Edo (Ẹ̀dó)

Edo is a Volta-Niger language spoken by about a million people in Edo State in southern Nigeria, and also in Sao Tomé-et-Principe. It is also known as Benin, Bini, Addo, Oviedo or Ovioba.

Edo is mainly an oral language, however there is some written material, including dictionaries, textbooks and historical texts.

Edo alphabet and pronunciation

Notes

Before nasal vowels, b and p = [m]; d, l and t = [n]; g and k = [ŋ]; gb and kp = [ŋ͡m]; w = [ŋʷ], and y = [ɲ].
Long vowels are indicated by doubling the vowel letters
Nasal vowels are indicated by adding an n after them, or a nasal consonant before them
The low tone is indicated by a grave accent (à), the high tone by an acute accent (á), the falling tone by a circumflex accent (â), and the mid tone is unmarked.

Hear the Edo alphabet

Sample text in Edo

Emwan ne agbon hia ne a biere, a bie iran noyan-egbe iran kevbe wee, umwon-mwen o ree etin hia ne o kheke iran khin. A ye ewaen kevbe ekhoe ne o maa wu iran, ne iran gha yin da egbe vbe orhion oghe eten-okpa.

Translation

All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.
(Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights)

Sample phrases in Edo

Ób’ókhían = Welcome
Ób’ówa = Greetings to you at home
Kóyo = Hello
Vbèè óye hé? = How are you?
Òy’ èsé = It is fine, o.k.
Ób’ówie = Good morning
Ób’ávàn = Good afternoon
Ób’ ótà = Good evening
Òkhíen òwie = Until tomorrow morning/good night
Ù rú èsé = Thank you

Source: http://www.edofolks.com/html/pub44.htm

Links

Information about Edo
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edo_language
https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Édo_(langue)
http://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/bin
http://www.edofolks.com/html/pub44.htm
http://www.edofolks.com/html/1language.htm
http://www.edoworld.net/Edo_Alphabet.html

Volta-Niger languages

Aja, Ayizo, Edo, Ewe, Fon, Gen, Igala, Igbo, Ikwerre, Isoko, Nupe, Ogba, Urhobo, Yorùbá

Languages written with the Latin alphabet

Page last modified: 23.04.21

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