(Part-2)
The ‘ABẸRẸ’ (See Frame-1):
The ‘Abẹ̀rẹ̀’ (or ‘Abẹ̀rẹ̀n’ in its nasal accent) is also claimed nowadays by Binis (Edos) to have originated with them. This claim is false, & this is exposed below by linguistics & archaeology.
As per the linguistic evidence, the Bini refer to this emblem as ‘ẹ̀bẹ̀n’. This pronunciation is a relatively new one. We know this because Cyril Punch who visited the Bini king in 1889 & 1891 did document its Bini name as 𝘌̣𝘣𝘦̣𝘳𝘦̣. Frame-2.
Contrasting the pre-1900 Bini ‘ẹbẹrẹ’ with the Yoruba ‘abẹrẹ’, one notices the Bini feature of altering Yoruba first-letter-‘a’ into ‘ẹ’ (with few exceptions). For example, ‘Akurẹ’* got altered to ‘Ẹkurẹ’* in Bini language. See note below.
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Besides, the ‘r’ here is silent; thus ‘Ẹkuẹ’. This is another Bini language feature. See Frame-2.
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In the light of these facts, the trajectory of the shift goes as: Abẹrẹ → Ẹbẹrẹ → Ẹbẹẹ → Ẹbẹ.
With the nasal accent, the trajectory went as: Abẹrẹn → Ẹbẹrẹn → Ẹbẹẹn → Ẹbẹn.
It now becomes clear from this exposition that ‘Ẹbẹ(n)’ is the altered form & not the other way around. An etymological inquiry would thus be on ‘abẹ̀rẹ̀n’, and not the distorted form ‘ẹ̀bẹ̀n’.
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The term ‘abẹ̀rẹ̀’ comprises two Yoruba terms, viz. ‘abẹ’ & ‘ùrẹ̀’ (‘ìrẹ̀’ in the common dialects).
That is, ‘abẹ̀rẹ̀’ is derived from ‘abẹ-ìrẹ̀’; where ‘abẹ’ here literally means ‘blade’ (Frame-3), & ‘ùrẹ̀’/‘ìrẹ̀’ here literally means ‘favor’, ‘comfort’ or even ‘grace’. Refer to Frame-3.
In essence, ‘abẹ̀rẹ̀’ (‘abẹ-ìrẹ̀’) literally refers to the “blade of favor”. A popular Yoruba proverb does highlight 3 layers of meaning of ‘ìrẹ̀’ using a fantastic rhetorical device. It goes as follows:
𝘒𝘢̀𝘬𝘢̀ 𝘬𝘰́ 𝘳𝘦̣̀ 𝘮𝘪́ 𝘮𝘢̀𝘢́ 𝘮𝘶́ 𝘪̀𝘳𝘦̣̀ 𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘥𝘰̀, 𝘮𝘢̀𝘢́ 𝘧𝘪 𝘴̣𝘦 𝘰̣𝘮𝘰̣ 𝘦̣𝘫𝘢 𝘭𝘰́𝘰𝘳𝘦. The literal translation in piecemeal goes:
𝘒𝘢̀𝘬𝘢̀ 𝘬𝘰́ 𝙧𝙚̣̀ 𝘮𝘪́—Rather than I be 𝘁𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗱
𝘔𝘢̌ 𝘮𝘶́ 𝙞̀𝙧𝙚̣̀ 𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘥𝘰̀—I’d take 𝘁𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 to the river
𝘔𝘢̌ 𝘧𝘪 𝘴̣𝘦 𝘰̣𝘮𝘰̣ 𝘦̣𝘫𝘢 𝘭𝘰́𝙤𝙧𝙚 — As a 𝗳𝗮𝘃𝗼𝗿 to the fishes.
Until one considers the 3 layers of meaning of ‘ìrẹ̀’ (Right Side Frame-3) this proverb remains partly clear in respect of its poetic eloquence.
In sum, this proverb eloquently flaunts 3 layers for ‘ìrẹ̀’, viz. ‘tiredness’, ‘cricket’ and ‘comfort’:
Rather than I experience 𝘁𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀, I’d even set out to go feed some 𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗲𝘁 to the fishes as my gesture of 𝗳𝗮𝘃𝗼𝗿 (or 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗳𝗼𝗿𝘁) on them.
Furthermore, two common words in which this term hides in plain sight are ‘rẹ̀mí’ (or ‘comfort me’) & ‘àyángbùrẹ̀n’ (“the chosen got favor”).
The royal significance of the “blade of favour” is thus that it is conferred by a royal authority as a token of ‘blessing’ on a monarch or chief.
The recipient in turn employs it as an article or an accessory used to gesticulate ‘blessings’ (& ‘recognition’) similar to how an ‘ìrùkẹ̀rẹ̀’ (from: ‘ìrùkẹ̀-ìrẹ̀’ — “tassel of favor”, literally) is used.
The ‘Abẹ̀rẹ̀’ has, for now obvious reasons thus been aptly translated by some as the “Sword of Mercy”. See Frame-4 on the Alaafins’ rites.
It is from the ingenuity of the Yorubas that the ‘Abẹ̀rẹ̀’ emerged, it is only in Yoruba language that its etymological derivation can be found.
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The archaeological evidence of the Ifẹ̀ roots of the Abẹ̀rẹ̀ consists of a classical-era carving of three Abẹ̀rẹ̀ on a living-rock at Agídí site in Ifẹ̀.
Refer to Frame-6 for a photograph of an Abẹ̀rẹ̀ petroglyph. (From: Frank Willett, 2004:S144).
This is the earliest hard evidence of this object from anywhere within Nigeria. This fact as well as the etymological roots do reaffirm Ifẹ̀ as the origin and source of the royal Abẹ̀rẹ̀ emblem.
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