Edoid languages
Subgroup of Volta-Niger languages in Africa
The Edoid languages are a few dozen languages spoken in southern Nigeria. Edoid-speaking ethnic groups are predominantly located in the States of Edo and Delta however, smaller Edoid-speaking communities are also present in the states of Ondo, Bayelsa, and Rivers. The term "Edoid" for the language group derives from its most widely spoken member, Edo, which is natively spoken in Southern Edo. Edoid languages collectively have approximately 10 million primary and secondary speakers.
01Classification
Elugbe (1989)
The following classification is based on that of Elugbe (1989).
- Edoid
Ihievbe and Aduge are unclassified within their branches.
Lewis (2013)
An alternative classification of the Edoid languages by Lewis (2013:160):
- Proto-Edoid
Lewis's 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).)
02Names and locations
Below is a list of language names, populations, and locations from Blench (2019).
| 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) | Bayelsa State, Yenagoa and Ahoada LGAs Rivers State | |||||
| Epie | Delta | Two clans, Epie and Atiṣa in at least three towns: Agudiama, Akẹnfai, Yẹneguẹ | Epie-Atissa, Epie-Atiṣa | 12,000 (SIL) | Bayelsa 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) | 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) | Bendel State (now Edo State and Delta State), Agbazilo, Okpebho, Owan and Etsako LGAs | |||||
| Ikpeshi | North-Central | 1,826 (Bradbury 1957) | 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) | 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 | |||||||
| Fon | South | Dahomey | Gbe | 5,000,000 (1957 Bradbury) | Benin Republic | ||||||
| Ewe | East-Ghana | Togo | Gbe | 10,000,000 (1957 Bradbury) | Ghana, Togo |
03Comparative vocabulary
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 |
04Phonology
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/.
Sources and credits
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