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
31 core words in Kabiye
Water
lɩm
/lɩm/
Fire
miŋ
/miŋ/
Sun
wɩsɩ
/wɩsɩ/
Moon
fenaɣ
/fenaɣ/
Star
tɩɩŋa
/tɪːŋa/
Mother
ɖoo
/ɖoː/
Father
caa
/caː/
I
ma
/má/
You
ña
/ɲá/
Name
hɩɖɛ
/hɪɖɛ/
Eye
ɛsɩ
/ɛsɩ/
Hand
nesi
/nesi/
Heart
laŋɩyɛ
/laŋɩjɛ/
Love
sɔɔlɩm
/sɔːlɩm/
Tree
tɩʋ
/tɩʋ/
House
ɖɩɣa
/ɖɩɣa/
Dog
hayʋ
/hajʋ/
Cat
takpaŋ
/takpaŋ/
Eat
tɔɔ
/tɔː/
Drink
ñɔɔ
/ɲɔː/
One
kʋyʋmaɣ
/kʋjʋmaɣ/
Two
naalɛ
/naːlɛ/
Hello
ndɩ na
/ndɩ na/
Thank you
agɔndɩ
/aɡɔndɩ/
Good
ɖeu
/ɖeu/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Atlantic-Congo (Gur, Eastern Oti-Volta) languages
| Meaning | Kabiye | Khmu | Malayalam | Kannada | Donno So | Odia | Parauk Wa |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | lɩm /lɩm/ | ɔm /ʔɔm/ | വെള്ളം /ʋeɭːəm/ | ನೀರು /niːɾu/ | di /di/ | ପାଣି /paːɳi/ | tʃɔː /tʃɔː/ |
| Fire | miŋ /miŋ/ | ʔus /ʔus/ | തീ /tiː/ | ಬೆಂಕಿ /beŋkɪ/ | yɔ /jɔ/ | ନିଆଁ /niãː/ | miː /miː/ |
| Sun | wɩsɩ /wɩsɩ/ | maŋ /maŋ/ | സൂര്യൻ /suːɾjən/ | ಸೂರ್ಯ /suːɾjə/ | naa /naː/ | ସୂର୍ଯ୍ୟ /suːɾjɔ/ | waː /waː/ |
| Moon | fenaɣ /fenaɣ/ | kee /keː/ | ചന്ദ്രൻ /tʃəndɾən/ | ಚಂದ್ರ /tʃəndɾə/ | ele /ele/ | ଚନ୍ଦ୍ର /tʃɔndɾɔ/ | lɔː /lɔː/ |
| Star | tɩɩŋa /tɪːŋa/ | sənʔaang /sənʔaːŋ/ | നക്ഷത്രം /nakʂat̪ram/ | ನಕ್ಷತ್ರ /nakʂat̪ra/ | tolo /tolo/ | ତାରା /taɾa/ | si-ngai /sŋaɪ/ |
| Mother | ɖoo /ɖoː/ | mɔɔʔ /mɔːʔ/ | അമ്മ /əmːə/ | ಅಮ್ಮ /əmːə/ | na /na/ | ମା /maː/ | maː /maː/ |
| Father | caa /caː/ | ʔaaʔ /ʔaːʔ/ | അച്ഛൻ /ətʃːʰən/ | ಅಪ್ಪ /əpːə/ | ba /ba/ | ବାପା /baːpaː/ | pʰaː /pʰaː/ |
| I | ma /má/ | oʔ /ʔoʔ/ | ഞാൻ /ɲaːn/ | ನಾನು /naːnu/ | mi /mi/ | ମୁଁ /mũ/ | ê /ʔɤʔ/ |
| You | ña /ɲá/ | meʔ /meʔ/ | നീ /niː/ | ನೀನು /niːnu/ | u /u/ | ତୁମେ /tume/ | mêh /mɤʔ/ |
| Name | hɩɖɛ /hɪɖɛ/ | hmɔh /hmɔh/ | പേര് /peːrɨ/ | ಹೆಸರು /hesaru/ | boy /bɔj/ | ନାମ /namɔ/ | yaom /jɔm/ |
