The practice of word equivalent entails discarding the true meaning of a word in exchange for one that suits the agenda of someone else. The word equivalent almost never means the same as originally intended.

The Old Yoruba word ‘Igbimọ’ lost its meaning when translated into the English word ‘Council’ (a body of people elected to manage the affairs of a territory). According to onomastic analysis, Igbimọ is a compound word comprising of the principal verb ‘mọ’ meaning ‘to know’ and the prefix ‘Igbi’ meaning ‘the gathering’. The real meaning of Igbimọ in the Old Yoruba thus was ‘a commingling of people who had knowledge’. The Igbimọ label in the olden days would have applied to leaders of the guilds and professions (Amọran) - farmers, hunters, traders, herbchemists, Ifa practitioners and so on. Igbimọ has no English equivalent, to invent one is deceitful.

The Old Yoruba word ‘Ijọba’ lost its meaning when translated into the English word ‘Kingdom’ (territory ruled by a king). According to onomastic analysis, Ijọba is a compound word comprising of the principal verb ‘ba’ meaning ‘to sit’ and the prefix ‘Ijọ’ meaning ‘a congregation’. The real meaning of Ijọba in the Old Yoruba thus was ‘people who gathered to deliberate’, which in those days would have been the group of decision-makers and political guides. Ijọba has no English equivalent, to invent one is deceitful.

The English words ‘council’ and ‘kingdom’ do not properly describe how the Yoruba of yore governed themselves. According to the words ‘Igbimọ’ and ‘Ijọba’, every group in society with their respective different backgrounds and skills participated in the political process as decision-makers. The underlying philosophy was that every group had its own wisdom.  The individual was not as wise as his group. The sum of the group wisdoms was the only guarantor of peace and good governance. Government was the business of every group in the society. This is the Yoruba Pluralocracy or people power.

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