London: Ìyà-Ilé (The First Wife) at Soho Theatre: May 14, 2009 08:30 PM - Jun 20, 2009 08:30 PM

[timiadebowale]

The tonal accents on Iya-Ile would be right if they represent the meaning of Iya Ile as "homely suffering". They would be wrong however if they are meant to represent the literal meaning of the first wife, which is, the mother of the house.

Yoruba language tonal accents are of the first three notes of music, namely doh reh mih. The accents presented on the book title is doh doh-reh mih. If the title is meant to be, as I said earlier, the mother of the house, then the accents should be doh mih-reh mih.

I have seen too many film titles, purportedly expounding the fundamentals of Yoruba grammar, but wrongly, that I feel I should point this out.

[Ayatullah]

Thanks timiadebowale for a very good observation. I wonder why they have to destroy the title of their play. It is quite shameful, because they have with the tonal accent used destroyed everything!

Actually the yoruba word for the first wife is a single word IYALE with the tonal accent (Doh-mih-mih). Which should be a stroke on "I"(left stroke), on "A"(right stroke) and on "E"(right stroke).

I feel bad when I go around the cities of Nigeria buying Yoruba CDs with such bad tonal accents. I wonder why these artistes do not consult those who know. They only bring shame to the beautiful yoruba language because they are in a hurry to make money.

I believe its too late for them to make changes to their poster that will be all over London now, but they should at the begining of the play apologise for the error and correct it in subsequent print.

[okenikpoto]

I fear you people on NVS. I salute the observation sha.

[ciroagobe]

Same here. Its aweson. Uncle ciro