probably an import in
> >the same vein as 'Kwansaa' (I need not explain its meaning to a US.
> >lexicographer)  But was this importation by the V+C makers in 1998?  Or
> >earlier?  If so, by whom?
> >There is another possibility though, I venture, highly unlikely.  In the
> >Caribbean islands many West African words are still in use, as you must
> >know.  This persistence, I discover, is virtually unheard of in the US.
> >where slaves were deliberately parted from those of like origin to avoid
> >the build-up of ethnic cliques and any threat to (white) order which might
> >so derive.  I understand that words even only suspected to be of African
> >origin in the US. from slavery days can be numbered on the fingers of one
> >hand.  Please correct me if I'm in error.
> >I have a picture in my mind of someone, possibly a staffer for the V+C
> >company, telephoning a linguist friend, even the US. originator of
> >'Kwansaa', and saying 'Heh, we're getting these pix together and we want a
> >distinctive name.  It's all about ..."  If that conjecture is putting the
> >cart before the horse, then WHERE and HOW did WHO take the word ALAYE on
> >board,  consequently to erect a panoply of beefcake in its honor?
> >If these questions are too burdensome I will have to be satisfied with 'We
> >can find no examples of this word in the US. before 1998', or 'see (given
> >reference or references)'
> >If this is not impertinent, may I please thank you for your help in
> >anticipation.
> >You may legitimately pose a question for me:  Why on earth should I
> >indulge in such abstruse research?  Am I so commissioned by a
> >dictionary?  No.  Truth is I'm angry!  There is a black US. website
> >originated in year 2000 called Alaye Men of the obvious name-origin,
> >within which I have contributed to several discussion groups concerning
> >themselves with Racism.  Ever since visiting this site, being an obsessive
> >etymologist, I have wondered at its name.  One of my fellow-contributors,
> >not addressing me personally, wrote "... Alayemen (sic)  - a drawing card"
> >which I rightly interpreted as 'something that attracts' so I responded by
> >thanking him for his explanation, adding that I hoped I might receive
> >further assistance, the name of the dictionary to consult, derivation and
> >linguistic origin.  The repsonse to my request was not what I might have
> >anticipated.  What I gained from the contributor who had told me 'A
> >drawing card' was:
> >"Your not being able to find the meaning or even the word Alaye should
> >tell you something, that everything that is existing in our sulture (sic)
> >cannot be researched, understood by all, thus rendering many hopelessly
> >without comment, yet many still try..i.e.you guys"  I have retained all
> >the details, including typo. and punctuation, from the contribution to the
> >discussion.
> >That has made me mad!  So I have determined to show up the writer for what
> >he has written, obscurantist claptrap!  Why could he not have ignored my
> >request?  Why try to erect a Tolkein mystery where there is none?  My
> >research in Nigeria and the Levant has been easily completed through
> >academic Nigerian friends but I am left with what may or may not be a
> >black hole in the US.  And no, I require no lecture on oral cultures from
> >the above contributor or anyone else!
> >Please HELP!
> >
> >George BURRELL, LONDON
> >SW2            <mailto:georgeb2 at pgen.net>georgeb2 at pgen.net
> >
> >