Akíńi ńjẹ́ akíńi – Yoruba Wisdom on Exposure and Discretion [Ẹ̀gbá Version]

Last updated: January 7, 2026

Yoruba Wisdom

Akíńi ńjẹ́ akíńi, afinihàn ńjẹ́ afinihàn, èwo ni ti ará Ìbàdàn l’ójúde Ṣódẹkẹ́?

Literal Translation

A greeter is a greeter; a revealer is a revealer — which one is “hey, you Ibadan man, passing in front of Ṣódẹkẹ́’s courtyard”?

Historical & Cultural Context

This proverb is a contextual inversion of an earlier saying tied to Ogunmólá of Ibadan and an Ijàyè man. Here, the setting shifts to Abeokuta, the base of Ṣódẹkẹ́, the founding war leader of the Egba people.

Oral tradition holds that a similar encounter occurred:
Someone, attempting either mischief or careless familiarity, sought to expose the identity of a passerby in the presence of a powerful warlord by loudly naming his origin — “ará Ìbàdàn” — in a politically sensitive space.

In an era where origin could equal danger, such exposure was not neutral. Naming someone publicly before a hostile authority could amount to betrayal.

Interpretation

This proverb draws a sharp ethical boundary between harmless social behaviour and dangerous disclosure.

• Akíńi is merely a greeter — one who acknowledges another politely.
• Afinihàn is a pointer — one who reveals, exposes, or subtly betrays identity.

The rhetorical question — èwo ni ti ará Ìbàdàn…? — is sarcastic and corrective. It calls out the speaker’s behaviour as neither greeting nor courtesy, but reckless exposure masquerading as familiarity.

The wisdom here is precise:
Not every act of speech is innocent; some words endanger lives.

Application

The proverb is used to rebuke:

• People who expose others under the guise of friendliness
• Those who reveal sensitive information casually
• Individuals who cannot distinguish between social ease and situational danger

It applies strongly in:

• Politics and power dynamics
• Workplace discretion
• Communal conflicts
• Personal trust and confidentiality

The saying reminds us that context determines meaning. What sounds like a greeting in one space may function as betrayal in another.

Broad Theme

Discretion, Exposure, and the Ethics of Speech

Supporting Themes

Social intelligence, betrayal by speech, power and identity, political sensitivity, restraint in communication, historical memory, survival wisdom

Closing Reflection

This proverb is not about silence — it is about knowing when speech becomes a weapon. In Yoruba moral reasoning, wisdom is not only what you say, but what you refuse to point at.