Atala-mọ
Degema
Niger-Congo
Degema (autonymously Atala-mọ, "Degema speech") is an Edoid Niger-Congo language of the Delta-Edoid sub-branch, spoken in Bonny Local Government Area of Rivers State, Nigeria. Linguistically isolated from the better-known Edoid languages (Edo bin, Urhobo urh, Isoko isn) by the Niger Delta riverine geography, Degema is closer to Engenni and Epie within the Delta-Edoid taxonomic node. The Degema people are river-dwelling fisher-traders with strong cultural ties to the historic Bonny Kingdom of the 17th-19th century Atlantic slave trade era. Degema has classical Edoid features: lexical tonal system, noun-class agreement, and an elaborate verb-final clause type. Kari's 2004 reference grammar is the major modern documentation.
Where it is spoken
31 core words in Degema
Water
mọn
/mɔn/
Fire
ọmạrị
/ɔmaɾi/
Sun
ọvịnị
/ɔvini/
Moon
ọsọ
/ɔsɔ/
Star
esi
/esi/
Mother
inyeyẹ
/iɲɛjɛ/
Father
etete
/etete/
I
mẹ
/mɛ/
You
wo
/wo/
Name
eni
/eni/
Eye
enẹ
/enɛ/
Hand
ọnẹ
/ɔnɛ/
Heart
ọkọmpọnị
/ɔkɔmpɔni/
Love
inyiẹna
/iɲjɛna/
Tree
eyo
/ejo/
House
ọsụnẹ
/ɔsunɛ/
Dog
ifụnị
/ifuni/
Cat
ọchẹ
/ɔtʃɛ/
Eat
re
/ɾe/
Drink
da
/da/
One
ọmọ
/ɔmɔ/
Two
eva
/eva/
Hello
amọn
/amɔn/
Thank you
nani
/nani/
Good
ekenẹ
/ekenɛ/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Niger-Congo languages
| Meaning | Degema | Isoko | Urhobo | Yekhee | Aja | Serer | Efik |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | mọn /mɔn/ | ame /ame/ | ame /ame/ | amen /amen/ | esi /esi/ | mbox /mbɔx/ | mmọñ /m̩mɔŋ/ |
| Fire | ọmạrị /ɔmaɾi/ | erae /eɾae/ | erane /eɾane/ | eria /eɾia/ | ezo /ezo/ | ngir /ŋɡiɾ/ | ikañ /ikaŋ/ |
| Sun | ọvịnị /ɔvini/ | ọvẹ /ɔvɛ/ | ọvẹ /ɔvɛ/ | ovan /ovan/ | ewe /ewe/ | naangu /naːŋɡu/ | utin /utin/ |
| Moon | ọsọ /ɔsɔ/ | ọwa /ɔwa/ | emẹrẹ /emɛɾɛ/ | ukpoki /ukpoki/ | esun /esun/ | weer /weːɾ/ | ọfiọñ /ɔfiɔŋ/ |
| Star | esi /esi/ | esi /esi/ | isi /isi/ | isi /isi/ | ɣletivi /ɣletivi/ | xôr /xɔːr/ | ntantaọfiọn̄ /n̩tantaˈɔfiɔŋ/ |
| Mother | inyeyẹ /iɲɛjɛ/ | oni /oni/ | onie /onie/ | iye /ije/ | nɔ /nɔ/ | yaay /jaːj/ | eka /eka/ |
