Kabɩyɛ
Kabiye
Atlantic-Congo (Gur, Eastern Oti-Volta)
Kabiye (Kabɩyɛ) is a Gur (Eastern Oti-Volta) language spoken in the Kara region of northern Togo, where the Kabye people are the second-largest ethnic group. Recognized as one of Togo's two national languages alongside Ewe, it has standardized orthography developed by SIL and the Togolese government in the 1970s. Tonal with rich vowel inventory including ɩ and ʋ (relative to /i/ and /u/).
Where it is spoken
20 core words in Kabiye
Water
lɩm
/lɩm/
Fire
miŋ
/miŋ/
Sun
wɩsɩ
/wɩsɩ/
Moon
fenaɣ
/fenaɣ/
Mother
ɖoo
/ɖoː/
Father
caa
/caː/
Eat
tɔɔ
/tɔː/
Drink
ñɔɔ
/ɲɔː/
Love
sɔɔlɩm
/sɔːlɩm/
Heart
laŋɩyɛ
/laŋɩjɛ/
Tree
tɩʋ
/tɩʋ/
House
ɖɩɣa
/ɖɩɣa/
Dog
hayʋ
/hajʋ/
Cat
takpaŋ
/takpaŋ/
Hand
nesi
/nesi/
Eye
ɛsɩ
/ɛsɩ/
Hello
ndɩ na
/ndɩ na/
Thank you
agɔndɩ
/aɡɔndɩ/
One
kʋyʋmaɣ
/kʋjʋmaɣ/
Good
ɖeu
/ɖeu/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Atlantic-Congo (Gur, Eastern Oti-Volta) languages
| Meaning | Kabiye | Kannada | Malayalam | Khmu | Odia | Serer | Donno So |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | lɩm /lɩm/ | ನೀರು /niːɾu/ | വെള്ളം /ʋeɭːəm/ | ɔm /ʔɔm/ | ପାଣି /paːɳi/ | mbox /mbɔx/ | di /di/ |
| Fire | miŋ /miŋ/ | ಬೆಂಕಿ /beŋkɪ/ | തീ /tiː/ | ʔus /ʔus/ | ନିଆଁ /niãː/ | ngir /ŋɡiɾ/ | yɔ /jɔ/ |
| Sun | wɩsɩ /wɩsɩ/ | ಸೂರ್ಯ /suːɾjə/ | സൂര്യൻ /suːɾjən/ | maŋ /maŋ/ | ସୂର୍ଯ୍ୟ /suːɾjɔ/ | naangu /naːŋɡu/ | naa /naː/ |
| Moon | fenaɣ /fenaɣ/ | ಚಂದ್ರ /tʃəndɾə/ | ചന്ദ്രൻ /tʃəndɾən/ | kee /keː/ | ଚନ୍ଦ୍ର /tʃɔndɾɔ/ | weer /weːɾ/ | ele /ele/ |
| Mother | ɖoo /ɖoː/ | ಅಮ್ಮ /əmːə/ | അമ്മ /əmːə/ | mɔɔʔ /mɔːʔ/ | ମା /maː/ | yaay /jaːj/ | na /na/ |
| Father | caa /caː/ | ಅಪ್ಪ /əpːə/ | അച്ഛൻ /ətʃːʰən/ | ʔaaʔ /ʔaːʔ/ | ବାପା /baːpaː/ | baay /baːj/ | ba /ba/ |
| Eat | tɔɔ /tɔː/ | ತಿನ್ನು /tɪnːu/ | കഴിക്കുക /kəɻɪkːukə/ | caa /tʃaː/ | ଖାଇବା /kʰaːɪbaː/ | niam /ɲam/ | kɔɔ /kɔː/ |
| Drink | ñɔɔ /ɲɔː/ | ಕುಡಿ /kuɖɪ/ | കുടിക്കുക /kuɖɪkːukə/ | ɲɔɔp /ɲɔːp/ | ପିଇବା /piːɪbaː/ | ñam /ɲam/ | nɔ /nɔ/ |
| Love | sɔɔlɩm /sɔːlɩm/ | ಪ್ರೀತಿ /pɾiːtɪ/ | സ്നേഹം /sneːɦəm/ | kɔɔh /kɔːh/ | ପ୍ରେମ /pɾemɔ/ | mbutu /mbutu/ | suuli /suːli/ |
| Heart | laŋɩyɛ /laŋɩjɛ/ | ಹೃದಯ /ɦɾudəjə/ | ഹൃദയം /ɦɾudəjəm/ | kruɛŋ /kruɛŋ/ | ହୃଦୟ /hɾudɔjɔ/ | xol /xɔl/ | kɛɛla /kɛːla/ |
| Tree | tɩʋ /tɩʋ/ | ಮರ /məɾə/ | മരം /məɾəm/ | cmuul /tʃmuːl/ | ଗଛ /ɡɔtʃʰɔ/ | garab /ɡaɾab/ | ti /ti/ |
| House | ɖɩɣa /ɖɩɣa/ | ಮನೆ /məne/ | വീട് /ʋiːʈə/ | kaaŋ /kaːŋ/ | ଘର /ɡʱɔɾɔ/ | kër /kəɾ/ | gina /ɡina/ |
| Dog | hayʋ /hajʋ/ | ನಾಯಿ /naːjɪ/ | നായ /naːjə/ | cɔ /tʃɔ/ | କୁକୁର /kukuɾɔ/ | xaj /xaj/ | gɛɛ /ɡɛː/ |
| Cat | takpaŋ /takpaŋ/ | ಬೆಕ್ಕು /bekːu/ | പൂച്ച /puːtʃːə/ | meeo /meːo/ | ବିଲେଇ /bilei/ | mboor /mboːɾ/ | monyi /moɲi/ |
| Hand | nesi /nesi/ | ಕೈ /kəi/ | കൈ /kəi/ | tii /tiː/ | ହାତ /haːtɔ/ | ɓod /ɓɔd/ | nu /nu/ |
| Eye | ɛsɩ /ɛsɩ/ | ಕಣ್ಣು /kəɳːu/ | കണ്ണ് /kəɳːə/ | ŋtaa /ŋtaː/ | ଆଖି /aːkʰi/ | kën /kən/ | gi /ɡi/ |
| Hello | ndɩ na /ndɩ na/ | ನಮಸ್ಕಾರ /nəməskaːɾə/ | നമസ്കാരം /nəməskaːɾəm/ | lɔh /lɔh/ | ନମସ୍କାର /nɔmɔskaːɾɔ/ | na nga def /na ŋɡa dɛf/ | agandɛla /aɡandɛla/ |
| Thank you | agɔndɩ /aɡɔndɩ/ | ಧನ್ಯವಾದ /dʱənjəʋaːdə/ | നന്ദി /nəndi/ | ɔrkun /ʔɔrkun/ | ଧନ୍ୟବାଦ /dʱɔnjɔbaːdɔ/ | jaaraama /dʒaːɾaːma/ | biguƞ /biɡũ/ |
| One | kʋyʋmaɣ /kʋjʋmaɣ/ | ಒಂದು /ondu/ | ഒന്ന് /onːə/ | muei /muei/ | ଏକ /ekɔ/ | leeng /leːŋɡ/ | tum /tum/ |
| Good | ɖeu /ɖeu/ | ಒಳ್ಳೆಯ /oɭːejə/ | നല്ല /nəlːə/ | gee /ɡeː/ | ଭଲ /bʱɔlɔ/ | xaal /xaːl/ | suuli /suːli/ |
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