Isoko | |
---|---|
Region | Nigeria |
Ethnicity | Isoko |
Native speakers | 680,000 (2020) [1] |
Niger–Congo?
| |
Language codes | |
ISO 639-3 | iso |
Glottolog | isok1239 |
Isoko [2] is one of the languages in Delta State [3] spoken by the Isoko people in Isoko South, North and part of Ndokwa East Local Government Areas [4] of Delta State, [5] Southern part of Nigeria in Niger Delta region. [6] It is also spoken in some part of Bayelsa. The Isoko language [7] has close similarities between them and Edo people with other Edoid language. The Isoko people are "an ethnic nationality made up of people and their ancestral roots can be traced through history to the Benin (Aka) kingdom, attested to by the linguistic and cultural similarities that exist between the Isoko people and the Benin (Aka)people" although a few of the Isoko communities or clans have their origins attached to the Ibo language and Urhobo language. Some 750,000 people consider themselves Isoko. [8] Language [9] is a mark of identity and plays an all-important role in the life of a people. The Isoko language [10] however, is being threatened with extinction as reported by Idudhe (2002), as a result of neglect in teaching, learning and use. [11] The Isoko language [12] has about 20 to 21 dialects, but the Aviara/Uzere dialect is the standard dialect of the language. [13] [ citation needed ]
Michael A. Marioghae, working with Peter Ladefoged in 1962, made one of a few audio recordings of sample Isoko words that are made available at the UCLA phonetics archive. [14]
A B D E Ẹ F G H I J K L M N O Ọ P R S T U V W Y Z
A E Ẹ I O Ọ U
B D F G H J K L M N P R S T V W Y Z
GB, GH, KP, HW, WH, TH, SH, NW, NY, CH
Longest time | U kri nọ! | Kinọ ẹro! |
---|---|---|
Well done | Whọ kobiruo | Whọ daoma/Do |
Bye bye | Yere ob'uwou | Jọ tou tou |
How is your family? | Ẹvẹ ẹkuẹ ra? | Kọ ẹvẹ obọ uwou? |
Hope all is well? | Wha sasa? | |
Have you eaten? | Whọ re emu no? | Whọ re ọrẹ no?/whọ lọ no? |
Good morning/afternoon | Merigwẹ | Do |
Thank you | WHẸ KOBIRUO | Do |
Hausa is a Chadic language that is spoken by the Hausa people in the northern parts of Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon, Benin and Togo, and the southern parts of Niger, and Chad, with significant minorities in Ivory Coast. A small number of speakers also exist in Sudan.
The Ijaw people, otherwise known as the Ijo people, are an ethnic group found in the Niger Delta in Nigeria, with significant population clusters in Bayelsa, Delta, and Rivers. They also occupy Edo, Ondo, and small parts of Akwa Ibom. Many are found as migrant fishermen in camps as far west as Sierra Leone and as far east as Gabon. They account for about 1.8% of the Nigerian population according to CIA Factbook. The Ijaws are one of the most populous tribes inhabiting the Niger Delta region and the eighth largest ethnic group in Nigeria.
Delta State is a state in the South-South geopolitical zone of Nigeria. Named after the Niger Delta—a large part of which is in the state—the state was formed from the former Bendel State on August 27, 1991. Bordered on the north by Edo State, the east by Anambra and Rivers states, and that south by Bayelsa State while to the west is the Bight of Benin which covers about 160 kilometres of the state's coastline. The state was initially created with 12 local government areas in 1991 which was later extended to 19 and now has 25 local government areas. Asaba as its state capital located along the River Niger on the northeastern end of the state, while the state's economic center is Warri on the southwestern coastline.
The Niger Delta is the delta of the Niger River sitting directly on the Gulf of Guinea on the Atlantic Ocean in Nigeria. It is located within nine coastal southern Nigerian states, which include: all six states from the South South geopolitical zone, one state (Ondo) from South West geopolitical zone and two states from South East geopolitical zone.
