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
20 core words in Degema
Water
mọn
/mɔn/
Fire
ọmạrị
/ɔmaɾi/
Sun
ọvịnị
/ɔvini/
Moon
ọsọ
/ɔsɔ/
Mother
inyeyẹ
/iɲɛjɛ/
Father
etete
/etete/
Eat
re
/ɾe/
Drink
da
/da/
Love
inyiẹna
/iɲjɛna/
Heart
ọkọmpọnị
/ɔkɔmpɔni/
Tree
eyo
/ejo/
House
ọsụnẹ
/ɔsunɛ/
Dog
ifụnị
/ifuni/
Cat
ọchẹ
/ɔtʃɛ/
Hand
ọnẹ
/ɔnɛ/
Eye
enẹ
/enɛ/
Hello
amọn
/amɔn/
Thank you
nani
/nani/
One
ọmọ
/ɔmɔ/
Good
ekenẹ
/ekenɛ/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Niger-Congo languages
| Meaning | Degema | Isoko | Urhobo | Efik | Maquiritari | Ibibio | Embu |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | mọn /mɔn/ | ame /ame/ | ame /ame/ | mmọñ /mːɔɲ/ | tuna /tuna/ | mmọñ /mːɔŋ/ | mai /mai/ |
| Fire | ọmạrị /ɔmaɾi/ | erae /eɾae/ | erane /eɾane/ | ikañ /ikaɲ/ | kayuwane /kajuwane/ | ikañ /ikaŋ/ | mwaki /mwaki/ |
| Sun | ọvịnị /ɔvini/ | ọvẹ /ɔvɛ/ | ọvẹ /ɔvɛ/ | utin /utin/ | shi /ʃi/ | utin /utin/ | rĩũa /ɾiua/ |
| Moon | ọsọ /ɔsɔ/ | ọwa /ɔwa/ | emẹrẹ /emɛɾɛ/ | ọfiọñ /ɔfiɔɲ/ | nuna /nuna/ | ọfiọñ /ɔfiɔŋ/ | mweri /mweɾi/ |
| Mother | inyeyẹ /iɲɛjɛ/ | ini /ini/ | onie /onie/ | eka /eka/ | ñawi /ɲawi/ | eka /eka/ | mami /mami/ |
| Father | etete /etete/ | ọsẹ /ɔsɛ/ | ọsẹ /ɔsɛ/ | ete /ete/ | baba /baba/ | ete /ete/ | baba /baba/ |
| Eat | re /ɾe/ | re /ɾe/ | re /ɾe/ | dia /dia/ | äsuukai /ɨsuːkai/ | dia /dia/ | kũrĩa /kuɾia/ |
| Drink | da /da/ | da /da/ | da /da/ | ñwọñ /ŋwɔɲ/ | äsoojai /ɨsoːʒai/ | ñwọñ /ŋwɔŋ/ | kũnyua /kuɲua/ |
| Love | inyiẹna /iɲjɛna/ | ọsuọ /ɔswɔ/ | ẹguọnọ /ɛɡwɔnɔ/ | ima /ima/ | ekädäkä /ekɨdɨkɨ/ | ima /ima/ | wendo /wendo/ |
| Heart | ọkọmpọnị /ɔkɔmpɔni/ | udu /udu/ | udu /udu/ | esit /esit/ | eyiwekä /ejiwekɨ/ | esit /esit/ | ngoro /ŋɡoɾo/ |
| Tree | eyo /ejo/ | orhan /oɾan/ | orhan /oɾan/ | eto /eto/ | eyu /eju/ | eto /eto/ | mũtĩ /muti/ |
| House | ọsụnẹ /ɔsunɛ/ | uwowhe /uwowhe/ | uwevwi /uweβwi/ | ufọk /ufɔk/ | ätta /ɨtːa/ | ufọk /ufɔk/ | nyũmba /ɲumba/ |
| Dog | ifụnị /ifuni/ | ebọ /ebɔ/ | ebọ /ebɔ/ | ebua /ebua/ | kaikutshi /kaikutʃi/ | ebua /ebua/ | ngui /ŋɡui/ |
| Cat | ọchẹ /ɔtʃɛ/ | ọtọmha /ɔtɔmha/ | ọtọma /ɔtɔma/ | nyabudaha /ɲabudaha/ | mishi /miʃi/ | ekpe /ekpe/ | nyau /ɲau/ |
| Hand | ọnẹ /ɔnɛ/ | obọ /obɔ/ | obọ /obɔ/ | ubọk /ubɔk/ | eñä /eɲɨ/ | ubọk /ubɔk/ | guoko /ɡuoko/ |
| Eye | enẹ /enɛ/ | ẹro /ɛɾo/ | aro /aɾo/ | enyin /eɲin/ | enu /enu/ | enyin /eɲin/ | riitho /ɾiːθo/ |
| Hello | amọn /amɔn/ | mavọ /mavɔ/ | migwo /miɡwo/ | mọñọ /mɔɲɔ/ | etämä /etɨmɨ/ | mesiere /mesiere/ | mwega /mweɡa/ |
| Thank you | nani /nani/ | migwo /miɡwo/ | miguo /miɡuo/ | sọsọñọ /sɔsɔɲɔ/ | enaña /enaɲa/ | sọsọñọ /sɔsɔŋɔ/ | nĩ baba /ni baba/ |
| One | ọmọ /ɔmɔ/ | ọvo /ɔvo/ | ọvo /ɔvo/ | kiet /kiet/ | toune /toune/ | kiet /kiet/ | ĩmwe /imwe/ |
| Good | ekenẹ /ekenɛ/ | ọwhọ /ɔwhɔ/ | ọmaẹjẹ /ɔmaɛdʒɛ/ | eti /eti/ | kataajai /kataːʒai/ | mfọn /mfɔn/ | mwega /mweɡa/ |
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