Edo language


Edo, also known as Bini, is the language spoken by the Edo people in Edo State, Nigeria. It was the primary language of the Benin Empire and its predecessor, Igodomigodo. It is the majority language spoken in Edo State, particularly in Benin City, and the surrounding local governments and senatorial districts in the Southern parts of the State.

Distribution

Most of the Edo language-speakers live in the Southern parts of Edo State, Nigeria. The current state: Edo State derives its name from the Edo speaking people of the state. A smaller number of Edo speakers are also found in Delta State and Ondo State and in other parts of Nigeria.
Edo is an Edoid language. These languages are also spoken in Rivers State and Bayelsa State, Nigeria.

Phonology

Vowels

There are seven vowels,, all of which but can also occur nasalised. Additionally, all vowels are phonetically nasalised in the immediate vicinity of a nasal consonant or vowel.

Consonants

Edo has a rather average consonant inventory for an Edoid language. It maintains only a single phonemic nasal,, but has 13 oral consonants, and the 8 stops, which have nasal allophones such as, and nasalized allophones before nasal vowels.
LabialLabiodentalAlveolarPalatalVelarLabio-velarGlottal
Nasal
Plosive



Fricative
Trill
Close approximant
Open approximant




The three rhotics have been described as voiced and voiceless trills as well as a lax English-type approximant. However, Ladefoged found all three to be approximants, with the voiced–voiceless pair being raised and perhaps at a slightly different place of articulation compared to the third but not trills.

Tone

There are three tones.

Phonotactics

Syllable structure is simple, being maximally CVV, where VV is either a long vowel or plus a different oral or nasal vowel.

Orthography

The Edo alphabet has separate letters for the nasalised allophones of and, mw and n:
Long vowels are written by doubling the letter. Nasal vowels may be written with a final -n or with an initial nasal consonant. Tone may be written with acute accent, grave accent, and unmarked, or with a final -h.