Edoid languages

The Edoid languages are some two-to-three 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 25 million native and secondary speakers.

Edoid
Geographic
distribution
South-central Nigeria, west of the Niger River south the confluence of the Benue
Linguistic classificationNiger–Congo
Subdivisions
  • Delta
  • North-Central
  • Northwestern
  • Southwestern
Glottologedoi1239

Classification

Elugbe (1989)

The following classification is based on that of Elugbe (1989).[1]

Ihievbe and Aduge are unclassified within their branches.

Lewis (2013)

An alternative classification of the Edoid languages by Lewis (2013:160):[2]

Names and locations

Below is a list of language names, populations, and locations from Blench (2019).[3]

LanguageBranchClusterDialectsAlternate spellingsOwn name for languageEndonym(s)Other names (location-based)Other names for languageExonym(s)SpeakersLocation(s)
DegemaDeltaAtala, spoken in Degema town, and Usokun spoken in Usokun–DegemaDẹgẹmaAtala, Usokun(Udekama not recommended)10,000 (SIL)Rivers State, Degema LGA
EngenniDeltaEdiro, Inedua, and Ogua; Zarama in Yenagoa LGANgene, ẸgẹnẹẸgẹnẹ10,000 (1963); 20,000 (1980 UBS)Rivers State, Yenagoa and Ahoada LGAs
EpieDeltaTwo clans, Epie and Atiṣa in at least three towns: Agudiama, Akẹnfai, YẹneguẹEpie–Atissa, Epie–Atiṣa12,000 (SIL)Rivers State, Yenagoa LGA
Emai–Iuleha–Ora clusterNorth-CentralEmai–Iuleha–OraIvhimion. Spurious languages Ihievbe and Uokha are listed in Ethnologue (2009)KunibumIvbiosakonestimated 100,000 plus (1987 Schaefer)[4]Edo State, Owan, LGA
EmaiNorth-CentralEmai–Iuleha–Oraestimated 20–25,000 (1987 Schaefer)
IulehaNorth-CentralEmai–Iuleha–OraAomaestimated 50,000 (1987 Schaefer)
OraNorth-CentralEmai–Iuleha–Oraestimated 30,000 (1987 Schaefer)
EsanNorth-CentralMany dialectsIshanAwain183,000 (1952); 500,000 estimated in 1963: Okojie & Ejele (1987)[5]Bendel State (now Edo State and Delta State), Agbazilo, Okpebho, Owan and Etsako LGAs
IkpeshiNorth-Central1,826 (Bradbury 1957)[6]Edo State, Etsako LGA
EtsakoNorth-CentralAuchi, Uzairue, South Ivbie, Uwepa–Uwano, (Weppa–Wano), Avbianwu (Fugar), Avbiele, IvbiadaobiYẹkhee: not all speakers of the language recognise this as the name of the language.EtsakọIyẹkhee, Afenmai, Kukuruku (not recommended)73,500 (1952), 150,000 (UBS 1987)Edo State, Etsako, Agbako and Okpebho LGAs
GhotuọNorth-CentralOtwa, Otuọ9,000 (1952)Edo State, Owan and Akoko–Edo LGAs
Ivbie North–Okpela–Arhẹ clusterNorth-CentralIvbie North–Okpela–Arhẹ14,500 (1952); possibly 20,000 (1973 SIL)Edo State, Etsako and Akoko–Ẹdo LGAs
Ivbie NorthNorth-CentralIvbie North–Okpela–Arhẹ
OkpelaNorth-CentralIvbie North–Okpela–ArhẹOkpella, Ukpilla
ArhẹNorth-CentralIvbie North–Okpela–ArhẹAtẹ, Ate, Atte
YẹkheeNorth-CentralAuchi, Uzairue, South Ivbie, Uwepa–Uwano, (Weppa–Wano), Avbianwu (Fugar), Avbiele, IvbiadaobiYẹkhee: 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
ẸdoNorth-CentralOviedo, OviobaBeninẸdo (Binĩ)203,000 (1952), 1,000,000 (1987 UBS)Edo State, Ovia, Oredo and Orhionmwon LGAs
ỌsọsọNorth-Central6,532 (1957 Bradbury)Edo State, Akoko–Edo LGA
Sasaru–Enwan–IgwẹNorth-CentralEnwan, Igwẹ, Sasaru3,775 (1952)Edo State, Akoko–Edo LGA
UnẹmẹNorth-CentralUleme, Ileme, Ineme6,000 (1952).Edo State, Etsako, Agbazilo and Akoko–Edo LGAs. The Uneme are a casted blacksmith group and live scattered among other language groups.
UhamiNorth-WesternIsua5,498 (1963)Ondo State, Akoko–South and Owo LGAs
UkueNorth-WesternUkpe, Ẹkpenmi5,702 (1963)Ondo State, Akoko South LGA
EhuẹunNorth-WesternẸkpenmi, Ekpimi, Epimi5,766 (1963)Ondo State, Akoko South LGA
IyayuNorth-WesternIdoani9,979 (1963)Ondo State, one quarter of Idoani town
ẸmhalhẹNorth-WesternSomorika (Semolika)249 in Semolina town (Temple 1922)[7]Edo State, Akoko–Edo LGA
ỌkpamheriNorth-WesternỌkpamheri means ‘we are one’: Okulosho (Okurosho), Western Okpamheri, Emhalhe (Emarle, Somorika, Semolika). Various.OpameriAduge (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–AkukuNorth-WesternỌkpẹ, Idesa, AkukuEdo State, Akoko–Edo LGA
ỌlọmaNorth-Western353 (1957 Bradbury)Edo State, Akoko–Edo LGA
ẸrụwaSouth-WesternErohwa, Erakwa, ArokwaDelta State, Isoko LGA
IsokoSouth-WesternvariousIgabo, Sobo (see also under Urhobo)Biotu (not recommended)At least 74,000 (1952 REB); 300,000 (1980 UBS)Delta State, Isoko and Ndokwa LGAs
OkpẹSouth-WesternUkpɛ8,722 (1957 Bradbury)Delta State, Okpe LGA
UrhoboSouth-WesternSeveral dialects, Agbarho accepted as standard. Okpe and Uvbiẹ, often regarded as dialects of Urhobo, are treated as distinct languages (q.v.) on purely linguistic groundsSobo (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
UvbiẹSouth-WesternUvwie, Evrie, Uvhria, Effurum, Effurun, Evhro (not recommended)6,000 (1952)Delta State, Ethiope LGA

