Isoko
Atlantic-Congo (Volta-Niger, Edoid, Southwestern)
Isoko is a Southwestern Edoid language of the Niger Delta region, very closely related to Urhobo (urh) — the two are sometimes considered dialects of a single Urhobo-Isoko language but are usually treated as distinct. The Isoko people are concentrated in the Isoko North and Isoko South Local Government Areas of Delta State. Like Urhobo, Isoko is tonal with three contrastive tones, and uses prefix-based verbal aspect marking. The Isoko Bible (1973) and a growing literary tradition have given it a strong written presence in the Niger Delta.
Where it is spoken
31 core words in Isoko
Water
ame
/ame/
Fire
erae
/eɾae/
Sun
ọvẹ
/ɔvɛ/
Moon
ọwa
/ɔwa/
Star
esi
/esi/
Mother
oni
/oni/
Father
ọsẹ
/ɔsɛ/
I
mẹ
/mɛ/
You
whẹ
/ʍɛ/
Name
odẹ
/odɛ/
Eye
ẹro
/ɛɾo/
Hand
obọ
/obɔ/
Heart
udu
/udu/
Love
ọsuọ
/ɔswɔ/
Tree
orhan
/oɾan/
House
uwowhe
/uwowhe/
Dog
ebọ
/ebɔ/
Cat
ọtọmha
/ɔtɔmha/
Eat
re
/ɾe/
Drink
da
/da/
One
ọvo
/ɔvo/
Two
ivẹ
/ivɛ/
Hello
mavọ
/mavɔ/
Thank you
migwo
/miɡwo/
Good
ọwhọ
/ɔwhɔ/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Atlantic-Congo (Volta-Niger, Edoid, Southwestern) languages
| Meaning | Isoko | Urhobo | Yekhee | Degema | Edo language | Zande | Berom |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | ame /ame/ | ame /ame/ | amen /amen/ | mọn /mɔn/ | amẹ /ame/ | ime /ime/ | bí /bi/ |
| Fire | erae /eɾae/ | erane /eɾane/ | eria /eɾia/ | ọmạrị /ɔmaɾi/ | erhẹn /eɾɛ̃/ | we /we/ | cá /tʃa/ |
| Sun | ọvẹ /ɔvɛ/ | ọvẹ /ɔvɛ/ | ovan /ovan/ | ọvịnị /ɔvini/ | ava /ava/ | uru /uɾu/ | kọs /kɔs/ |
| Moon | ọwa /ɔwa/ | emẹrẹ /emɛɾɛ/ | ukpoki /ukpoki/ | ọsọ /ɔsɔ/ | uki /uki/ | diwi /diwi/ | cwèl /tʃwel/ |
| Star | esi /esi/ | isi /isi/ | isi /isi/ | esi /esi/ | orivbi /oˈɾiβi/ | kerekuru /kɛɾɛkuɾu/ | taŋaten /taŋaˈten/ |
| Mother | oni /oni/ | onie /onie/ | iye /ije/ | inyeyẹ /iɲɛjɛ/ | — /—/ | na /na/ | ne /ne/ |
| Father | ọsẹ /ɔsɛ/ | ọsẹ /ɔsɛ/ | ada /ada/ | etete /etete/ | érhá /eɾa/ | ba /ba/ | da /da/ |
| I | mẹ /mɛ/ | mẹ /mɛ/ | mẹ /mɛ/ | mẹ /mɛ/ | mẹ /mɛ̃/ | mi /mi/ | mé /me/ |
| You | whẹ /ʍɛ/ | wẹ /wɛ/ | wẹ /wɛ/ | wo /wo/ | wẹ /wɛ/ | mo /mo/ | hó /ho/ |
| Name | odẹ /odɛ/ | odẹ /odɛ/ | ena /ena/ | eni /eni/ | eni /ẽ̀nĩ̀/ | rimo /ɾimo/ | reza /ˈrɛza/ |
| Eye | ẹro /ɛɾo/ | aro /aɾo/ | evua /evua/ | enẹ /enɛ/ | aro /aro/ | bangiri /baŋɡiɾi/ | nyíí /ɲiː/ |
| Hand | obọ /obɔ/ | obọ /obɔ/ | oba /oba/ | ọnẹ /ɔnɛ/ | obo /obo/ | be /be/ | kpàá /kpaː/ |
| Heart | udu /udu/ | udu /udu/ | itsu /itsu/ | ọkọmpọnị /ɔkɔmpɔni/ | orhio /oɾio/ | ngbaduse /ŋɡbaduse/ | kúgú /kuɡu/ |
| Love | ọsuọ /ɔswɔ/ | ẹguọnọ /ɛɡwɔnɔ/ | gbele /ɡbele/ | inyiẹna /iɲjɛna/ | arhuẹmwonmwan /arhuemwonmwan/ | kpinyemu /kpiɲemu/ | shìr /ʃiɾ/ |
| Tree | orhan /oɾan/ | orhan /oɾan/ | orhan /oɾhan/ | eyo /ejo/ | orẹ /ore/ | ngua /ŋɡua/ | kàn /kan/ |
| House | uwowhe /uwowhe/ | uwevwi /uweβwi/ | ukekpe /ukekpe/ | ọsụnẹ /ɔsunɛ/ | owa /owa/ | bambu /bambu/ | wùm /wum/ |
| Dog | ebọ /ebɔ/ | ebọ /ebɔ/ | agbon /aɡbon/ | ifụnị /ifuni/ | awa-oshi /awa.oʃi/ | ango /aŋɡo/ | cà /tʃa/ |
| Cat | ọtọmha /ɔtɔmha/ | ọtọma /ɔtɔma/ | otsuvua /otsuvua/ | ọchẹ /ɔtʃɛ/ | apusi /apusi/ | gbabo /ɡbabo/ | mìshí /miʃi/ |
| Eat | re /ɾe/ | re /ɾe/ | gba /ɡba/ | re /ɾe/ | re /re/ | ri /ɾi/ | rì /ɾi/ |
| Drink | da /da/ | da /da/ | gbo /ɡbo/ | da /da/ | da /da/ | mbira /mbiɾa/ | nyaŋ /ɲaŋ/ |
| One | ọvo /ɔvo/ | ọvo /ɔvo/ | ovo /ovo/ | ọmọ /ɔmɔ/ | okpa /okpa/ | sa /sa/ | kòp /kop/ |
| Two | ivẹ /ivɛ/ | ivẹ /ivɛ/ | eva /eva/ | eva /eva/ | eva /èʋà/ | ue /uwe/ | bà /ba/ |
| Hello | mavọ /mavɔ/ | migwo /miɡwo/ | udze /udze/ | amọn /amɔn/ | kóyo /kojo/ | mo ima ya /mo ima ja/ | kèèlé /keːle/ |
| Thank you | migwo /miɡwo/ | miguo /miɡuo/ | oyabuwere /ojabuweɾe/ | nani /nani/ | ù rú èsé /u ru ese/ | oni-tambua /oni-tambua/ | gèyak /ɡejak/ |
| Good | ọwhọ /ɔwhɔ/ | ọmaẹjẹ /ɔmaɛdʒɛ/ | edue /edue/ | ekenẹ /ekenɛ/ | ma /ma/ | wene /wene/ | mwa /mwa/ |
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