[Ɔkyeame Kwame]

Edo Language ............................English Language

Ób’ókhían .................................welcome
Ób’ówa .....................................greetings to you at home
Kóyo ........................................hello
Vbèè óye hé? ...........................How are you/how is it?
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
Ób’íwìnà ..................................greetings to you at work
Ù rú èsé ..................................thank you
Ìsélógbé ..................................complements of the seasons (end of the year/new year’s greetings)

Next in Lesson One, we shall study a little bit of the Edo language grammar as folllows:

Alphabets: Á B D É È F G Í H K L M N Ó Ò P R S T Ú V W Y Z

Note: The first letter after the consonant D, i.e. É takes the form of vowel (ÉH) while the fifth letter and vowel in the Alphabets is pronounced (EH) (mid tone) and a dot under the letter E

From the above graphic alphabets you will observe that the Edo language has no letters like "C", "J" and "X".

Thus you can compose some elementary words using the above Edo Alhpabets and vowels, though the PC do not have all the qualities for me to properly write them in an original Edo form and version, for instance I cannot find a vowel with a dot under it in the Computer.

In the mean time:

LESSON ONE:

Edo Language ..................English Language

Kóyò ...............................hello
Vbo yé hé(h).. ..................how is it?
òyè èsé ...........................it is fine or good
Vbè á tíe rue? ..................What are you called?
Vbè ore 'nì rue ..................What is your name?
érhá ...................................father
íyé ....................................mother
òtén................................. Relation
òténmwén ........................my relation
òkpia ...............................male, man
òkhùo ..............................female, woman



Now, how can I say in Edo language:

My male relation _____________________________
My female relation _____________________________
My brother _____________________________
My sister _____________________________
Hello, my brother _____________________________
Hello, my sister _____________________________
Hello, father my father _____________________________
Hello, my mothe _____________________________



LESSON TWO ENAO: (Noun):

Let us now direct our minds on the different parts of speech in the Enclish and get the corresponding words in Edo language, begining with the Noun; or, (NAO) in anglo-Edo phone.

TONE: ` low tone; ´ high tone; ^ hight to low tones v low to high tones; mid tone unmarked.

Edo Language :

A) Vbè áyèè è Náo kha?

1) E Náo rórè ènì óghéé òmwán komwán, èmwín kémwín, rà ehekehe. Vbèè óghéé ìgìemwìn:

2) Enì óghéé òmwán
Benjamin Imhonde
Philip Obazee
Kelvin Idehen
Hilary Evbayiro
Cynthia Enahoro
Ehimwenman Aimiuwu
Victor Uwaifo

3) Ènì óghéé èmwín kémwín:

Úkpú, Èkàlákà; Èvbèe; Àmen; Ìzènófua; Èvbàré, Íghó, Ímóto, Èzúzù, Èhóhò, Úkpó, Òwá, Èkhàrhà, Árába, Ófíugbòn, Éhén, Èmíowo, Ìyán, Òghèdè, lè'vbá gha khían.

4) Ènì óghéé èhékéhe:

Ókhúokhúo; Èkíobá, Úromì, Àgénebódè, Úbíazà, Úghéllí, Èrúa, Ígúovbíobò, Ùrhókúosà, Ìdúnmwún Ìgun, Ègùae óghé Óbá; lè'vbá sè 'vbá.

English Translation:

A) What is a Noun?

1) Answer: Noun is a name of any person, things or places. For example

2) Personal Noun:
Benjamin Imhonde
Philip Obazee
Cynthia Enahoro
Kelvin Idehen
Ehimwenman Aimiuwu
Victor Uwaifo

3) Noun of things:

Cup, drinking glass (glass cup), Kola-nut, Water, Crayfish, Money, Motor, Fan, Air/wind, Road, Bed, Umbrella, Rubber, Oil, Fish, Meat/beef, Yam, Plantain, and so on.

4) Noun of places:

Okhuokhuo, Ekioba, Uromi, Agenebode, Ubiaza, Ughelli, Erua, Ighuovbiobo, Ùrhókúosà , Idunmwun Igun, Eguae oghe Oba, and so on.

24 major Edoid dialects in Nigeria


1. ADUGE [ADU]. Kwara State, Oyi LGA.

2. DEGEMA. Rivers State, Degema LGA. Dialects: ATALA, USOKUN (KALA DEGEMA).

3. EDO (BINI, BENIN, ADDO, OVIEDO, OVIOBA) Bendel State, Ovia, Oredo, and Orhionmwon LGA's.

4. EMAI-IULEHA-ORA (KUNIBUM, IVBIOSAKON) [EMA] Dialects: IVHIMION, EMAI, IULEHA, ORA. Dialect cluster.

5. ENGENNI (NGENE, EGENE) [ENN]. Rivers State, Ahoada and YenagoaLGA's. Dialects: EDIRO, INEDUA, OGUA.

6. EPIE (EPIE-ATISSA) [EPI]. Rivers State, Yenagoa LGA. Dialect: ATISA (ATISSA). Most speakers are bilingual in Ijo.

7. ERUWA (EROHWA, ERAKWA, AROKWA) [ERH] Bendel State, Isoko LGA. Related to Urhobo. Most speakers are bilingual in Central Isoko, which is replacing Eruwa. Not intelligible with any Isoko dialect.

