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
20 core words in Efik
Water
mmọñ
/mːɔɲ/
Fire
ikañ
/ikaɲ/
Sun
utin
/utin/
Moon
ọfiọñ
/ɔfiɔɲ/
Mother
eka
/eka/
Father
ete
/ete/
Eat
dia
/dia/
Drink
ñwọñ
/ŋwɔɲ/
Love
ima
/ima/
Heart
esit
/esit/
Tree
eto
/eto/
House
ufọk
/ufɔk/
Dog
ebua
/ebua/
Cat
nyabudaha
/ɲabudaha/
Hand
ubọk
/ubɔk/
Eye
enyin
/eɲin/
Hello
mọñọ
/mɔɲɔ/
Thank you
sọsọñọ
/sɔsɔɲɔ/
One
kiet
/kiet/
Good
eti
/eti/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Niger-Congo languages
| Meaning | Efik | Ibibio | Degema | Lingala | Nyaturu | Kikongo | Meta' |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | mmọñ /mːɔɲ/ | mmọñ /mːɔŋ/ | mọn /mɔn/ | máí /mai/ | maazi /maːzi/ | maza /maza/ | mə /mə/ |
| Fire | ikañ /ikaɲ/ | ikañ /ikaŋ/ | ọmạrị /ɔmaɾi/ | mɔ́tɔ /mɔtɔ/ | moto /moto/ | tiya /tija/ | mɔŋ /mɔŋ/ |
| Sun | utin /utin/ | utin /utin/ | ọvịnị /ɔvini/ | mói /moi/ | nzua /nzua/ | ntangu /ntaŋɡu/ | nyam /ɲam/ |
| Moon | ọfiọñ /ɔfiɔɲ/ | ọfiọñ /ɔfiɔŋ/ | ọsọ /ɔsɔ/ | sánzá /sanza/ | umweri /umweɾi/ | ngonda /ŋɡonda/ | nuŋ /nuŋ/ |
| Mother | eka /eka/ | eka /eka/ | inyeyẹ /iɲɛjɛ/ | mamá /mama/ | mama /mama/ | mama /mama/ | ma /ma/ |
| Father | ete /ete/ | ete /ete/ | etete /etete/ | tatá /tata/ | tata /tata/ | tata /tata/ | ta /ta/ |
| Eat | dia /dia/ | dia /dia/ | re /ɾe/ | kolía /kolia/ | kuria /kuɾia/ | ku dia /ku dja/ | mé /me/ |
| Drink | ñwọñ /ŋwɔɲ/ | ñwọñ /ŋwɔŋ/ | da /da/ | komɛ́la /komɛla/ | kunywa /kuɲwa/ | ku nua /ku nua/ | nyo /ɲo/ |
| Love | ima /ima/ | ima /ima/ | inyiẹna /iɲjɛna/ | bolíngo /boliŋɡo/ | butogwa /butoɡwa/ | zola /zola/ | kɔŋ /kɔŋ/ |
| Heart | esit /esit/ | esit /esit/ | ọkọmpọnị /ɔkɔmpɔni/ | motéma /motema/ | umutima /umutima/ | ntima /ntima/ | mu /mu/ |
| Tree | eto /eto/ | eto /eto/ | eyo /ejo/ | nzété /nzete/ | umuti /umuti/ | nti /nti/ | ti /ti/ |
| House | ufọk /ufɔk/ | ufọk /ufɔk/ | ọsụnẹ /ɔsunɛ/ | ndáko /ndako/ | nyumba /ɲumba/ | nzo /nzo/ | nda /nda/ |
| Dog | ebua /ebua/ | ebua /ebua/ | ifụnị /ifuni/ | mbwá /mbwa/ | imbwa /imbwa/ | mbwa /mbwa/ | mbu /mbu/ |
| Cat | nyabudaha /ɲabudaha/ | ekpe /ekpe/ | ọchẹ /ɔtʃɛ/ | nyáu /ɲau/ | paka /paka/ | nyau /ɲau/ | guŋ /ɡuŋ/ |
| Hand | ubọk /ubɔk/ | ubọk /ubɔk/ | ọnẹ /ɔnɛ/ | lobɔ́kɔ /lobɔkɔ/ | ukuboko /ukuboko/ | koko /koko/ | boa /boa/ |
| Eye | enyin /eɲin/ | enyin /eɲin/ | enẹ /enɛ/ | líso /liso/ | iriiso /iɾiːso/ | disu /disu/ | dzi /dzi/ |
| Hello | mọñọ /mɔɲɔ/ | mesiere /mesiere/ | amọn /amɔn/ | mbóte /mbote/ | mbukire /mbukiɾe/ | mboté /mbote/ | mɔlɔŋ /mɔlɔŋ/ |
| Thank you | sọsọñọ /sɔsɔɲɔ/ | sọsọñọ /sɔsɔŋɔ/ | nani /nani/ | matɔ́ndɔ /matɔndɔ/ | ahsante /ahsante/ | matondo /matondo/ | nfɔn /nfɔn/ |
| One | kiet /kiet/ | kiet /kiet/ | ọmọ /ɔmɔ/ | mɔ̌kɔ́ /mɔkɔ/ | umwe /umwe/ | mosi /mosi/ | mɔ /mɔ/ |
| Good | eti /eti/ | mfọn /mfɔn/ | ekenẹ /ekenɛ/ | malámu /malamu/ | kihi /kihi/ | mbote /mbote/ | mwa /mwa/ |
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