| Father | etete /etete/ | ọsẹ /ɔsɛ/ | ọsẹ /ɔsɛ/ | ada /ada/ | to /to/ | baay /baːj/ | ete /ete/ |
| I | mẹ /mɛ/ | mẹ /mɛ/ | mẹ /mɛ/ | mẹ /mɛ/ | nyɛ /ɲɛ/ | mi /mi/ | ami /aˈmi/ |
| You | wo /wo/ | whẹ /ʍɛ/ | wẹ /wɛ/ | wẹ /wɛ/ | wo /wo/ | wo /wo/ | afo /aˈfo/ |
| Name | eni /eni/ | odẹ /odɛ/ | odẹ /odɛ/ | ena /ena/ | nyikɔ /ɲikɔ/ | sant /sant/ | enyịn̄ /ɛˈɲɪŋ/ |
| Eye | enẹ /enɛ/ | ẹro /ɛɾo/ | aro /aɾo/ | evua /evua/ | ŋku /ŋku/ | kën /kən/ | enyin /eɲin/ |
| Hand | ọnẹ /ɔnɛ/ | obọ /obɔ/ | obọ /obɔ/ | oba /oba/ | alɔ /alɔ/ | ɓod /ɓɔd/ | ubọk /ubɔk/ |
| Heart | ọkọmpọnị /ɔkɔmpɔni/ | udu /udu/ | udu /udu/ | itsu /itsu/ | dzi /dzi/ | xol /xɔl/ | esit /esit/ |
| Love | inyiẹna /iɲjɛna/ | ọsuọ /ɔswɔ/ | ẹguọnọ /ɛɡwɔnɔ/ | gbele /ɡbele/ | lɔ̃ /lɔ̃/ | mbutu /mbutu/ | ima /ima/ |
| Tree | eyo /ejo/ | orhan /oɾan/ | orhan /oɾan/ | orhan /oɾhan/ | ati /ati/ | garab /ɡaɾab/ | eto /eto/ |
| House | ọsụnẹ /ɔsunɛ/ | uwowhe /uwowhe/ | uwevwi /uweβwi/ | ukekpe /ukekpe/ | avia /avia/ | kër /kəɾ/ | ufọk /ufɔk/ |
| Dog | ifụnị /ifuni/ | ebọ /ebɔ/ | ebọ /ebɔ/ | agbon /aɡbon/ | avu /avu/ | xaj /xaj/ | ebua /ebua/ |
| Cat | ọchẹ /ɔtʃɛ/ | ọtọmha /ɔtɔmha/ | ọtọma /ɔtɔma/ | otsuvua /otsuvua/ | ami /ami/ | mboor /mboːɾ/ | nyabudaha /ɲabudaha/ |
| Eat | re /ɾe/ | re /ɾe/ | re /ɾe/ | gba /ɡba/ | ɖu /ɖu/ | niam /ɲam/ | dia /dia/ |
| Drink | da /da/ | da /da/ | da /da/ | gbo /ɡbo/ | nu /nu/ | ñam /ɲam/ | ñwọñ /ŋwɔɲ/ |
| One | ọmọ /ɔmɔ/ | ọvo /ɔvo/ | ọvo /ɔvo/ | ovo /ovo/ | ɖeka /ɖeka/ | leeng /leːŋɡ/ | kiet /kiet/ |
| Two | eva /eva/ | ivẹ /ivɛ/ | ivẹ /ivɛ/ | eva /eva/ | eve /eve/ | ɗak /ɗak/ | iba /iˈba/ |
| Hello | amọn /amɔn/ | mavọ /mavɔ/ | migwo /miɡwo/ | udze /udze/ | nɛnɛ /nɛnɛ/ | nam fiyo /nam fijo/ | mọñọ /mɔɲɔ/ |
| Thank you | nani /nani/ | migwo /miɡwo/ | miguo /miɡuo/ | oyabuwere /ojabuweɾe/ | amɛ akpe /amɛ akpe/ | jaaraama /dʒaːɾaːma/ | sọsọñọ /sɔsɔɲɔ/ |
| Good | ekenẹ /ekenɛ/ | ọwhọ /ɔwhɔ/ | ọmaẹjẹ /ɔmaɛdʒɛ/ | edue /edue/ | nyo /ɲo/ | xaal /xaːl/ | eti /eti/ |
Part of LangMap — a linguistic visualization project. This is a static, crawlable summary; the interactive maps offer pronunciation audio, filters, and a globe view.