Fɔ̀ngbè
Fon
Niger-Congo (Volta-Niger, Gbe)
Fon (Fɔ̀ngbè) is the principal language of southern Benin, spoken by the Fon people who founded the historical Kingdom of Dahomey. It is a tonal Gbe language closely related to Ewe and is an important source of Vodun religious tradition.
Where it is spoken
31 core words in Fon
Water
sin
/sĩ/
Fire
zo
/zo/
Sun
hwe
/ɦʷe/
Moon
sun
/sũ/
Star
sunví
/sṹví/
Mother
nɔ
/nɔ/
Father
tɔ
/tɔ/
I
nyɛ
/ɲɛ̀/
You
hwɛ
/hwɛ̀/
Name
nyikɔ
/ɲĩ̌kɔ́/
Eye
nukún
/nukṹ/
Hand
alɔ
/alɔ/
Heart
ayi
/aji/
Love
yiwanu
/jiwanu/
Tree
atin
/atĩ/
House
xwé
/xʷé/
Dog
avun
/avũ/
Cat
kpɔnyɔ
/kpɔɲɔ/
Eat
ɖu
/ɖu/
Drink
nu
/nu/
One
ɖokpó
/ɖokpó/
Two
wè
/wè/
Hello
a fɔn ganji
/a fɔ̃ ɡãdʒi/
Thank you
àwǎnú
/àwǎnú/
Good
ɖagbe
/ɖaɡbe/
Words compared
Compared with related Niger-Congo (Volta-Niger, Gbe) languages
| Meaning | Fon | Gen (Mina) | Aja | Ewe | Urhobo | Ga | Hupa |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | sin /sĩ/ | tsi /tsi/ | esi /esi/ | tsi /tsi/ | ame /ame/ | nu /nu/ | xaŋ /xɑŋ/ |
| Fire | zo /zo/ | dzo /dzo/ | ezo /ezo/ | dzo /dzo/ | erane /eɾane/ | la /la/ | xoŋ’ /xoŋʔ/ |
| Sun | hwe /ɦʷe/ | ɣe /ɣe/ | ewe /ewe/ | ɣe /ɣe/ | ọvẹ /ɔvɛ/ | hulu /hulu/ | hwa /hwa/ |
| Moon | sun /sũ/ | dzinkɛ /dʒinkɛ/ | esun /esun/ | ɣleti /ɣleti/ | emẹrẹ /emɛɾɛ/ | ŋɔɔŋmɔ /ŋɔɔŋmɔ/ | hwa-ʼaŋʼ /hwaʔɑŋʔ/ |
| Star | sunví /sṹví/ | ɣletsivi /ɣletsivi/ | ɣletivi /ɣletivi/ | ɣletivi /ɣletivi/ | isi /isi/ | ŋulami /ŋùlámi/ | sʼeʔ /sʼeʔ/ |
| Mother | nɔ /nɔ/ | nɔ /nɔ/ | nɔ /nɔ/ | dada /dada/ | onie /onie/ | nyɛ /ɲɛ/ | -an’ /-anʔ/ |
| Father | tɔ /tɔ/ | tɔ /tɔ/ | to /to/ | fofo /fofo/ | ọsẹ /ɔsɛ/ | tsɛ /tsɛ/ | -ta’ /-taʔ/ |
| I | nyɛ /ɲɛ̀/ | nyɛ /ɲɛ/ | nyɛ /ɲɛ/ | nye /ɲɛ/ | mẹ /mɛ/ | mi /mì/ | whe /hʷe/ |
| You | hwɛ /hwɛ̀/ | wò /wò/ | wo /wo/ | wò /wò/ | wẹ /wɛ/ | bo /bo/ | niŋ /nɪŋ/ |
| Name | nyikɔ /ɲĩ̌kɔ́/ | ŋkɔ /ŋkɔ/ | nyikɔ /ɲikɔ/ | ŋkɔ /ŋkɔ/ | odẹ /odɛ/ | gbɛi /gbɛ́i/ | -ooziʔ /oːzɪʔ/ |
| Eye | nukún /nukṹ/ | ŋku /ŋku/ | ŋku /ŋku/ | ŋku /ŋku/ | aro /aɾo/ | hiŋmɛi /hiŋmɛi/ | -na:ʼ /-nɑːʔ/ |
| Hand | alɔ /alɔ/ | alɔ /alɔ/ | alɔ /alɔ/ | asi /asi/ | obọ /obɔ/ | nine /nine/ | -laʼ /-laʔ/ |
| Heart | ayi /aji/ | dzi /dzi/ | dzi /dzi/ | dzi /dzi/ | udu /udu/ | tsui /tsui/ | -piŋ /-piŋ/ |
| Love | yiwanu /jiwanu/ | lɔ̃lɔ̃ /lɔ̃lɔ̃/ | lɔ̃ /lɔ̃/ | lɔ̃lɔ̃ /lɔ̃lɔ̃/ | ẹguọnọ /ɛɡwɔnɔ/ | suɔmɔ /suɔmɔ/ | na-wh-ʼisht’e’n /nɑwʔɪʃtʼɛʔn/ |
| Tree | atin /atĩ/ | ati /ati/ | ati /ati/ | ati /ati/ | orhan /oɾan/ | tso /tso/ | kin /kɪn/ |
| House | xwé /xʷé/ | aƒe /aɸe/ | avia /avia/ | aƒe /aɸe/ | uwevwi /uweβwi/ | shia /ʃia/ | xontah /xontɑh/ |
| Dog | avun /avũ/ | avu /avu/ | avu /avu/ | avu /avu/ | ebọ /ebɔ/ | gbei /ɡbei/ | ɬi:n /ɬiːn/ |
| Cat | kpɔnyɔ /kpɔɲɔ/ | agbo /aɡbo/ | ami /ami/ | dadi /dadi/ | ọtọma /ɔtɔma/ | adi /adi/ | — /—/ |
| Eat | ɖu /ɖu/ | ɖu /ɖu/ | ɖu /ɖu/ | ɖu /ɖu/ | re /ɾe/ | yɛ /jɛ/ | na-ya:n /nɑjɑːn/ |
| Drink | nu /nu/ | no /no/ | nu /nu/ | no /no/ | da /da/ | nu /nu/ | na-ʼa:n /nɑʔɑːn/ |
| One | ɖokpó /ɖokpó/ | ɖeka /ɖeka/ | ɖeka /ɖeka/ | ɖeka /ɖeka/ | ọvo /ɔvo/ | ekome /ekome/ | ɬaʼ /ɬaʔ/ |
| Two | wè /wè/ | eve /eve/ | eve /eve/ | eve /ève/ | ivẹ /ivɛ/ | enyɔ /eɲɔ/ | nahx /naːx/ |
| Hello | a fɔn ganji /a fɔ̃ ɡãdʒi/ | ado /ado/ | nɛnɛ /nɛnɛ/ | ŋdi /ŋdi/ | migwo /miɡwo/ | ɔ jɔ /ɔ jɔ/ | ts’ehdiya’ /tsʼɛhdɪjaʔ/ |
| Thank you | àwǎnú /àwǎnú/ | akpe /akpe/ | amɛ akpe /amɛ akpe/ | akpe /akpe/ | miguo /miɡuo/ | oyiwala /ojiwala/ | na:nehs-ʼe:n /nɑːnɛhsʔɛːn/ |
| Good | ɖagbe /ɖaɡbe/ | nyo /ɲo/ | nyo /ɲo/ | nyo /ɲo/ | ọmaẹjẹ /ɔmaɛdʒɛ/ | ekpakpa /ekpakpa/ | niwhoŋ /nɪwhoŋ/ |
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