Edoid languages


The Edoid languages are some two-to-three dozen languages spoken in Southern Nigeria, predominantly in the former Bendel State. The name Edoid derives from its most widely spoken member, Edo, the language of Benin City, which has 25 million native and secondary speakers.

Languages

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

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 Rivers State, Yenagoa and Ahoada LGAs
EpieDeltaTwo clans, Epie and Atiṣa in at least three towns: Agudiama, Akẹnfai, YẹneguẹEpie–Atissa, Epie–Atiṣa12,000 Rivers 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, 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 casted 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

Phonology

Proto-Edoid is reconstructed as having a contrast between oral and nasal consonants and oral and nasal vowels typical for the region. However, in some Edoid languages nasal vowels have been reanalyzed as allophones of oral vowels after nasal consonants, and in others nasal consonants have been reanalyzed as allophones of oral consonants before nasal vowels, reducing the number of phonemically nasal consonants. Urhobo retains three nasals,, and has five oral consonants with nasal allophones, ; in Edo this is reduced to one phonemic nasal,, but eight additional consonants with nasal allophones, ; and in Ukue there are no indisputably phonemic nasals and only two consonants with nasal allophones,.

Footnotes