Street
oyinbo
What does oyinbo mean?
A common, largely neutral descriptive term used across Nigeria for a white or light-skinned foreign person; can also be used more loosely for anything associated with the West.
"See that oyinbo dey buy suya for the roadside."
Origin
From Yoruba; documented in Wikipedia's "Loanwords in Nigerian Pidgin" article and on naijalingo.com.
Frequently asked questions
What does "oyinbo" mean?
It means a white person or a foreigner of European descent.
Where does the word come from?
It comes from Yoruba and has spread across Nigeria as a common, generally neutral descriptive term.
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