Olè lọmọ olè ńfìwà jọ.
Where character shows
Ìpilẹ̀
Olè lọmọ olè ńfìwà jọ.
Ìtumọ̀ ọ̀rọ̀-sí-ọ̀rọ̀
- Olè a-thief lọmọ olè is-whom the-child-of-a-thief ńfìwà jọ resembles in-character.
Ìtumọ̀ Gẹ̀ẹ́sì
"A thief's child takes after him."
Orísun náà kò dárúkọ ẹni tí ó túmọ̀ rẹ̀.
Ohun tí ó túmọ̀ sí
Character runs in a household.
Ìgbà tí a ń lò ó
Owomoyela: "One takes after one's parents"
Àkíyèsí lórí ìtumọ̀
Fìwà jọ, to resemble in character, is a fixed idiom distinct from jọ, to resemble in appearance. Yorùbá marks the difference lexically where English needs a phrase. Set against entry 24 it forms a pair on inheritance of character, and neither proverb allows the child much room.