Eloyi (Ɛ̀llɔ́ì / Ẹ̀llọ́ì)

Eloyi is member of the Plateau group of the Benue-Congo branch of the Niger-Congo language family. It is spoken by about 100,000 people in the Agatu and Otukpo Local Goverment Areas (LGAs) in the north and west of Benue State in the southeast of Nigeria, and in Kokona, Nasarawa and Keffi LGAs in the west of Nasarawa State in central Nigeria. The majority of Eloyi people speak Eloyi, and also speak Hausa, which is becoming the primary language for some of them.

Eloyi is also known as Afu, Afo, Afawa, Afao or Ajiri. The people who speak it are known as Eloyi or Ajiri. There are two main dialects: Eloyi Mbeki, or Eloyi of the rocks (Ẹ̀llọ́ì Mbéci), and Eloyi Ambú, or Eloyi of the rocks (Ẹ̀llọ́ì Mbéjí). There is limited mutal intelligibility between these dialects.

Eloyi was first documented by Gerhard Rolphs in 1866. There are a number of ways to write it with the Latin alphabet.

Eloyi alphabet and pronunciation

Download an alphabet chart for Eloyi (Excel)
Details of the Eloyi alphabet provided by Wolfram Siegel (PDF)

Notes

Double vowels are long and double consonants are geminated.
The [ɛ] and [ɔ] sounds are written ɛ and ɔ or ẹ and ọ.
m and n are syllabic before consonants.
Consonants are labialized when followed by w and velarized when followed by y.

Sample text

Akwɛyi Ɔzhizɔsi a za mba tee, «Kwuye ungwu lu lɛ Ukpo, la lu zɔ tee: Ada: Ɛnyi ŋɔ li fya iduma ma; Irɛsu ŋɔ li bo.
Shi nzu kiya ingyirimo ingyi ɔnɛ mbala ingyi kwɔfyi kwɔfyi.
Gba laa ingbomo nzu kpa nzu, mate bɔkɔ kinzu ki gba laa ingbomo iyi enzu ki. kpa mba. Ki shi nzu la ki fye mɛmi iyi ipwama iyɛkɔkɔ mo.»

Source: https://www.bible.com/bible/4444/LUK.11.ETP

Translation

And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.
Give us day by day our daily bread.
And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.
The Lord's Prayer - Luke 11: 2-4

Source: https://www.bible.com/bible/1/LUK.11.KJV

Sample videos

Links

Information about Eloyi
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eloyi_language
https://glottolog.org/resource/languoid/id/eloy1241
https://www.sil.org/resources/search/language/afo
https://docslib.org/doc/7787742/the-eloyi-language-of-central-nigeria-and-its-affinities
https://www.101lasttribes.com/tribes/eloyi.html

Benue-Congo languages

Akum, Alumu, Anaang, Berom, Cara, Eleme, Eloyi, Firan, Jju

Languages written with the Latin alphabet

Page created: 11.08.26. Last modified: 11.08.26

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