Comparative vocabulary

Sample basic vocabulary for some northern Edoid languages from Lewis (2013):

Languageeyeearnosetoothtonguemouthbloodbonetreewatereatname
Ghotuoɛ́óíhɔ̀wèízúéɛ̄kɔ̄nímɛ̀lèúnùādɛ̄ūgūāɔ̀kpótāāmɛ̄ījéévà
Sasarurɛ̄rōwózɔ́ízúélɛ̂ːkɔ̄úrɛ̀rɛ̄únúɔ̀ràúgúáótáāmɛ̄réʒíōvā
Ikhinɛ́ɣóɛ̀ɣɔ̀èwèákáúwɛ̀rɛ́ùnùɔ́ráìgùàòrhàámɛ́èmāèēèèvà
Arokhoɛ̄xōéxɔ̄íwèākɔ̄óxɛ̀rɛ̄únùɔjaúgùàúràìāmɛ̄émàēévà
Uroeɛ̄xōèkɛ̃̀ ̀íwèàkù̃ɔ́rɛ̄mìúnùɛ̀rèák͡pókàórà̃āmɛ̄émírémìêːɲì
Igwe (Sale)ɛ̄xōóxɔ̀ísúèākɔ̄íɲɛ̀rɛ̀ùnùɔ̀ràígúáítá ̀àmɛ̀īdɛ̄réúrâːmī
Igwe (Oke)ɛ̀rōwórɔ̀ísúèɛ̄kōínɛ̀nɛ̀únùɔ̄ráɔ̄tɛ̄kūúkánɔ́sínóríbèāmɛ̄ìléléóvà
Akeōk͡pɛ́xòexɔíwèàk͡pàkòúrɛ̀mìúnùɔ́ràìráìúnààmɛ̀ùgbàiéìɲì
Okpujeɛ̄xōêːxɔ̀érùèákɔ̄̃óxɛ̀mìúnùɛ̄rēák͡púkàórààmɛ̀ébàèēhī
Sobongidaɛ̄xōe̋ːxɔ̀éwèākū̃óxɛ̀mìúnùɛ̄rēāk͡pôːkàórààmèébàēéhì

Phonology

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/.

See also

Footnotes

  1. Elugbe, Ben Ohiọmamhẹ. 1989. Comparative Edoid: Phonology and Lexicon. (Delta Series, 6.) Port-Harcourt: University of Port Harcourt Press.
  2. Lewis, Ademola Anthony. 2013. North Edoid relations and roots. Doctoral dissertation, University of Ibadan.
  3. Blench, Roger (2019). An Atlas of Nigerian Languages (4th ed.). Cambridge: Kay Williamson Educational Foundation.
  4. Schaefer, R.P. 1987. An initial orthography and lexicon for Emai: an Edoid language of Nigeria. Indiana University Linguistics Club, Studies in African Grammatical Systems, 5, Bloomington.
  5. Okojie, C. and P.E. Ejele 1987. Esan orthography. In: Orthography Manual V. ed. R.N. Agheyisi. National Language Centre, Federal Ministry of Education, Lagos.
  6. Bradbury, R.E. 1957. The Benin kingdom and the Edo-speaking peoples of south-south Nigeria (Ethnographic survey of Africa, Western Africa 13). London: Oxford Univ. Press; International African Inst. (IAI).
  7. Temple, Olive 1922. Notes on the Tribes, Provinces, Emirates and States of the Northern Provinces of Nigeria. Argus Printing and Publishing Co. Cape Town.

References

  • Frank Kügler, Caroline Féry, Ruben Van De Vijver (2009) Variation and Gradience in Phonetics and Phonology
  • Elugbe, Ben Ohiọmamhẹ. 1989a. "Edoid". In Bendor-Samuel (Ed.), The Niger–Congo Languages. Lanham: The United Press of America. 291-304.
  • Elugbe, Ben Ohiọmamhẹ. 1989b. Comparative Edoid: phonology and lexicon. Delta Series No. 6. Port Harcourt: University of Port Harcourt Press.
  • Blench, Roger. Delta Edoid wordlists.

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