Bayelsa is a state in the South South region of Nigeria, located in the core of the Niger Delta. Bayelsa State was created in 1996 and was carved out from Rivers State, making it one of the newest states in the federation. The capital, Yenagoa, is susceptible to high risk of annual flooding. It shares a boundary with Rivers State to the east and Delta State to the north across the Niger River for 17 km and the Forçados River for 198 km, with the waters of the Atlantic Ocean dominating its southern borders. It has a total area of 10,773 square kilometres (4,159 sq mi). The state comprises eight local government areas: Ekeremor, Kolokuma/Opokuma, Yenagoa, Nembe, Ogbia, Sagbama, Brass and Southern Ijaw. The state is the smallest in Nigeria by population as of the 2006 census. Being in the Niger Delta, Bayelsa State has a riverine and estuarine setting, with bodies of water within the state preventing the development of significant road infrastructure.
The Mid-Western Region was a division of Nigeria from 1963 to 1991, from 1976 being known as the Bendel state.
Yenagoa is a Local Government Area and capital city of Bayelsa State, Southern Nigeria. It is located at the Niger-Delta region of the country at coordinates 4°55′29″N6°15′51″E.
The Edoid languages are a few dozen languages spoken in Southern Nigeria, predominantly in the former Bendel State. The name Edoid derives from its most widely spoken member, Edo, the language of Benin City, which has 2 million native and secondary speakers.
Anioma people are one of the Igbo subgroups found in present day Delta State, Nigeria. They encompass the communities which span across the 9 northeastern Local Government Areas of Delta State. They occupy the Delta North Senatorial District, which consists of the Enuani, and Ukwuani/ Ndokwa and Ika geographical and linguistic zones of Delta State.
There are over 525 native languages spoken in Nigeria. The official language and most widely spoken lingua franca is English, which was the language of Colonial Nigeria. Nigerian Pidgin – an English-based creole – is spoken by over 60 million people.
Isoko people are an ethnolinguistic group who inhabit the Isoko region of Delta State and Bayelsa State, Nigeria. They are people of southern Nigeria, near the northwestern Niger delta. Delta State and Bayelsa State are part of the 36 states of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Brass is a Local Government Area in Bayelsa State, southern Nigeria. Its headquarters are in the town of Twon-Brass on Brass Island along the coast, it has a coastline of approximately 90 km on the Bight of Bonny. Much of the area of the LGA is occupied by the Edumanom National Forest.
Urhobo is a South-Western Edoid language spoken by the Urhobo people of southern Nigeria. It is from the Delta and Bayelsa States.
The Mein tribe of the Ijaw people lives along the Forcados River in Delta State, Nigeria. The Mein trace their origins to Benin City, via parts of the central Niger Delta. Important Mein settlements include Ogobiri and Kiagbodo.
Emevor is a town in Isoko North Local Government Area of Delta State, southern Nigeria. Its population was 8000 as of 2009. Emevor shares boundaries with the villages of Ebor-Iyede, Agharha, Otor Owhe and Orogun. It is about 13 kilometres (8.1 mi) to the East of Ughelli township stadium. It has two markets locally known as "Ekiedhe" and "Ekiewo". The traditional ruler of Emevor is known as Odion. There are however other community leaders such as president general, chairman, etc. It is historically known to be a peaceful place. The people speak a distinct Isoko language. It is an oil producing community in the Niger Delta region.
Southern Ijaw is a Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, Southern part of Nigeria. Its headquarters are in the town of Oporoma in the north of the area at 4°48′17″N6°04′44″E. The area has a coastline of approximately 60 km on the Bight of Benin.
The Itsekiri language is a major branch of the Yoruboid group of languages, which as a group, is a key member of the Volta–Niger sub-family of the Niger–Congo family of African languages. Itsekiri is spoken by nearly 900,000 people in Nigeria as a first language and by many others as an additional language notably in the Niger Delta and in parts of Edo and Ondo states of Nigeria. The other key members of the Yoruboid group are Yoruba and Igala along with the various Yoruba dialects spoken in Benin and Togo.
The Urhobos are people located in southern Nigeria, near the northwestern Niger Delta.
Izon (Ịzọn), also known as (Central–Western) Ijo, Ijaw, Izo and Uzo, is the dominant Ijaw language, spoken by a majority of the Ijaw people of Nigeria.
Akassa, is a settlement at the southernmost tip of Nigeria in Bayelsa State where the Nun River estuary meets the Atlantic Ocean. It has a lighthouse that has stood since 1910, Akassa Lighthouse.