Kalabari (Kalaḅarị)

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.

Kalabari alphabet

Kalabari alphabet

Download an alphabet chart for Kalabari (Excel)

Sample text

  1. Jizọsị nwẹnị ịn ḅẹẹ, Ọ́ tẹkẹ ḅarị sakị ó mie ḅẹẹ: Ḍaa, Fịafịa sime ị́ ẹrẹ pịrịị; yee ị́ Ama-da ḅo.
  2. Ene-ḅaaene-ḅaaene wamịnị na-iḅi ḅẹ fịye kẹ wa pịrịị.
  3. Wamịna asi wẹrịso wa pịrịị, wamịnị sọ wẹrịso si kẹ wa mịẹ ḅọ, mịẹ ḅọ pịrị-pịrị ḅara. Tẹ ḍụkụ tẹ wa mu kụrọtẹ daaḍiki ḅio sọ ma.

Source: https://www.bible.com/bible/2540/LUK.11.KBTP

Translation

  1. 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.
  2. Give us day by day our daily bread.
  3. 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 in Kalabari

Information about Kalabari | Tower of Babel

Links

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

Ijoid languages

Defaka, Izon, Kalabari

Languages written with the Latin alphabet

Page created: 10.06.25. Last modified: 10.06.25

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