LanguageHistory Documentary
Before Yoruba was first written down, attempts were made to invent a new alphabet and to adapt Arabic script — but the Roman alphabet won out, fixed by the missionary translators of the 1840s.
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Straight from the book
“After several fruitless efforts had been made either to invent new characters, or adapt the Arabic, which was already known to Moslem Yorubas, the Roman character was naturally adopted, not only because it is the one best acquainted with, but also because it would obviate the difficulties that must necessarily arise if missionaries were first to learn strange characters before they could undertake scholastic and evangelistic work. With this as basis, special adaptation had to …”
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