| Eye | ɛsɩ /ɛsɩ/ | ŋtaa /ŋtaː/ | കണ്ണ് /kəɳːə/ | ಕಣ್ಣು /kəɳːu/ | giré /ɡiɾe/ | ଆଖି /aːkʰi/ | miːn /miːn/ |
| Hand | nesi /nesi/ | tii /tiː/ | കൈ /kəi/ | ಕೈ /kəi/ | nu /nu/ | ହାତ /haːtɔ/ | miːk /miːk/ |
| Heart | laŋɩyɛ /laŋɩjɛ/ | kruɛŋ /kruɛŋ/ | ഹൃദയം /ɦɾudəjəm/ | ಹೃದಯ /ɦɾudəjə/ | kɛɛla /kɛːla/ | ହୃଦୟ /hɾudɔjɔ/ | sɛɛ /sɛɛ/ |
| Love | sɔɔlɩm /sɔːlɩm/ | kɔɔh /kɔːh/ | സ്നേഹം /sneːɦəm/ | ಪ್ರೀತಿ /pɾiːtɪ/ | suuli /suːli/ | ପ୍ରେମ /pɾemɔ/ | rəŋ /rəŋ/ |
| Tree | tɩʋ /tɩʋ/ | cmuul /tʃmuːl/ | മരം /məɾəm/ | ಮರ /məɾə/ | ti /ti/ | ଗଛ /ɡɔtʃʰɔ/ | tʰɔː /tʰɔː/ |
| House | ɖɩɣa /ɖɩɣa/ | kaaŋ /kaːŋ/ | വീട് /ʋiːʈə/ | ಮನೆ /məne/ | gina /ɡina/ | ଘର /ɡʱɔɾɔ/ | miː /miː/ |
| Dog | hayʋ /hajʋ/ | cɔ /tʃɔ/ | നായ /naːjə/ | ನಾಯಿ /naːjɪ/ | gɛɛ /ɡɛː/ | କୁକୁର /kukuɾɔ/ | kʰɔː /kʰɔː/ |
| Cat | takpaŋ /takpaŋ/ | meeo /meːo/ | പൂച്ച /puːtʃːə/ | ಬೆಕ್ಕು /bekːu/ | monyi /moɲi/ | ବିଲେଇ /bilei/ | mɛː /mɛː/ |
| Eat | tɔɔ /tɔː/ | caa /tʃaː/ | കഴിക്കുക /kəɻɪkːukə/ | ತಿನ್ನು /tɪnːu/ | kɔɔ /kɔː/ | ଖାଇବା /kʰaːɪbaː/ | sɛː /sɛː/ |
| Drink | ñɔɔ /ɲɔː/ | ɲɔɔp /ɲɔːp/ | കുടിക്കുക /kuɖɪkːukə/ | ಕುಡಿ /kuɖɪ/ | nɔ /nɔ/ | ପିଇବା /piːɪbaː/ | pə /pə/ |
| One | kʋyʋmaɣ /kʋjʋmaɣ/ | muei /muei/ | ഒന്ന് /onːə/ | ಒಂದು /ondu/ | tum /tum/ | ଏକ /ekɔ/ | tʃit /tʃit/ |
| Two | naalɛ /naːlɛ/ | baar /baːr/ | രണ്ട് /raɳɖɯ/ | ಎರಡು /eraɖu/ | lɛy /lɛj/ | ଦୁଇ /dui/ | rao /ra̤ɯ/ |
| Hello | ndɩ na /ndɩ na/ | lɔh /lɔh/ | നമസ്കാരം /nəməskaːɾəm/ | ನಮಸ್ಕಾರ /nəməskaːɾə/ | agandɛla /aɡandɛla/ | ନମସ୍କାର /nɔmɔskaːɾɔ/ | sawʔdiː /sawʔdiː/ |
| Thank you | agɔndɩ /aɡɔndɩ/ | ɔrkun /ʔɔrkun/ | നന്ദി /nəndi/ | ಧನ್ಯವಾದ /dʱənjəʋaːdə/ | biguƞ /biɡũ/ | ଧନ୍ୟବାଦ /dʱɔnjɔbaːdɔ/ | tʰɔk /tʰɔk/ |
| Good | ɖeu /ɖeu/ | gee /ɡeː/ | നല്ല /nəlːə/ | ಒಳ್ಳೆಯ /oɭːejə/ | suuli /suːli/ | ଭଲ /bʱɔlɔ/ | jɔː /jɔː/ |
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