Edoid languages


The Edoid languages are a few dozen languages spoken in southern Nigeria. Edoid-speaking ethnic groups are predominantly located in the States of Edo and Delta however, smaller Edoid-speaking communities are also present in the states of Ondo, Bayelsa, and Rivers. The term "Edoid" for the language group derives from its most widely spoken member, Edo, which is natively spoken in Southern Edo. Edoid languages collectively have approximately 10 million primary and secondary speakers.

Classification

Elugbe (1989)

The following classification is based on that of Elugbe.
Ihievbe and Aduge are unclassified within their branches.

Lewis (2013)

An alternative classification of the Edoid languages by Lewis :
  • Proto-Edoid
  • *North-Western
  • **Okpella, North Ibie
  • **Atte, Enwa, Ikpeshi
  • **Ibilo, Dagbala, Aiyegunle, Somorika
  • **Akuku
  • **Okpe
  • *North-Central
  • **Ghotuo, Sasaru, Igwe, Ososo
  • **Eese, Ihievbe, Uneme-Yekhee, Uokha-Uroe-Ake-Warake, Ikhin-Arokho, Esan, Bini
  • *South-Western
  • **Okpe
  • **Urhobo
  • **Isoko
  • **Eruwa
  • *Delta
  • **Eipe-Atisa
  • **Egene
  • **Degema
Lewis's study is an improvement on Elugbe's classification, as more languages were identified and classified. However, omitted the Uvbie of the South-Western Edoid branch

Names and locations

Below is a list of language names, populations, and locations from Blench.
LanguageBranchClusterDialectsAlternate spellingsOwn name for languageEndonymOther names Other names for languageExonymSpeakersLocation
DegemaDeltaAtala, spoken in Degema town, and Usokun spoken in Usokun–DegemaDẹgẹmaAtala, Usokun10,000 Rivers State, Degema LGA
EngenniDeltaEdiro, Inedua, and Ogua; Zarama in Yenagoa LGANgene, ẸgẹnẹẸgẹnẹ10,000 ; 20,000 Bayelsa State, Yenagoa and Ahoada LGAs Rivers State
EpieDeltaTwo clans, Epie and Atiṣa in at least three towns: Agudiama, Akẹnfai, YẹneguẹEpie–Atissa, Epie–Atiṣa12,000 Bayelsa State, Yenagoa LGA
Emai–Iuleha–Ora clusterNorth-CentralEmai–Iuleha–OraIvhimion. Spurious languages Ihievbe and Uokha are listed in Ethnologue KunibumIvbiosakonestimated 100,000 plus Edo State, Owan, LGA
EmaiNorth-CentralEmai–Iuleha–Oraestimated 20–25,000
IulehaNorth-CentralEmai–Iuleha–OraAomaestimated 50,000
OraNorth-CentralEmai–Iuleha–Oraestimated 30,000
EsanNorth-CentralMany dialectsIshanAwain183,000 ; 500,000 estimated in 1963: Okojie & Ejele Bendel State, Agbazilo, Okpebho, Owan and Etsako LGAs
IkpeshiNorth-Central1,826 Edo State, Etsako LGA
EtsakoNorth-CentralAuchi, Uzairue, South Ivbie, Uwepa–Uwano,, Avbianwu, Avbiele, IvbiadaobiYẹkhee: not all speakers of the language recognise this as the name of the language.EtsakọIyẹkhee, Afenmai, Kukuruku 73,500, 150,000 Edo State, Etsako, Agbako and Okpebho LGAs
GhotuọNorth-CentralOtwa, Otuọ9,000 Edo State, Owan and Akoko–Edo LGAs
Ivbie North–Okpela–Arhẹ clusterNorth-CentralIvbie North–Okpela–Arhẹ14,500 ; possibly 20,000 Edo State, Etsako and Akoko–Ẹdo LGAs
Ivbie NorthNorth-CentralIvbie North–Okpela–Arhẹ
OkpelaNorth-CentralIvbie North–Okpela–ArhẹOkpella, Ukpilla
ArhẹNorth-CentralIvbie North–Okpela–ArhẹAtẹ, Ate, Atte
YẹkheeNorth-CentralAuchi, Uzairue, South Ivbie, Uwepa–Uwano,, Avbianwu, Avbiele, IvbiadaobiYẹkhee: not all speakers of the language recognise this as the name of the language.Etsakọ: the language is not the only language listed as being spoken in Etsako LGA.Iyẹkhee, Afenmai, Kukuruku 73,500, 150,000 Edo State, Etsako, Agbako and Okpebho LGAs
ẸdoNorth-CentralOviedo, OviobaBeninẸdo 203,000, 1,000,000 Edo State, Ovia, Oredo and Orhionmwon LGAs
ỌsọsọNorth-Central6,532 Edo State, Akoko–Edo LGA
Sasaru–Enwan–IgwẹNorth-CentralEnwan, Igwẹ, Sasaru3,775 Edo State, Akoko–Edo LGA
UnẹmẹNorth-CentralUleme, Ileme, Ineme6,000.Edo State, Etsako, Agbazilo and Akoko–Edo LGAs. The Uneme are a blacksmith group and live scattered among other language groups.
UhamiNorth-WesternIsua5,498 Ondo State, Akoko–South and Owo LGAs
UkueNorth-WesternUkpe, Ẹkpenmi5,702 Ondo State, Akoko South LGA
EhuẹunNorth-WesternẸkpenmi, Ekpimi, Epimi5,766 Ondo State, Akoko South LGA
IyayuNorth-WesternIdoani9,979 Ondo State, one quarter of Idoani town
ẸmhalhẹNorth-WesternSomorika 249 in Semolina town Edo State, Akoko–Edo LGA
ỌkpamheriNorth-WesternỌkpamheri means ‘we are one’: Okulosho, Western Okpamheri, Emhalhe. Various.OpameriAduge 18,136 ; 30,000 Edo State, Akoko–Edo LGA, Kwara State, Oyi LGA
Ọkpẹ–Idesa–AkukuNorth-WesternỌkpẹ, Idesa, AkukuEdo State, Akoko–Edo LGA
ỌlọmaNorth-Western353 Edo State, Akoko–Edo LGA
ẸrụwaSouth-WesternErohwa, Erakwa, ArokwaDelta State, Isoko LGA
IsokoSouth-WesternvariousIgabo, Sobo Biotu At least 74,000 ; 300,000 Delta State, Isoko and Ndokwa LGAs
OkpẹSouth-WesternUkpɛ8,722 Delta State, Okpe LGA
UrhoboSouth-WesternSeveral dialects, Agbarho accepted as standard. Okpe and Uvbiẹ, often regarded as dialects of Urhobo, are treated as distinct languages on purely linguistic groundsSobo Biotu at least 173,000 ; 340,000 Delta State, Ethiope and Ughelli LGAs
UvbiẹSouth-WesternUvwie, Evrie, Uvhria, Effurum, Effurun, Evhro 6,000 Delta State, Ethiope LGA
FonSouthDahomeyGbe5,000,000 Benin Republic
EweEast-GhanaTogoGbe10,000,000 Ghana, Togo

