Kalabari is a member of the Ijo(id) branch of the Niger-Congo family. It is spoken by about 258,000 people in Rivers State and Bayelsa State in southern Nigeria. Particularly to the south of Port Harcourt in the Bonny, Okrika and Ogu-Bolo Local Government Areas, and in the city of Opobo.
There are three mutually intelligible dialects of Kalabari: Kalabari proper (Kalaḅarị), Ibani (Ịbạnị) and Kirke (Kị́rị́kẹ̄). They are classified as separate languages in some sources, and each of them has its own alphabet. There is a translation of the Bible in Kalabari.
Download alphabet charts for Kalabari, Ibani and Kirke (Excel)
Source: https://www.bible.com/bible/2540/LUK.11.KBTP
Source: https://www.bible.com/bible/1/LUK.11.KJV
O ḅo ári sa ḅe óyenimi odouwa japu nimi yima yana. Ówari nimi nyc ma pangu ḅe sua diighí pangu ma kpokpo okokon sua. Ówari ngupa otoruku wari. Obie osii tandibem si nimi nye pa ógono sukabem. Obo sii ma lasa, osiima tandibe ofuro fini ngu ma miniya. Okirikii bara pa aso doum opa sii ma tandi benye oriena.
Once upon a time Mr. Tortoise discovered that he knows more than all the other animals. He then began to plot to keep all the others in their perpetual state of ignorance. He therefore decided to put all his knowledge into a pot and tied it on his neck. This pot is usually placed in front of him. So, one day he decided to climb a tree and hung the pot of knowledge cum wisdom on it so that nobody could reach it. He tried to climb the tree but the pot of knowledge and wisdom in front him could not allow him to climb the tree.
Source:https://www.researchgate.net/publication/280579938_IBANI_ORTHOGRAPHY_by_IE_Ngulube
Bọlọsa siki, gbọri ḍapa ḅie sime ñgụ ara ḍein ḍumo ḅu inyọfa, piki ara simẹ-kiri mi diñma ḍoki buu Jupita ḅe tẹkẹmẹ ña ori amanyanaḅọ se ari sẹịnma. Nguma amanyanaḅọ ḅi ḅara mi añi dẹri se Jupita be tarimanẹ; ọkuma ara ḅie ḅẹlẹma bia ḅara ḅụ gbọri chin ikiḅa ọ nwọ se ḍapa mi ḅie ari piri sẹ nwọ se ari ḅẹẹ ña ‘añi amanyanaḅọ be-ẹ’.
Many years ago, there were multitudes of frogs breeding in a pond. There frogs were tired of the condition of life in the pond. So, they prayed to their Great Ruler to send tham a king that would govern them justly. When Jupita, for that was the name of their great ruler, heard it. The request of the frogs to have a king sounded ridiculous and amusing to him.
Source:https://www.researchgate.net/publication/280579950_OKRIKA_ORTHOGRAPHY_by_IE_Ngulube
Information about Kalabari | Tower of Babel
Information about Kalabari
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kalabari_language
https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kalabari_(langue)
https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Калабари
https://kengema.tripod.com/id51.html
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/280579938_IBANI_ORTHOGRAPHY_by_IE_Ngulube
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/280579950_OKRIKA_ORTHOGRAPHY_by_IE_Ngulube
Languages written with the Latin alphabet
Page created: 10.06.25. Last modified: 21.06.25
[top]
You can support this site by Buying Me A Coffee, and if you like what you see on this page, you can use the buttons below to share it with people you know.
If you like this site and find it useful, you can support it by making a donation via PayPal or Patreon, or by contributing in other ways. Omniglot is how I make my living.
Note: all links on this site to Amazon.com
[top]