8. ESAN (ISHAN, ISA, ESA, ANWAIN) [ISH] Bendel State, Agbazilo, Okpebho LGA's. Dialects: EKPON, IGUEBEN. Many dialects, apparently inherently intelligible.

9. GHOTUO (OTWA, OTUO) [AAA]. Edo State, Owan and Akoko-Edo LGA's.

10. IKPESHI (IKPESHE, EKPESHE) [IKP] Bendel State, Etsako LGA.
The Political & Spiritual Purpose of the Holy Land

11. ISOKO Delta State, Isoko and Ndokwa LGA's.

12. IVBIE NORTH-OKPELA-ARHE [ATG]. Edo State, Etsako and Akoko-Edo LGA's. Dialects: IVBIE NORTH (IBIE NORTH), OKPELA (OKPELLA, UKPELLA, UPELLA), ARHE (ATTE, ATE).

13. IYAYU (IDOANI) [IYA]. Ondo State, one-quarter of Idoani town. The people are sometimes called 'Idoani'.

14. OKPAMHERI (OPAMERI) [OPA]. Edo State, Akoko-Edo LGA. DialectsKULOSHO (OKUROSHO), WESTERN OKPAMHERI, EMHALHE (EMARLE, SOMORIKA,SEMOLIKA). Subdialects of Okulosho: Ojirami (Eekunu),Dagbala (Dangbala), Oja (Oza), Makeke (Uuma), Oma. Subdialects of WesternOkpamheri: Ekpe, Bekuma, Lankpese (Lampese, Lankpeshi), Ibillo (Ibilo), Imoga (Imorga, Uma), Eko (Ekon, Ekor), Ikaran-Oke(Ikeram-Oke), Ebunn-Oke, Ikaran-Ele (Ikeran-Ile, Ebunn-Ugbo, Ikpesa,Igbo-Ola-Sale (Ugboshi-Sale), Aiyegunle (Oshi), Igbo-Ola-Oke(Ugboshi-Oke), Onumo (Onumu), Ogugu, Ogbe-Sale, Ogbe-Oke. Emhalhe may be a separate language.

15. OKPE [OKE]. Delta State, Okpe LGA. Distinct from Okpe-Idesa-Oloma-Akuku, which is Northwestern Edoid.

16. OKPE-IDESA-OLOMA-AKUKU [OKP] Edo State, Akoko-Edo LGA. DialectsKPE, IDESA, OLOMA, AKUKU. Oloma may be a separate language. Differentfrom Okpe which is Southwestern Edoid.

17. OSOSO [OSS]. Edo State, Akoko-Edo LGA.

18. SASARU-ENWAN IGWE (SASARU) [SSC]. Edo State, Akoko-Edo LGA.

19. UHAMI (ISHUA) [UHA]. Ondo State, Akoko South and Owo LGA's.

20. UKUE-EHUEN (EKPENMI, EKPENMEN, EPINMI) [UKU] including Ehuen, Ukue. Ondo State, Akoko South LGA. Dialects: UKUE, EHUEN. Crozier andBlench 1992 treat Ukue and Ehuen as separate languages.

21. UNEME (ULEME, ILEME, INEME) [UNE]. Edo State, Etsako, Agbazilo, and Akoko-Edo LGA's. Ghotuo-Uneme-Yekhee.

22. URHOBO. Delta State, Ethiope and Ughelli LGA's. Dialects: AGBARHO, ISOKO

23. UVBIE ("EVHRO", UVHRIA, UVWIE, EVRIE, EFFURUN). Delta State, Ethiope LGA. Related to Urhobo.

24. YEKHEE (ETSAKO, ETSAKOR, AFENMAI, IYEKHEE, "KUKURUKU"). Edo State,Etsako, Agbako, and Okpebho LGA's. Ghotuo-Uneme-Yekhee. Dialects: AUCHI, UZAIRUE, SOUTH IBIE, UWEPA-UWANO (WEPPA WANO), AVIANWU (FUGAR),AVIELE, IVHIADAOBI.

Not all speakers of the language recognize 'Yekhee' as the name of the language; some prefer 'Etsako'. However, 'Etsako' is not the only language listed as being spoken in Etsako LGA. The name "Kukuruku" is derogatory.

NATIONAL LANGUAGE GROUPS (alphabetical order):

EDO, EFIK, ENGLISH, FULFULDE, HAUSA, IDOMA, IGBO, KANURI, YERWA, YORUBA

OTHER DIALECTS TAUGHT IN PRIMARY SCHOOLS (alphabetical order):

ESAN, ISOKO, NUPE, TIV, EMAI-IULEHA-ORA, IGALA, IJO, CENTRAL-WESTERN, ISEKIRI, URHOBO (AGBARHO) .