Usem Efik
Efik
Niger-Congo
Efik is a Lower Cross Niger-Congo language of southeastern Nigeria, the historic literary lingua franca of the Old Calabar region (the historic Efik kingdom of Calabar, which was the major Atlantic slave trade port and palm oil/ivory trade center 17th-19th centuries). The Calabar Efik literary tradition began in 1846 with Hope Waddell's Presbyterian missionary work and the 1862 Goldie Dictionary, making Efik one of the longest-continuously-written sub-Saharan African languages. Modern Efik has ~2 million speakers and serves as a shared lingua franca with the related Ibibio (ibb) and Anaang languages within the Ibibio-Efik dialect continuum. Linguistically, Efik shares Cross River features: noun-class system, tonal (high/low/mid), and SVO order with elaborate verb extension morphology.
Where it is spoken
31 core words in Efik
Water
mmọñ
/m̩mɔŋ/
Fire
ikañ
/ikaŋ/
Sun
utin
/utin/
Moon
ọfiọñ
/ɔfiɔŋ/
Star
ntantaọfiọn̄
/n̩tantaˈɔfiɔŋ/
Mother
eka
/eka/
Father
ete
/ete/
I
ami
/aˈmi/
You
afo
/aˈfo/
Name
enyịn̄
/ɛˈɲɪŋ/
Eye
enyin
/eɲin/
Hand
ubọk
/ubɔk/
Heart
esit
/esit/
Love
ima
/ima/
Tree
eto
/eto/
House
ufọk
/ufɔk/
Dog
ebua
/ebua/
Cat
nyabudaha
/ɲabudaha/
Eat
dia
/dia/
Drink
ñwọñ
/ŋwɔɲ/
One
kiet
/kiet/
Two
iba
/iˈba/
Hello
mọñọ
/mɔɲɔ/
Thank you
sọsọñọ
/sɔsɔɲɔ/
Good
eti
/eti/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Niger-Congo languages
| Meaning | Efik | Ibibio | Lingala | Meta' | Degema | Hebrew | Rotokas |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | mmọñ /m̩mɔŋ/ | mmọñ /m̩mɔŋ/ | máí /mai/ | mə /mə/ | mọn /mɔn/ | מים /majim/ | ovi /oβi/ |
| Fire | ikañ /ikaŋ/ | ikañ /ikaŋ/ | mɔ́tɔ /mɔtɔ/ | mɔŋ /mɔŋ/ | ọmạrị /ɔmaɾi/ | אש /eʃ/ | erava /eɾaβa/ |
| Sun | utin /utin/ | utin /utin/ | mói /moi/ | nyam /ɲam/ | ọvịnị /ɔvini/ | שמש /ʃemeʃ/ | ravireo /ɾaβiɾeo/ |
| Moon | ọfiọñ /ɔfiɔŋ/ | ọfiọñ /ɔfiɔŋ/ | sánzá /sanza/ | nuŋ /nuŋ/ | ọsọ /ɔsɔ/ | ירח /jaˈʁeaχ/ | kekira /kekiɾa/ |
| Star | ntantaọfiọn̄ /n̩tantaˈɔfiɔŋ/ | ntantaafiọñ /ntantaːfiɔŋ/ | monzoto /monzɔtɔ/ | ntsə́ /ntsə́/ | esi /esi/ | כוכב /koˈxav/ | kepatu /kepatu/ |
| Mother | eka /eka/ | eka /eka/ | mamá /mama/ | ma /ma/ | inyeyẹ /iɲɛjɛ/ | אמא /ima/ | aako /aːko/ |
| Father | ete /ete/ | ete /ete/ | tatá /tata/ | ta /ta/ | etete /etete/ | אבא /aba/ | aite /aite/ |
| I | ami /aˈmi/ | ami /àmì/ | ngai /ⁿɡai/ | mə̀ /mə̀/ | mẹ /mɛ/ | אני /aˈni/ | ragai /raɡai/ |
| You | afo /aˈfo/ | afo /àfò/ | yo /jo/ | ò /ò/ | wo /wo/ | אתה /aˈta/ | aviri /aβiri/ |
| Name | enyịn̄ /ɛˈɲɪŋ/ | enyịñ /ɛɲɪŋ/ | nkombo /ⁿkombo/ | ə́ɲə́ /ə́ɲə́/ | eni /eni/ | שם /ʃem/ | itava /itaβa/ |
| Eye | enyin /eɲin/ | enyin /eɲin/ | líso /liso/ | dzi /dzi/ | enẹ /enɛ/ | עין /ajin/ | osireito /osiɾeito/ |
| Hand | ubọk /ubɔk/ | ubọk /ubɔk/ | lobɔ́kɔ /lobɔkɔ/ | boa /boa/ | ọnẹ /ɔnɛ/ | יד /jad/ | — /—/ |
| Heart | esit /esit/ | esit /esit/ | motéma /motema/ | mu /mu/ | ọkọmpọnị /ɔkɔmpɔni/ | לב /lev/ | — /—/ |
| Love | ima /ima/ | ima /ima/ | bolíngo /boliŋɡo/ | kɔŋ /kɔŋ/ | inyiẹna /iɲjɛna/ | אהבה /ahava/ | — /—/ |
| Tree | eto /eto/ | eto /eto/ | nzété /nzete/ | ti /ti/ | eyo /ejo/ | עץ /ets/ | evaova /eβaoβa/ |
| House | ufọk /ufɔk/ | ufọk /ufɔk/ | ndáko /ndako/ | nda /nda/ | ọsụnẹ /ɔsunɛ/ | בית /bajit/ | kepa /kepa/ |
| Dog | ebua /ebua/ | ebua /ebua/ | mbwá /mbwa/ | mbu /mbu/ | ifụnị /ifuni/ | כלב /kelev/ | kaakau /kaːkau/ |
| Cat | nyabudaha /ɲabudaha/ | ekpe /ekpe/ | nyáu /ɲau/ | guŋ /ɡuŋ/ | ọchẹ /ɔtʃɛ/ | חתול /χatul/ | — /—/ |
| Eat | dia /dia/ | dia /dia/ | kolía /kolia/ | mé /me/ | re /ɾe/ | לאכול /leχol/ | aio /aio/ |
| Drink | ñwọñ /ŋwɔɲ/ | ñwọñ /ŋwɔŋ/ | komɛ́la /komɛla/ | nyo /ɲo/ | da /da/ | לשתות /liʃtot/ | — /—/ |
| One | kiet /kiet/ | kiet /kiet/ | mɔ̌kɔ́ /mɔkɔ/ | mɔ /mɔ/ | ọmọ /ɔmɔ/ | אחד /eχad/ | katai /katai/ |
| Two | iba /iˈba/ | iba /ìbà/ | mibale /mibale/ | bɛ́ /bɛ́/ | eva /eva/ | שתיים /ʃˈtajim/ | oira /oira/ |
| Hello | mọñọ /mɔɲɔ/ | mesiere /mesiere/ | mbóte /mbote/ | mɔlɔŋ /mɔlɔŋ/ | amọn /amɔn/ | שלום /ʃalom/ | ega /eɡa/ |
| Thank you | sọsọñọ /sɔsɔɲɔ/ | sọsọñọ /sɔsɔŋɔ/ | matɔ́ndɔ /matɔndɔ/ | nfɔn /nfɔn/ | nani /nani/ | תודה /toda/ | — /—/ |
| Good | eti /eti/ | mfọn /mfɔn/ | malámu /malamu/ | mwa /mwa/ | ekenẹ /ekenɛ/ | טוב /tov/ | rekoreko /ɾekoɾeko/ |
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