Ẹnu tí a fi ń pe Adégún ni a fi ń pe Adéògún – Yoruba Wisdom on Public Opinion

Last updated: January 11, 2026

Yoruba Wisdom

Ẹnu tí a fi ń pe Adégún ni a fi ń pe Adéògún

Literal Translation

It is the same mouth used to call Adégún that is used to call Adéògún.

Interpretation

At its core, this proverb is about the mouth (ẹnu) — not merely as a vehicle for words, but as a symbol of collective voice, social judgment, and public sentiment. The proverb does not accuse speech itself; it interrogates the instrument that produces it.

In Yoruba moral thought, the mouth is neutral, flexible, and easily redirected. It praises and condemns with equal ease. What changes is not the mouth, but circumstance, advantage, and mood.

On a deeper level, the proverb addresses the fickleness of public opinion:
The same collective voice that crowns today may uncrown tomorrow, without shame or memory. Trust placed in applause, acclaim, or verbal loyalty is therefore unstable.

Poetic and Linguistic Depth

This proverb is also a celebration of Yoruba linguistic artistry.

• Adégún (Adé + gún): “the crown is firmly established.”
• Adéògún (Adé + Ògún): literally “the crown of Ògún,” or more interpretively, a crown whose authority is derived, contested, or situational rather than settled.

Phonetically, the names are rhythmically close — a near-mirror — allowing the proverb to glide musically while carrying a sharp contrast in meaning. This closeness reinforces the lesson: status can shift without effort, sometimes by nothing more than a tonal turn of the same mouth.

The beauty here is Yoruba’s ability to compress history, politics, sound, and moral caution into a single, balanced line.

Application

• In leadership: It warns rulers and public figures not to confuse popular praise with permanent legitimacy. The crowd’s mouth is agile.
• In society: It critiques gossip culture, mob judgment, and performative allegiance.
• In personal wisdom: It counsels emotional restraint — do not rise or fall too quickly on what mouths say.

Ultimately, the proverb urges allegiance to character and consistency, not to voices that shift with convenience.

Broad Theme

The Fickleness of Public Opinion

Supporting Themes

Power and neutrality of the mouth, instability of praise, reputation and legitimacy, social judgment, language as authority, Yoruba political consciousness, poetic compression, sound and meaning.

Closing Note

This proverb is not cynical — it is clear-eyed. It does not despise the mouth; it simply refuses to worship it. In doing so, it preserves one of the deepest Yoruba lessons: what lasts must stand beyond sound.