Edoid | |
---|---|
Geographic distribution | South-central Nigeria, west of the Niger River, south of the confluence of the Benue |
Linguistic classification | Niger–Congo? |
Proto-language | Proto-Edoid |
Subdivisions |
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Language codes | |
Glottolog | edoi1239 |
The Edoid languages are a few dozen languages spoken in Southern Nigeria, predominantly in the former Bendel State. [1] The name Edoid derives from its most widely spoken member, Edo, the language of Benin City, which has 30 million native and secondary speakers.
The following classification is based on that of Elugbe (1989). [2]
Ihievbe and Aduge are unclassified within their branches.
An alternative classification of the Edoid languages by Lewis (2013:160): [3]
Lewis's [4] study is an improvement on Elugbe's classification, as more languages were identified and classified. However, omitted the Uvbie of the South-Western Edoid branch (cf. Emoefe et al. (2017). [5] )
Below is a list of language names, populations, and locations from Blench (2019). [6]
Language | Branch | Cluster | Dialects | Alternate spellings | Own name for language | Endonym(s) | Other names (location-based) | Other names for language | Exonym(s) | Speakers | Location(s) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Degema | Delta | Atala, spoken in Degema town, and Usokun spoken in Usokun–Degema | Dẹgẹma | Atala, Usokun | (Udekama not recommended) | 10,000 (SIL) | Rivers State, Degema LGA | ||||
Engenni | Delta | Ediro, Inedua, and Ogua; Zarama in Yenagoa LGA | Ngene, Ẹgẹnẹ | Ẹgẹnẹ | 10,000 (1963); 20,000 (1980 UBS) | Rivers State, Yenagoa and Ahoada LGAs | |||||
Epie | Delta | Two clans, Epie and Atiṣa in at least three towns: Agudiama, Akẹnfai, Yẹneguẹ | Epie–Atissa, Epie–Atiṣa | 12,000 (SIL) | Rivers State, Yenagoa LGA | ||||||
Emai–Iuleha–Ora cluster | North-Central | Emai–Iuleha–Ora | Ivhimion. Spurious languages Ihievbe and Uokha are listed in Ethnologue (2009) | Kunibum | Ivbiosakon | estimated 100,000 plus (1987 Schaefer) [7] | Edo State, Owan, LGA | ||||
Emai | North-Central | Emai–Iuleha–Ora | estimated 20–25,000 (1987 Schaefer) | ||||||||
Iuleha | North-Central | Emai–Iuleha–Ora | Aoma | estimated 50,000 (1987 Schaefer) | |||||||
Ora | North-Central | Emai–Iuleha–Ora | estimated 30,000 (1987 Schaefer) | ||||||||
Esan | North-Central | Many dialects | Ishan | Awain | 183,000 (1952); 500,000 estimated in 1963: Okojie & Ejele (1987) [8] | Bendel State (now Edo State and Delta State), Agbazilo, Okpebho, Owan and Etsako LGAs | |||||
Ikpeshi | North-Central | 1,826 (Bradbury 1957) [9] | Edo State, Etsako LGA | ||||||||
Etsako | North-Central | Auchi, Uzairue, South Ivbie, Uwepa–Uwano, (Weppa–Wano), Avbianwu (Fugar), Avbiele, Ivbiadaobi | Yẹkhee: not all speakers of the language recognise this as the name of the language. | Etsakọ | Iyẹkhee, Afenmai, Kukuruku (not recommended) | 73,500 (1952), 150,000 (UBS 1987) | Edo State, Etsako, Agbako and Okpebho LGAs | ||||
Ghotuọ | North-Central | Otwa, Otuọ | 9,000 (1952) | Edo State, Owan and Akoko–Edo LGAs | |||||||
Ivbie North–Okpela–Arhẹ cluster | North-Central | Ivbie North–Okpela–Arhẹ | 14,500 (1952); possibly 20,000 (1973 SIL) | Edo State, Etsako and Akoko–Ẹdo LGAs | |||||||
Ivbie North | North-Central | Ivbie North–Okpela–Arhẹ | |||||||||
