Izi
Izii
Niger-Congo
Izii (also Izzi or Izi) is an Igboid Niger-Congo language of southeastern Nigeria, classified as a separate language from Igbo (ig) by Ethnologue and Glottolog despite their close genetic relationship within the Igboid subgroup. The Izii people are concentrated in Ebonyi State around Abakaliki, the state capital. Linguistically, Izii shares core Igboid features (noun-class system, downstep tone, SVO constituent order) with Igbo and Ekpeye (ekp), but with distinctive phonological and lexical features. Izii literacy programs since the 1990s have produced standardized educational materials including the Izii New Testament.
Where it is spoken
20 core words in Izii
Water
mini
/mini/
Fire
oku
/oku/
Sun
anwu
/aŋwu/
Moon
onwa
/oŋwa/
Mother
nne
/nːe/
Father
nna
/nːa/
Eat
ri
/ɾi/
Drink
nu
/nu/
Love
ihunanya
/ihunaɲa/
Heart
obi
/obi/
Tree
osisi
/osisi/
House
ulo
/ulo/
Dog
nkita
/ŋkita/
Cat
nwamba
/ŋwamba/
Hand
aka
/aka/
Eye
anya
/aɲa/
Hello
ndo
/ndo/
Thank you
ima ego
/ima eɡo/
One
otu
/otu/
Good
oma
/oma/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Niger-Congo languages
| Meaning | Izii | Ekpeye | Igbo | Kikongo | Ndonga | Luganda | Hiri Motu |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | mini /mini/ | mini /mini/ | mmiri /mːiɾi/ | maza /maza/ | omeya /omeja/ | amazzi /amaːzːi/ | ranu /ɾanu/ |
| Fire | oku /oku/ | oku /oku/ | ọkụ /ɔkʊ/ | tiya /tija/ | omulilo /omulilo/ | omuliro /omuliɾo/ | lahi /lahi/ |
| Sun | anwu /aŋwu/ | anwu /aŋwu/ | anyanwụ /aɲaŋwʊ/ | ntangu /ntaŋɡu/ | etango /etaŋɡo/ | enjuba /eɲɟuba/ | dina /dina/ |
| Moon | onwa /oŋwa/ | onwa /oŋwa/ | ọnwa /ɔŋwa/ | ngonda /ŋɡonda/ | omwedhi /omweði/ | omwezi /omwezi/ | hua /hua/ |
| Mother | nne /nːe/ | nne /nːe/ | nne /nːe/ | mama /mama/ | meme /meme/ | maama /maːma/ | sina /sina/ |
| Father | nna /nːa/ | nna /nːa/ | nna /nːa/ | tata /tata/ | tate /tate/ | taata /taːta/ | tama /tama/ |
| Eat | ri /ɾi/ | ri /ɾi/ | iri /iɾi/ | ku dia /ku dja/ | lya /ʎa/ | kulya /kulja/ | ania /ania/ |
| Drink | nu /nu/ | ñu /ɲu/ | ịṅụ /ɪŋʊ/ | ku nua /ku nua/ | nwa /nwa/ | kunywa /kuɲʷa/ | inua /inua/ |
| Love | ihunanya /ihunaɲa/ | ihunanya /ihunaɲa/ | ịhụnanya /ɪhʊnaɲa/ | zola /zola/ | ohole /ohole/ | okwagala /okwaːɡala/ | lalokau /lalokau/ |
| Heart | obi /obi/ | obi /obi/ | obi /obi/ | ntima /ntima/ | omutima /omutima/ | omutima /omutima/ | kudouna /kudouna/ |
| Tree | osisi /osisi/ | osisi /osisi/ | osisi /osisi/ | nti /nti/ | omuti /omuti/ | omuti /omuti/ | au /au/ |
| House | ulo /ulo/ | ulo /ulo/ | ụlọ /ʊlɔ/ | nzo /nzo/ | egumbo /eɡumbo/ | ennyumba /eɲɲumba/ | ruma /ɾuma/ |
| Dog | nkita /ŋkita/ | nkita /ŋkita/ | nkịta /ŋkɪta/ | mbwa /mbwa/ | ombwa /ombwa/ | embwa /embwa/ | sisia /sisia/ |
| Cat | nwamba /ŋwamba/ | nwamba /ŋwamba/ | nwamba /ŋwamba/ | nyau /ɲau/ | okashima /okaʃima/ | kkapa /kːapa/ | pusi /pusi/ |
| Hand | aka /aka/ | aka /aka/ | aka /aka/ | koko /koko/ | oshikaha /oʃikaha/ | omukono /omukono/ | imana /imana/ |
| Eye | anya /aɲa/ | anya /aɲa/ | anya /aɲa/ | disu /disu/ | eho /eho/ | eriiso /eɾiːso/ | matana /matana/ |
| Hello | ndo /ndo/ | nno /nːo/ | nnọọ /nːɔː/ | mboté /mbote/ | wa lalapo /wa lalapo/ | oli otya /oli otja/ | namona /namona/ |
| Thank you | ima ego /ima eɡo/ | imela /imela/ | daalụ /daːlʊ/ | matondo /matondo/ | tangi /taŋɡi/ | webale /weːbale/ | tanikiu /tanikiu/ |
| One | otu /otu/ | otu /otu/ | otu /otu/ | mosi /mosi/ | -mwe /mwe/ | emu /emu/ | ta /ta/ |
| Good | oma /oma/ | oma /oma/ | ọma /ɔma/ | mbote /mbote/ | -nawa /nawa/ | kirungi /tʃiɾuŋɡi/ | namo /namo/ |
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