ABSTRACT
The theoretical framework on which to develop the notion of Ẹlàlọrọ in reference to Yoruba philosophy and ethnolinguistics in Yoruba education is inherently metalingual. This is because in order to understand its location and appreciate its significance in the context of the discourse, we have to depend on the same concept, Ẹlàlọrọ, as our frame of reference. This tends to beg the question at the surface level, but at the underlying level it provides the necessary tool for the etymological and epistemological analysis of the concept. Through its exegesis, we also learn how verbal arts play a central role in the learning process among Yoruba people. The following componential analysis of the word Ẹlàlọrọ provides insight into the overall meaning of the concept as well as its significance in Yoruba indigenous pedagogy.
