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
31 core words in Urhobo
Water
ame
/ame/
Fire
erane
/eɾane/
Sun
ọvẹ
/ɔvɛ/
Moon
emẹrẹ
/emɛɾɛ/
Star
isi
/isi/
Mother
onie
/onie/
Father
ọsẹ
/ɔsɛ/
I
mẹ
/mɛ/
You
wẹ
/wɛ/
Name
odẹ
/odɛ/
Eye
aro
/aɾo/
Hand
obọ
/obɔ/
Heart
udu
/udu/
Love
ẹguọnọ
/ɛɡwɔnɔ/
Tree
orhan
/oɾan/
House
uwevwi
/uweβwi/
Dog
ebọ
/ebɔ/
Cat
ọtọma
/ɔtɔma/
Eat
re
/ɾe/
Drink
da
/da/
One
ọvo
/ɔvo/
Two
ivẹ
/ivɛ/
Hello
migwo
/miɡwo/
Thank you
miguo
/miɡuo/
Good
ọmaẹjẹ
/ɔmaɛdʒɛ/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Atlantic-Congo (Volta-Niger, Edoid, Southwestern) languages
| Meaning | Urhobo | Isoko | Yekhee | Degema | Edo language | Gen (Mina) | Zande |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | ame /ame/ | ame /ame/ | amen /amen/ | mọn /mɔn/ | amẹ /ame/ | tsi /tsi/ | ime /ime/ |
| Fire | erane /eɾane/ | erae /eɾae/ | eria /eɾia/ | ọmạrị /ɔmaɾi/ | erhẹn /eɾɛ̃/ | dzo /dzo/ | we /we/ |
| Sun | ọvẹ /ɔvɛ/ | ọvẹ /ɔvɛ/ | ovan /ovan/ | ọvịnị /ɔvini/ | ava /ava/ | ɣe /ɣe/ | uru /uɾu/ |
| Moon | emẹrẹ /emɛɾɛ/ | ọwa /ɔwa/ | ukpoki /ukpoki/ | ọsọ /ɔsɔ/ | uki /uki/ | dzinkɛ /dʒinkɛ/ | diwi /diwi/ |
| Star | isi /isi/ | esi /esi/ | isi /isi/ | esi /esi/ | orivbi /oˈɾiβi/ | ɣletsivi /ɣletsivi/ | kerekuru /kɛɾɛkuɾu/ |
| Mother | onie /onie/ | oni /oni/ | iye /ije/ | inyeyẹ /iɲɛjɛ/ | — /—/ | nɔ /nɔ/ | na /na/ |
| Father | ọsẹ /ɔsɛ/ | ọsẹ /ɔsɛ/ | ada /ada/ | etete /etete/ | érhá /eɾa/ | tɔ /tɔ/ | ba /ba/ |
| I | mẹ /mɛ/ | mẹ /mɛ/ | mẹ /mɛ/ | mẹ /mɛ/ | mẹ /mɛ̃/ | nyɛ /ɲɛ/ | mi /mi/ |
| You | wẹ /wɛ/ | whẹ /ʍɛ/ | wẹ /wɛ/ | wo /wo/ | wẹ /wɛ/ | wò /wò/ | mo /mo/ |
| Name | odẹ /odɛ/ | odẹ /odɛ/ | ena /ena/ | eni /eni/ | eni /ẽ̀nĩ̀/ | ŋkɔ /ŋkɔ/ | rimo /ɾimo/ |
| Eye | aro /aɾo/ | ẹro /ɛɾo/ | evua /evua/ | enẹ /enɛ/ | aro /aro/ | ŋku /ŋku/ | bangiri /baŋɡiɾi/ |
| Hand | obọ /obɔ/ | obọ /obɔ/ | oba /oba/ | ọnẹ /ɔnɛ/ | obo /obo/ | alɔ /alɔ/ | be /be/ |
| Heart | udu /udu/ | udu /udu/ | itsu /itsu/ | ọkọmpọnị /ɔkɔmpɔni/ | orhio /oɾio/ | dzi /dzi/ | ngbaduse /ŋɡbaduse/ |
| Love | ẹguọnọ /ɛɡwɔnɔ/ | ọsuọ /ɔswɔ/ | gbele /ɡbele/ | inyiẹna /iɲjɛna/ | arhuẹmwonmwan /arhuemwonmwan/ | lɔ̃lɔ̃ /lɔ̃lɔ̃/ | kpinyemu /kpiɲemu/ |
| Tree | orhan /oɾan/ | orhan /oɾan/ | orhan /oɾhan/ | eyo /ejo/ | orẹ /ore/ | ati /ati/ | ngua /ŋɡua/ |
| House | uwevwi /uweβwi/ | uwowhe /uwowhe/ | ukekpe /ukekpe/ | ọsụnẹ /ɔsunɛ/ | owa /owa/ | aƒe /aɸe/ | bambu /bambu/ |
| Dog | ebọ /ebɔ/ | ebọ /ebɔ/ | agbon /aɡbon/ | ifụnị /ifuni/ | awa-oshi /awa.oʃi/ | avu /avu/ | ango /aŋɡo/ |
| Cat | ọtọma /ɔtɔma/ | ọtọmha /ɔtɔmha/ | otsuvua /otsuvua/ | ọchẹ /ɔtʃɛ/ | apusi /apusi/ | agbo /aɡbo/ | gbabo /ɡbabo/ |
| Eat | re /ɾe/ | re /ɾe/ | gba /ɡba/ | re /ɾe/ | re /re/ | ɖu /ɖu/ | ri /ɾi/ |
| Drink | da /da/ | da /da/ | gbo /ɡbo/ | da /da/ | da /da/ | no /no/ | mbira /mbiɾa/ |
| One | ọvo /ɔvo/ | ọvo /ɔvo/ | ovo /ovo/ | ọmọ /ɔmɔ/ | okpa /okpa/ | ɖeka /ɖeka/ | sa /sa/ |
| Two | ivẹ /ivɛ/ | ivẹ /ivɛ/ | eva /eva/ | eva /eva/ | eva /èʋà/ | eve /eve/ | ue /uwe/ |
| Hello | migwo /miɡwo/ | mavọ /mavɔ/ | udze /udze/ | amọn /amɔn/ | kóyo /kojo/ | ado /ado/ | mo ima ya /mo ima ja/ |
| Thank you | miguo /miɡuo/ | migwo /miɡwo/ | oyabuwere /ojabuweɾe/ | nani /nani/ | ù rú èsé /u ru ese/ | akpe /akpe/ | oni-tambua /oni-tambua/ |
| Good | ọmaẹjẹ /ɔmaɛdʒɛ/ | ọwhọ /ɔwhɔ/ | edue /edue/ | ekenẹ /ekenɛ/ | ma /ma/ | nyo /ɲo/ | wene /wene/ |
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