Okpela | North-Central | Ivbie North–Okpela–Arhẹ | Okpella, Ukpilla | ||||||||
Arhẹ | North-Central | Ivbie North–Okpela–Arhẹ | Atẹ, Ate, Atte | ||||||||
Yẹkhee | North-Central | Auchi, Uzairue, South Ivbie, Uwepa–Uwano, (Weppa–Wano), Avbianwu (Fugar), Avbiele, Ivbiadaobi | Yẹkhee: not all speakers of the language recognise this as the name of the language. | Etsakọ: the language is not the only language listed as being spoken in Etsako LGA. | Iyẹkhee, Afenmai, Kukuruku (not recommended) | 73,500 (1952), 150,000 (UBS 1987) | Edo State, Etsako, Agbako and Okpebho LGAs | ||||
Ẹdo | North-Central | Oviedo, Ovioba | Benin | Ẹdo (Binĩ) | 203,000 (1952), 1,000,000 (1987 UBS) | Edo State, Ovia, Oredo and Orhionmwon LGAs | |||||
Ọsọsọ | North-Central | 6,532 (1957 Bradbury) | Edo State, Akoko–Edo LGA | ||||||||
Sasaru–Enwan–Igwẹ | North-Central | Enwan, Igwẹ, Sasaru | 3,775 (1952) | Edo State, Akoko–Edo LGA | |||||||
Unẹmẹ | North-Central | Uleme, Ileme, Ineme | 6,000 (1952). | Edo State, Etsako, Agbazilo and Akoko–Edo LGAs. The Uneme are a blacksmith group and live scattered among other language groups. | |||||||
Uhami | North-Western | Isua | 5,498 (1963) | Ondo State, Akoko–South and Owo LGAs | |||||||
Ukue | North-Western | Ukpe, Ẹkpenmi | 5,702 (1963) | Ondo State, Akoko South LGA | |||||||
Ehuẹun | North-Western | Ẹkpenmi, Ekpimi, Epimi | 5,766 (1963) | Ondo State, Akoko South LGA | |||||||
Iyayu | North-Western | Idoani | 9,979 (1963) | Ondo State, one quarter of Idoani town | |||||||
Ẹmhalhẹ | North-Western | Somorika (Semolika) | 249 in Semolina town (Temple 1922) [10] | Edo State, Akoko–Edo LGA | |||||||
Ọkpamheri | North-Western | Ọkpamheri means ‘we are one’: Okulosho (Okurosho), Western Okpamheri, Emhalhe (Emarle, Somorika, Semolika). Various. | Opameri | Aduge (appears to be a town name) | 18,136 (1957 Bradbury); 30,000 (1973 SIL) | Edo State, Akoko–Edo LGA, Kwara State, Oyi LGA | |||||
Ọkpẹ–Idesa–Akuku | North-Western | Ọkpẹ, Idesa, Akuku | Edo State, Akoko–Edo LGA | ||||||||
Ọlọma | North-Western | 353 (1957 Bradbury) | Edo State, Akoko–Edo LGA | ||||||||
Ẹrụwa | South-Western | Erohwa, Erakwa, Arokwa | Delta State, Isoko LGA | ||||||||
Isoko | South-Western | various | Igabo, Sobo (see also under Urhobo) | Biotu (not recommended) | At least 74,000 (1952 REB); 300,000 (1980 UBS) | Delta State, Isoko and Ndokwa LGAs | |||||
Okpẹ | South-Western | Ukpɛ | 8,722 (1957 Bradbury) | Delta State, Okpe LGA | |||||||
Urhobo | South-Western | Several dialects, Agbarho accepted as standard. Okpe and Uvbiẹ, often regarded as dialects of Urhobo, are treated as distinct languages (q.v.) on purely linguistic grounds | Sobo (not recommended) (See also Isoko) | Biotu (See also Isoko) | at least 173,000 (1952 REB); 340,000 (1973 SIL) | Delta State, Ethiope and Ughelli LGAs | |||||
Uvbiẹ | South-Western | Uvwie, Evrie, Uvhria, Effurum, Effurun, Evhro (not recommended) | 6,000 (1952) | Delta State, Ethiope LGA |
Sample basic vocabulary for some northern Edoid languages from Lewis (2013):
Language | eye | ear | nose | tooth | tongue | mouth | blood | bone | tree | water | eat | name |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ghotuo | ɛ́ó | íhɔ̀wè | ízúé | ɛ̄kɔ̄ | nímɛ̀lè | únù | ādɛ̄ | ūgūā | ɔ̀kpótā | āmɛ̄ | ījé | évà |