Comparative vocabulary

Sample basic vocabulary for some northern Edoid languages from Lewis :
Languageeyeearnosetoothtonguemouthbloodbonetreewatereatname
Ghotuoɛ́óíhɔ̀wèízúéɛ̄kɔ̄nímɛ̀lèúnùādɛ̄ūgūāɔ̀kpótāāmɛ̄ījéévà
Sasarurɛ̄rōwózɔ́ízúélɛ̂ːkɔ̄úrɛ̀rɛ̄únúɔ̀ràúgúáótáāmɛ̄réʒíōvā
Ikhinɛ́ɣóɛ̀ɣɔ̀èwèákáúwɛ̀rɛ́ùnùɔ́ráìgùàòrhàámɛ́èmāèēèèvà
Arokhoɛ̄xōéxɔ̄íwèākɔ̄óxɛ̀rɛ̄únùɔjaúgùàúràìāmɛ̄émàēévà
Uroeɛ̄xōèkɛ̃̀ ̀íwèàkù̃ɔ́rɛ̄mìúnùɛ̀rèák͡pókàórà̃āmɛ̄émírémìêːɲì
Igwe ɛ̄xōóxɔ̀ísúèākɔ̄íɲɛ̀rɛ̀ùnùɔ̀ràígúáítá ̀àmɛ̀īdɛ̄réúrâːmī
Igwe ɛ̀rōwórɔ̀ísúèɛ̄kōínɛ̀nɛ̀únùɔ̄ráɔ̄tɛ̄kūúkánɔ́sínóríbèāmɛ̄ìléléóvà
Akeōk͡pɛ́xòexɔíwèàk͡pàkòúrɛ̀mìúnùɔ́ràìráìúnààmɛ̀ùgbàiéìɲì
Okpujeɛ̄xōêːxɔ̀érùèákɔ̄̃óxɛ̀mìúnùɛ̄rēák͡púkàórààmɛ̀ébàèēhī
Sobongidaɛ̄xōe̋ːxɔ̀éwèākū̃óxɛ̀mìúnùɛ̄rēāk͡pôːkàórààmèébàēéhì