Divisions of Time in a Day (Àkókò Ọjọ́)
Traditional Yoruba timekeeping relies on natural phenomena like the sun's position, shadows, cock crowing, and moon phases,rather than clocks. The day is divided into several periods, with specific greetings (ìkíni) tied to them.
Common divisions and greetings:
Period (Approximate Time)
Yoruba Traditional Time of Day
Àárọ̀ / Owúrọ̀ – Early Morning
7:00 AM – 9:00 AM
Dawn to mid-morning; sun rising, cool air
Greeting: Ẹ káàárọ̀
Ìyálẹ́ta – Late Morning
10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Sun climbing higher; approaching midday
Greeting: Ẹ kú ìyálẹ́ta
Ọjọ́ kárí / Òjánkárí – Midday
12:00 PM – 1:00 PM
Sun directly overhead or near noon
Greeting: Ẹ káàsán / Ẹ kú ọjọ́ kárí
Ọ̀sán / Ọ̀sán gangan – Hot Afternoon
1:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Sun at its hottest and highest
Greeting: Ẹ káàsán
Ìrọ́lẹ̀ / Òjòrò – Late Afternoon / Sunset
4:00 PM – 6:00 PM
Sun descending; cooling toward sunset
Greeting: Ẹ kú ìrọ́lẹ̀
Alẹ́ / Àṣálẹ́ – Dusk / Early Evening
7:00 PM – 11:00 PM
Sunset to early night; twilight
Greeting: Ẹ kú àṣálẹ́ le
Òru / Ògànjọ́ – Night
12:00 AM – 1:00 AM
Full night; deep darkness
Àjìn – Deep Night
1:00 AM – 3:30 AM
Midnight to pre-dawn; deepest darkness
Ìdájí / Afẹ́mọ́júmọ̀ – Before Dawn
4:00 AM – 6:00 AM
Before the Western calendar, Yoruba people counted time using:
– Shadow
– Sun
– Cock crow
– Moon
The moon was mainly used to calculate months.
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