Sasaru | rɛ̄rō | wózɔ́ | ízúé | lɛ̂ːkɔ̄ | úrɛ̀rɛ̄ | únú | ɔ̀rà | úgúá | ótá | āmɛ̄ | réʒí | ōvā |
Ikhin | ɛ́ɣó | ɛ̀ɣɔ̀ | èwè | áká | úwɛ̀rɛ́ | ùnù | ɔ́rá | ìgùà | òrhà | ámɛ́ | èmāèēè | èvà |
Arokho | ɛ̄xō | éxɔ̄ | íwè | ākɔ̄ | óxɛ̀rɛ̄ | únù | ɔja | úgùà | úràì | āmɛ̄ | émàē | évà |
Uroe | ɛ̄xō | èkɛ̃̀ ̀ | íwè | àkù̃ | ɔ́rɛ̄mì | únù | ɛ̀rè | ák͡pókà | órà̃ | āmɛ̄ | émírémì | êːɲì |
Igwe (Sale) | ɛ̄xō | óxɔ̀ | ísúè | ākɔ̄ | íɲɛ̀rɛ̀ | ùnù | ɔ̀rà | ígúá | ítá ̀ | àmɛ̀ | īdɛ̄ré | úrâːmī |
Igwe (Oke) | ɛ̀rō | wórɔ̀ | ísúè | ɛ̄kō | ínɛ̀nɛ̀ | únù | ɔ̄rá | ɔ̄tɛ̄kū | úkánɔ́sínóríbè | āmɛ̄ | ìlélé | óvà |
Ake | ōk͡pɛ́xò | exɔ | íwè | àk͡pàkò | úrɛ̀mì | únù | ɔ́ràì | ráì | únà | àmɛ̀ | ùgbài | éìɲì |
Okpuje | ɛ̄xō | êːxɔ̀ | érùè | ákɔ̄̃ | óxɛ̀mì | únù | ɛ̄rē | ák͡púkà | órà | àmɛ̀ | ébàè | ēhī |
Sobongida | ɛ̄xō | e̋ːxɔ̀ | éwè | ākū̃ | óxɛ̀mì | únù | ɛ̄rē | āk͡pôːkà | órà | àmè | ébàē | éhì |
Proto-Edoid is reconstructed as having a contrast between oral and nasal consonants and oral and nasal vowels typical for the region. However, in some Edoid languages nasal vowels have been reanalyzed as allophones of oral vowels after nasal consonants, and in others nasal consonants have been reanalyzed as allophones of oral consonants before nasal vowels, reducing the number of phonemically nasal consonants. Urhobo retains three nasals, /m,n,ɲ/, and has five oral consonants with nasal allophones, /ɺ,l,ʋ,j,w/; in Edo this is reduced to one phonemic nasal, /m/, but eight additional consonants with nasal allophones, /p,b,t,d,k,ɡ,kp,ɡb/; and in Ukue there are no indisputably phonemic nasals and only two consonants with nasal allophones, /l,β/.
In phonetics, a nasal, also called a nasal occlusive or nasal stop in contrast with an oral stop or nasalized consonant, is an occlusive consonant produced with a lowered velum, allowing air to escape freely through the nose. The vast majority of consonants are oral consonants. Examples of nasals in English are, and, in words such as nose, bring and mouth. Nasal occlusives are nearly universal in human languages. There are also other kinds of nasal consonants in some languages.
Fon also known as Dahomean is the language of the Fon people. It belongs to the Gbe group within the larger Atlantic–Congo family. It is primarily spoken in Benin, as well as in Nigeria and Togo by approximately 2.28 million speakers. Like the other Gbe languages, Fon is an isolating language with a SVO basic word order.
Edo, colloquially and often referred to as Bini, is the language spoken by the Edo ethnic group in Edo State, Nigeria. Benin is not a language but, rather, the name of the capital city, and the name of the Kingdom. Edo language is the native tongue of the Edo people and was the primary language of the Benin Empire and its predecessor, Igodomigodo for thousands of years. Edo language is the majority language spoken in Edo State, particularly in Benin City, and the surrounding local governments and senatorial districts in the Southern parts of the State. While everyone from the state are referred to as Edolites, but the Edo speaking people are known as the Edos.
Yoruboid is a language family composed of the Igala group of dialects spoken in south central Nigeria, and the Edekiri group spoken in a band across Togo, Ghana, Benin and southern Nigeria, including the Itsekiri of Warri Kingdom.
