Ẹ̀dó
Edo language
Niger-Congo (Edoid)
Edo, also known as Bini and written Ẹ̀dó (ISO 639-3: bin), is a North-Central Edoid language of the Niger-Congo family spoken chiefly in and around Benin City in Edo State, southern Nigeria. It is the heritage language of the Edo people and was the principal language of the historic Kingdom of Benin; modern estimates commonly place its speaker population around two million. Edo is tonal and has seven oral vowel qualities /i e ɛ a ɔ o u/, represented in standard Latin orthography with letters including ẹ and ọ; tone marks may be written where needed. It remains widely used in community life, traditional institutions, broadcasting, literature, and education, and Glottolog classifies it as an educational language rather than endangered.
Where it is spoken
31 core words in Edo language
Water
amẹ
/ame/
Fire
erhẹn
/eɾɛ̃/
Sun
ava
/ava/
Moon
uki
/uki/
Star
orivbi
/oˈɾiβi/
Mother
—
/—/
Father
érhá
/eɾa/
I
mẹ
/mɛ̃/
You
wẹ
/wɛ/
Name
eni
/ẽ̀nĩ̀/
Eye
aro
/aro/
Hand
obo
/obo/
Heart
orhio
/oɾio/
Love
arhuẹmwonmwan
/arhuemwonmwan/
Tree
orẹ
/ore/
House
owa
/owa/
Dog
awa-oshi
/awa.oʃi/
Cat
apusi
/apusi/
Eat
re
/re/
Drink
da
/da/
One
okpa
/okpa/
Two
eva
/èʋà/
Hello
kóyo
/kojo/
Thank you
ù rú èsé
/u ru ese/
Good
ma
/ma/
Words compared
Compared with related Niger-Congo (Edoid) languages
| Meaning | Edo language | Urhobo | Yekhee | Isoko | Rwa | Herero | Yagaria |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | amẹ /ame/ | ame /ame/ | amen /amen/ | ame /ame/ | mende /mende/ | omeva /omeva/ | nofa /nofa/ |
| Fire | erhẹn /eɾɛ̃/ | erane /eɾane/ | eria /eɾia/ | erae /eɾae/ | msika /msika/ | omuriro /omuriro/ | yo /jo/ |
| Sun | ava /ava/ | ọvẹ /ɔvɛ/ | ovan /ovan/ | ọvẹ /ɔvɛ/ | mlao /mlao/ | eyuva /ejuva/ | kena /kena/ |
| Moon | uki /uki/ | emẹrẹ /emɛɾɛ/ | ukpoki /ukpoki/ | ọwa /ɔwa/ | mwere /mwere/ | omueze /omueze/ | ulu /ulu/ |
| Star | orivbi /oˈɾiβi/ | isi /isi/ | isi /isi/ | esi /esi/ | nyenyeri /ɲeɲeri/ | onyose /oˈɲose/ | gale /ɡale/ |
| Mother | — /—/ | onie /onie/ | iye /ije/ | oni /oni/ | mama /mama/ | mama /mama/ | nene /nene/ |
| Father | érhá /eɾa/ | ọsẹ /ɔsɛ/ | ada /ada/ | ọsẹ /ɔsɛ/ | baba /baba/ | tate /tate/ | papa /papa/ |
| I | mẹ /mɛ̃/ | mẹ /mɛ/ | mẹ /mɛ/ | mẹ /mɛ/ | inyi /iɲi/ | ami /ami/ | dgai /dɡai/ |
| You | wẹ /wɛ/ | wẹ /wɛ/ | wẹ /wɛ/ | whẹ /ʍɛ/ | uwe /uwe/ | ove /ove/ | gai /ɡai/ |
| Name | eni /ẽ̀nĩ̀/ | odẹ /odɛ/ | ena /ena/ | odẹ /odɛ/ | irina /irina/ | ena /ena/ | yaoʼ /jaoʔ/ |
| Eye | aro /aro/ | aro /aɾo/ | evua /evua/ | ẹro /ɛɾo/ | liso /liso/ | eho /eho/ | gago /ɡaɡo/ |
| Hand | obo /obo/ | obọ /obɔ/ | oba /oba/ | obọ /obɔ/ | mkono /mkono/ | eke /eke/ | bayo /bajo/ |
| Heart | orhio /oɾio/ | udu /udu/ | itsu /itsu/ | udu /udu/ | ngiti /ŋɡiti/ | omutima /omutima/ | nemo /nemo/ |
| Love | arhuẹmwonmwan /arhuemwonmwan/ | ẹguọnọ /ɛɡwɔnɔ/ | gbele /ɡbele/ | ọsuọ /ɔswɔ/ | lumbo /lumbo/ | orusuvero /orusuvero/ | amige /amiɡe/ |
| Tree | orẹ /ore/ | orhan /oɾan/ | orhan /oɾhan/ | orhan /oɾan/ | mte /mte/ | omuti /omuti/ | yake /jake/ |
| House | owa /owa/ | uwevwi /uweβwi/ | ukekpe /ukekpe/ | uwowhe /uwowhe/ | nyumba /ɲumba/ | ondjuwo /ondʒuwo/ | nono /nono/ |
| Dog | awa-oshi /awa.oʃi/ | ebọ /ebɔ/ | agbon /aɡbon/ | ebọ /ebɔ/ | mboha /mboha/ | ombwa /ombwa/ | yapa /japa/ |
| Cat | apusi /apusi/ | ọtọma /ɔtɔma/ | otsuvua /otsuvua/ | ọtọmha /ɔtɔmha/ | paka /paka/ | okatjiru /okatʃiru/ | pusi /pusi/ |
| Eat | re /re/ | re /ɾe/ | gba /ɡba/ | re /ɾe/ | kuria /kuria/ | kuriya /kurija/ | na /na/ |
| Drink | da /da/ | da /da/ | gbo /ɡbo/ | da /da/ | kunyua /kuɲua/ | kunwa /kunwa/ | nava /nava/ |
| One | okpa /okpa/ | ọvo /ɔvo/ | ovo /ovo/ | ọvo /ɔvo/ | mongo /moŋɡo/ | -mwe /mwe/ | kahene /kahene/ |
| Two | eva /èʋà/ | ivẹ /ivɛ/ | eva /eva/ | ivẹ /ivɛ/ | iwi /iwi/ | -vari /vari/ | lole /lole/ |
| Hello | kóyo /kojo/ | migwo /miɡwo/ | udze /udze/ | mavọ /mavɔ/ | kira /kiɾa/ | wa penduka /wa penduka/ | amige /amiɡe/ |
| Thank you | ù rú èsé /u ru ese/ | miguo /miɡuo/ | oyabuwere /ojabuweɾe/ | migwo /miɡwo/ | asante /asante/ | okuhepa /okuhepa/ | tega /teɡa/ |
| Good | ma /ma/ | ọmaẹjẹ /ɔmaɛdʒɛ/ | edue /edue/ | ọwhọ /ɔwhɔ/ | kya /kja/ | -wa /wa/ | kavi /kavi/ |
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