Urhobo
Atlantic-Congo (Volta-Niger, Edoid, Southwestern)
Urhobo is a Southwestern Edoid language of the Niger Delta region, closely related to Edo (bin), Esan, and Isoko. The Urhobo people are one of the major ethnic groups of the Niger Delta, traditionally fisher-farmers in the swampy lower Niger. Tonal with three contrastive tones; verb morphology includes prefix-based aspect marking. The Urhobo Historical Society (1957) and Urhobo Studies Association have produced extensive lexical and orthographic resources.
Where it is spoken
20 core words in Urhobo
Water
ame
/ame/
Fire
erane
/eɾane/
Sun
ọvẹ
/ɔvɛ/
Moon
emẹrẹ
/emɛɾɛ/
Mother
onie
/onie/
Father
ọsẹ
/ɔsɛ/
Eat
re
/ɾe/
Drink
da
/da/
Love
ẹguọnọ
/ɛɡwɔnɔ/
Heart
udu
/udu/
Tree
orhan
/oɾan/
House
uwevwi
/uweβwi/
Dog
ebọ
/ebɔ/
Cat
ọtọma
/ɔtɔma/
Hand
obọ
/obɔ/
Eye
aro
/aɾo/
Hello
migwo
/miɡwo/
Thank you
miguo
/miɡuo/
One
ọvo
/ɔvo/
Good
ọmaẹjẹ
/ɔmaɛdʒɛ/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Atlantic-Congo (Volta-Niger, Edoid, Southwestern) languages
| Meaning | Urhobo | Isoko | Yekhee | Degema | Zande | Kinyarwanda | Vai |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | ame /ame/ | ame /ame/ | amen /amen/ | mọn /mɔn/ | ime /ime/ | amazi /amaːzi/ | ꕜꕩ /daja/ |
| Fire | erane /eɾane/ | erae /eɾae/ | eria /eɾia/ | ọmạrị /ɔmaɾi/ | nako /nako/ | umuriro /umuɾiɾo/ | ꕪꔻ /kaːsi/ |
| Sun | ọvẹ /ɔvɛ/ | ọvẹ /ɔvɛ/ | ovan /ovan/ | ọvịnị /ɔvini/ | urure /uɾuɾe/ | izuba /izuba/ | ꕒꔧ /foɛ/ |
| Moon | emẹrẹ /emɛɾɛ/ | ọwa /ɔwa/ | ukpoki /ukpoki/ | ọsọ /ɔsɔ/ | diwi /diwi/ | ukwezi /ukwezi/ | ꕬꖝ /laro/ |
| Mother | onie /onie/ | ini /ini/ | iye /ije/ | inyeyẹ /iɲɛjɛ/ | na /na/ | mama /maːma/ | ꖣ /na/ |
| Father | ọsẹ /ɔsɛ/ | ọsẹ /ɔsɛ/ | ada /ada/ | etete /etete/ | ba /ba/ | papa /paːpa/ | ꕝ /dɛ/ |
| Eat | re /ɾe/ | re /ɾe/ | gba /ɡba/ | re /ɾe/ | ri /ɾi/ | kurya /kuɾja/ | ꕒ /fa/ |
| Drink | da /da/ | da /da/ | gbo /ɡbo/ | da /da/ | mbira /mbiɾa/ | kunywa /kuɲwa/ | ꕇ /mi/ |
| Love | ẹguọnọ /ɛɡwɔnɔ/ | ọsuọ /ɔswɔ/ | gbele /ɡbele/ | inyiẹna /iɲjɛna/ | kpinyemu /kpiɲemu/ | urukundo /uɾukundo/ | ꖣꔆ /nai/ |
| Heart | udu /udu/ | udu /udu/ | itsu /itsu/ | ọkọmpọnị /ɔkɔmpɔni/ | ngbongbo /ŋɡboŋɡbo/ | umutima /umutima/ | ꔖꕇ /sɛni/ |
| Tree | orhan /oɾan/ | orhan /oɾan/ | orhan /oɾhan/ | eyo /ejo/ | ngua /ŋɡua/ | igiti /iɡiti/ | ꕘ /wuɾu/ |
| House | uwevwi /uweβwi/ | uwowhe /uwowhe/ | ukekpe /ukekpe/ | ọsụnẹ /ɔsunɛ/ | bambu /bambu/ | inzu /inzu/ | ꕜꖢ /daɛ/ |
| Dog | ebọ /ebɔ/ | ebọ /ebɔ/ | agbon /aɡbon/ | ifụnị /ifuni/ | ango /aŋɡo/ | imbwa /imbwa/ | ꕝꖣ /dɛni/ |
| Cat | ọtọma /ɔtɔma/ | ọtọmha /ɔtɔmha/ | otsuvua /otsuvua/ | ọchẹ /ɔtʃɛ/ | gbabo /ɡbabo/ | injangwe /indʒaŋɡwe/ | ꖷꖬ /musu/ |
| Hand | obọ /obɔ/ | obọ /obɔ/ | oba /oba/ | ọnẹ /ɔnɛ/ | be /be/ | ikiganza /ikiɡanza/ | ꕢ /sɔ/ |
| Eye | aro /aɾo/ | ẹro /ɛɾo/ | evua /evua/ | enẹ /enɛ/ | bangiri /baŋɡiɾi/ | ijisho /idʒiʃo/ | ꖌ /ɲa/ |
| Hello | migwo /miɡwo/ | mavọ /mavɔ/ | udze /udze/ | amọn /amɔn/ | mo ima ya /mo ima ja/ | muraho /muɾaːho/ | ꕒꔢ /famo/ |
| Thank you | miguo /miɡuo/ | migwo /miɡwo/ | oyabuwere /ojabuweɾe/ | nani /nani/ | oni-tambua /oni-tambua/ | murakoze /muɾakoze/ | ꖢꕜ /sɛda/ |
| One | ọvo /ɔvo/ | ọvo /ɔvo/ | ovo /ovo/ | ọmọ /ɔmɔ/ | sa /sa/ | rimwe /ɾimwe/ | ꕴꖝ /do/ |
| Good | ọmaẹjẹ /ɔmaɛdʒɛ/ | ọwhọ /ɔwhɔ/ | edue /edue/ | ekenẹ /ekenɛ/ | wene /wene/ | byiza /bjiza/ | ꖝꖢ /sue/ |
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