Guéré (Gere), also called Wè (Wee), is a Kru language spoken by over 300,000 people in the Dix-Huit Montagnes and Moyen-Cavally regions of Ivory Coast.
Ikwerre (Iwhuruohna), is an Iwhuruohna dialect spoken primarily by the Ikwerre people, who inhabit certain areas of Rivers State, Nigeria.
Urhobo is a South-Western Edoid language spoken by the Urhobo people of southern Nigeria. It is from the Delta and Bayelsa States.
The Volta–Niger family of languages, also known as West Benue–Congo or East Kwa, is one of the branches of the Niger–Congo language family, with perhaps 70 million speakers. Among these are the most important languages of southern Nigeria, Benin, Togo, and southeast Ghana: Yoruba, Igbo, Bini, and Gbe.
Dẹgẹma is an Edoid language spoken in two separate communities on Degema Island in the Niger Delta, Nigeria, by about 120,000 people, according to 1991 census figures. The two communities are Usokun-Degema and Degema Town in the Degema Local Government Area in Rivers State. Each community speaks a mutually intelligible variety of Dẹgẹma, known by the names of the communities speaking them: the Usokun variety and the Degema Town variety. Both varieties are similar in their phonological, morphological, syntactic and semantic properties.
The Engenni people live in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. They are among the many sub Ijaw groups but they speak a language which linguistic scholars have described to be Edoid. They live in close proximity with other Ijaw people. They primarily live in Ahoada west local government area of Rivers state, Nigeria. Although they consider themselves to be Engenni, the Engenni speak an Edoid language. Alagoa (2003) said: “---The penetration of the Niger-Delta by Edoid groups extends to the Epie-Atissa and Engenni of the central and Eastern Niger-Delta----The Epie, along with the Ogbia and other groups of the central and eastern Niger-Delta, are historically united with the Ijaw.” The other groups of the central and eastern Niger-Delta which Professor Ebiegberi Alagoa said that were historically united with the Ijaw, include the Engenni, as shown from his narrative above. The Engenni have close relations with neighbouring Ijaw tribes such as the Zarama and Epie-Atissa.
Akpes (Àbèsàbèsì) is an endangered language of Nigeria. It is spoken by approximately 7,000 speakers in the North of Ondo State. The language is surrounded by several other languages of the Akoko area, where Yoruba is the lingua franca. Yoruba replaces Akpes in more and more informal domains and thus forwards a gradual shift from Akpes towards Yoruba. Akpes is generally attributed to the Volta-Congo Branch of the Niger-Congo phylum.
Epie is an Ijaw language spoken in Nigeria by the Epie–Atissa people.
Afenmai (Afemai), Yekhee, or Iyekhe, is an Edoid language spoken in Edo State, Nigeria by Afenmai people. Not all speakers recognize the name Yekhee; some use the district name Etsako.
Ivbiosakon, or Aoma, is an Edoid language of Edo State, Nigeria. The dialect names Ora and Emai are also used for the language.
Kuteb also known as Ati, Kutev, Mbarike is a Nigerian ethnic language. The Kuteb people mostly live in the southern part of Taraba state in Nigeria, with a thousand-or-so speakers across the border in Cameroon. In Nigeria, it is spoken mostly in Takum and Ussa LGAs, and Yangtu SDA Taraba State.
Okpe is an Edoid language of Nigeria spoken by the Urhobo people.
Uvwiẹ or Ẹphrọn (Effurun) is a Niger Delta language spoken by the Uvwie people of southern Nigeria. It is classified alongside Urhobo, Okpe, Isoko and Eruwa as co-ordinate members of South-western Edoid branch of Proto Edoid language spoken by the Uvwie people of southern Nigeria.
Engenni (Ẹgẹnẹ) is an Edoid language of Nigeria.
Ukue (Epinmi) is an Edoid language of Ondo State, Nigeria. It is sometimes considered the same language as Ehuẹun.
According to the language family tree classification by Ethnologue, Okpe, Urhobo and Uvwie, alongside Eruwa and Isoko, make up the five Southwestern Edoid languages of the Benue-Congo group. Quoting Johnstone (1993), Ethnologue puts the population of Urhobo people at 546,000, Okpe 25,400 (2000) and Uvwie 19,800 (2000). These three languages have geographically neighbouring languages: Izon and Itsekiri to the west and south, Ukwuani and Isoko to the east and Edo to the north. Thus, Isoko and Urhobo are similar languages that belong to the same linguistic family.
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