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
20 core words in Isoko
Water
ame
/ame/
Fire
erae
/eɾae/
Sun
ọvẹ
/ɔvɛ/
Moon
ọwa
/ɔwa/
Mother
ini
/ini/
Father
ọsẹ
/ɔsɛ/
Eat
re
/ɾe/
Drink
da
/da/
Love
ọsuọ
/ɔswɔ/
Heart
udu
/udu/
Tree
orhan
/oɾan/
House
uwowhe
/uwowhe/
Dog
ebọ
/ebɔ/
Cat
ọtọmha
/ɔtɔmha/
Hand
obọ
/obɔ/
Eye
ẹro
/ɛɾo/
Hello
mavọ
/mavɔ/
Thank you
migwo
/miɡwo/
One
ọvo
/ɔvo/
Good
ọwhọ
/ɔwhɔ/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Atlantic-Congo (Volta-Niger, Edoid, Southwestern) languages
| Meaning | Isoko | Urhobo | Yekhee | Degema | Zande | Berom | Kirundi |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | ame /ame/ | ame /ame/ | amen /amen/ | mọn /mɔn/ | ime /ime/ | bí /bi/ | amazi /amaːzi/ |
| Fire | erae /eɾae/ | erane /eɾane/ | eria /eɾia/ | ọmạrị /ɔmaɾi/ | nako /nako/ | cá /tʃa/ | umuriro /umuɾiɾo/ |
| Sun | ọvẹ /ɔvɛ/ | ọvẹ /ɔvɛ/ | ovan /ovan/ | ọvịnị /ɔvini/ | urure /uɾuɾe/ | kọs /kɔs/ | izuba /izuba/ |
| Moon | ọwa /ɔwa/ | emẹrẹ /emɛɾɛ/ | ukpoki /ukpoki/ | ọsọ /ɔsɔ/ | diwi /diwi/ | cwèl /tʃwel/ | ukwezi /ukwezi/ |
| Mother | ini /ini/ | onie /onie/ | iye /ije/ | inyeyẹ /iɲɛjɛ/ | na /na/ | ne /ne/ | mama /maːma/ |
| Father | ọsẹ /ɔsɛ/ | ọsẹ /ɔsɛ/ | ada /ada/ | etete /etete/ | ba /ba/ | da /da/ | data /data/ |
| Eat | re /ɾe/ | re /ɾe/ | gba /ɡba/ | re /ɾe/ | ri /ɾi/ | rì /ɾi/ | kurya /kuɾja/ |
| Drink | da /da/ | da /da/ | gbo /ɡbo/ | da /da/ | mbira /mbiɾa/ | nyaŋ /ɲaŋ/ | kunywa /kuɲwa/ |
| Love | ọsuọ /ɔswɔ/ | ẹguọnọ /ɛɡwɔnɔ/ | gbele /ɡbele/ | inyiẹna /iɲjɛna/ | kpinyemu /kpiɲemu/ | shìr /ʃiɾ/ | urukundo /uɾukundo/ |
| Heart | udu /udu/ | udu /udu/ | itsu /itsu/ | ọkọmpọnị /ɔkɔmpɔni/ | ngbongbo /ŋɡboŋɡbo/ | kúgú /kuɡu/ | umutima /umutima/ |
| Tree | orhan /oɾan/ | orhan /oɾan/ | orhan /oɾhan/ | eyo /ejo/ | ngua /ŋɡua/ | kàn /kan/ | igiti /iɡiti/ |
| House | uwowhe /uwowhe/ | uwevwi /uweβwi/ | ukekpe /ukekpe/ | ọsụnẹ /ɔsunɛ/ | bambu /bambu/ | wùm /wum/ | inzu /inzu/ |
| Dog | ebọ /ebɔ/ | ebọ /ebɔ/ | agbon /aɡbon/ | ifụnị /ifuni/ | ango /aŋɡo/ | cà /tʃa/ | imbwa /imbwa/ |
| Cat | ọtọmha /ɔtɔmha/ | ọtọma /ɔtɔma/ | otsuvua /otsuvua/ | ọchẹ /ɔtʃɛ/ | gbabo /ɡbabo/ | mìshí /miʃi/ | akayabu /akajabu/ |
| Hand | obọ /obɔ/ | obọ /obɔ/ | oba /oba/ | ọnẹ /ɔnɛ/ | be /be/ | kpàá /kpaː/ | ukuboko /ukuboko/ |
| Eye | ẹro /ɛɾo/ | aro /aɾo/ | evua /evua/ | enẹ /enɛ/ | bangiri /baŋɡiɾi/ | nyíí /ɲiː/ | ijisho /idʒiʃo/ |
| Hello | mavọ /mavɔ/ | migwo /miɡwo/ | udze /udze/ | amọn /amɔn/ | mo ima ya /mo ima ja/ | kèèlé /keːle/ | amahoro /amahoɾo/ |
| Thank you | migwo /miɡwo/ | miguo /miɡuo/ | oyabuwere /ojabuweɾe/ | nani /nani/ | oni-tambua /oni-tambua/ | gèyak /ɡejak/ | murakoze /muɾakoze/ |
| One | ọvo /ɔvo/ | ọvo /ɔvo/ | ovo /ovo/ | ọmọ /ɔmɔ/ | sa /sa/ | kòp /kop/ | rimwe /ɾimwe/ |
| Good | ọwhọ /ɔwhɔ/ | ọmaẹjẹ /ɔmaɛdʒɛ/ | edue /edue/ | ekenẹ /ekenɛ/ | wene /wene/ | mwa /mwa/ | nziza /nziza/ |
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