Ibibio
Atlantic-Congo (Cross River, Lower Cross)
Ibibio (or its closely related cluster Ibibio-Efik) is a major Cross River language of southeastern Nigeria, with the Ibibio people forming Nigeria's 4th-largest ethnic group. Tonal with extensive verb morphology. The closely related Efik (efi) was historically the language of the Cross River trade and the basis of one of West Africa's earliest indigenous Bible translations (1846).
Where it is spoken
31 core words in Ibibio
Water
mmọñ
/m̩mɔŋ/
Fire
ikañ
/ikaŋ/
Sun
utin
/utin/
Moon
ọfiọñ
/ɔfiɔŋ/
Star
ntantaafiọñ
/ntantaːfiɔŋ/
Mother
eka
/eka/
Father
ete
/ete/
I
ami
/àmì/
You
afo
/àfò/
Name
enyịñ
/ɛɲɪŋ/
Eye
enyin
/eɲin/
Hand
ubọk
/ubɔk/
Heart
esit
/esit/
Love
ima
/ima/
Tree
eto
/eto/
House
ufọk
/ufɔk/
Dog
ebua
/ebua/
Cat
ekpe
/ekpe/
Eat
dia
/dia/
Drink
ñwọñ
/ŋwɔŋ/
One
kiet
/kiet/
Two
iba
/ìbà/
Hello
mesiere
/mesiere/
Thank you
sọsọñọ
/sɔsɔŋɔ/
Good
mfọn
/mfɔn/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Atlantic-Congo (Cross River, Lower Cross) languages
| Meaning | Ibibio | Efik | Meta' | Lingala | Fang | Aghem | Themne |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | mmọñ /m̩mɔŋ/ | mmọñ /m̩mɔŋ/ | mə /mə/ | máí /mai/ | mendim /mendim/ | mê' /meʔ/ | mant /mant/ |
| Fire | ikañ /ikaŋ/ | ikañ /ikaŋ/ | mɔŋ /mɔŋ/ | mɔ́tɔ /mɔtɔ/ | ndoa /ndoa/ | ìmáa' /imáaʔ/ | anang /anaŋ/ |
| Sun | utin /utin/ | utin /utin/ | nyam /ɲam/ | mói /moi/ | zòp /zop/ | kû' /kuʔ/ | arɛ /arɛ/ |
| Moon | ọfiọñ /ɔfiɔŋ/ | ọfiọñ /ɔfiɔŋ/ | nuŋ /nuŋ/ | sánzá /sanza/ | ngɔn /ŋɡɔn/ | nâa' /naːʔ/ | arai /arai/ |
| Star | ntantaafiọñ /ntantaːfiɔŋ/ | ntantaọfiọn̄ /n̩tantaˈɔfiɔŋ/ | ntsə́ /ntsə́/ | monzoto /monzɔtɔ/ | ótéteŋ /ótéteŋ/ | ntsə́ /ntsə́/ | woray /woraj/ |
| Mother | eka /eka/ | eka /eka/ | ma /ma/ | mamá /mama/ | nyia /ɲia/ | mò /mo/ | ya /ja/ |
| Father | ete /ete/ | ete /ete/ | ta /ta/ | tatá /tata/ | tara /tara/ | tâ /ta/ | pa /pa/ |
| I | ami /àmì/ | ami /aˈmi/ | mə̀ /mə̀/ | ngai /ⁿɡai/ | me /me/ | à /à/ | mi /mi/ |
| You | afo /àfò/ | afo /aˈfo/ | ò /ò/ | yo /jo/ | wè /wè/ | ò /ò/ | mʌ /mʌ/ |
| Name | enyịñ /ɛɲɪŋ/ | enyịn̄ /ɛˈɲɪŋ/ | ə́ɲə́ /ə́ɲə́/ | nkombo /ⁿkombo/ | djoè /dʒoɛ/ | yə́ŋ /jə́ŋ/ | es /ɛs/ |
| Eye | enyin /eɲin/ | enyin /eɲin/ | dzi /dzi/ | líso /liso/ | dis /dis/ | dyiá /djia/ | ari /ari/ |
| Hand | ubọk /ubɔk/ | ubọk /ubɔk/ | boa /boa/ | lobɔ́kɔ /lobɔkɔ/ | wɔ /wɔ/ | kwô' /kwoʔ/ | anpa /anpa/ |
| Heart | esit /esit/ | esit /esit/ | mu /mu/ | motéma /motema/ | nle /nle/ | mwâ /mwa/ | ka-yɔn /kajɔn/ |
| Love | ima /ima/ | ima /ima/ | kɔŋ /kɔŋ/ | bolíngo /boliŋɡo/ | ndzem /ndzem/ | nkòŋ /ŋkoŋ/ | ka-haŋkə /kahaŋkə/ |
| Tree | eto /eto/ | eto /eto/ | ti /ti/ | nzété /nzete/ | eli /eli/ | kpa' /kpaʔ/ | kʌ-ant /kʌant/ |
| House | ufọk /ufɔk/ | ufọk /ufɔk/ | nda /nda/ | ndáko /ndako/ | nda /nda/ | ndô /ndo/ | anseth /ansetʰ/ |
| Dog | ebua /ebua/ | ebua /ebua/ | mbu /mbu/ | mbwá /mbwa/ | mvu /mvu/ | mbî /mbi/ | kabul /kabul/ |
| Cat | ekpe /ekpe/ | nyabudaha /ɲabudaha/ | guŋ /ɡuŋ/ | nyáu /ɲau/ | esin /esin/ | gò /ɡo/ | kanaŋ /kanaŋ/ |
| Eat | dia /dia/ | dia /dia/ | mé /me/ | kolía /kolia/ | di /di/ | nîa /nia/ | ði /ði/ |
| Drink | ñwọñ /ŋwɔŋ/ | ñwọñ /ŋwɔɲ/ | nyo /ɲo/ | komɛ́la /komɛla/ | nyu /ɲu/ | nyâa /ɲaː/ | di /di/ |
| One | kiet /kiet/ | kiet /kiet/ | mɔ /mɔ/ | mɔ̌kɔ́ /mɔkɔ/ | bok /bok/ | mò /mo/ | piɲ /piɲ/ |
| Two | iba /ìbà/ | iba /iˈba/ | bɛ́ /bɛ́/ | mibale /mibale/ | bɛ̀ /bɛ̀/ | bɔ́ʔɔ́ /bɔ́ʔɔ́/ | ka-rəŋ /rəŋ/ |
| Hello | mesiere /mesiere/ | mọñọ /mɔɲɔ/ | mɔlɔŋ /mɔlɔŋ/ | mbóte /mbote/ | mbolo /mbolo/ | kâa' /kaːʔ/ | seke /seke/ |
| Thank you | sọsọñọ /sɔsɔŋɔ/ | sọsọñọ /sɔsɔɲɔ/ | nfɔn /nfɔn/ | matɔ́ndɔ /matɔndɔ/ | akiba /akiba/ | ŋyaa' /ŋjaːʔ/ | sɔŋ /sɔŋ/ |
| Good | mfọn /mfɔn/ | eti /eti/ | mwa /mwa/ | malámu /malamu/ | mbeng /mbeŋ/ | mwâ' /mwaʔ/ | lɔŋ /lɔŋ/ |
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