Urhobo language
{{Short description|South-Western Edoid language of Nigeria}}
{{Infobox language
|name=Urhobo
|states=Nigeria
|region=Delta State, Edo State
|ethnicity=Urhobo
|speakers={{sigfig|7.110000|2}} million
|date=2020
|ref=e25
|familycolor=Niger-Congo
|fam2=Atlantic–Congo
|fam3=Volta–Niger
|fam4={{sm|yeai}}
|fam5=Edoid
|fam6=Southwestern
|iso3=urh
|glotto=urho1239
|glottorefname=Urhobo
|notice=IPA
}}
Urhobo is a South-Western Edoid languageElugbe, B. O. 1989. Edoid: Phonology and Lexicon. Port Harcourt: University of Port Harcourt Press. spoken by the Urhobo people of southern Nigeria.{{Cite web |title=Nigeria {{!}} History, Population, Flag, Map, Languages, Capital, & Facts {{!}} Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Nigeria |access-date=2022-03-09 |website=www.britannica.com |language=en}} It is from the Delta and Bayelsa States.{{Cite web |title=Bayelsa State Government – The Glory of all Lands |url=https://bayelsastate.gov.ng/ |access-date=2022-03-10 |language=en-US}}{{failed verification|date=May 2025}}
Phonology
Urhobo has a rather reduced system of sound inventory compared to proto-Edoid. The inventory of Urhobo consists of seven vowels; which form two harmonic sets, {{IPA|/i e ɛ a o ɔ u/}} and {{IPA|/ĩ ẽ ɛ̃ ã ɔ̃ õ ũ/}}.Archangeli & Pulleyblank, 1994. Grounded phonology, p 181ff
It has a conservative consonant inventory for an Edoid language. It maintains three nasals, and only five oral consonants, {{IPA|/ɾ, l, β̞, j, w/}}, have nasal allophones before nasal vowels.{{cite journal|last1=Rolle|first1=N.|year=2013|title=Phonetics and phonology of Urhobo.|journal=UC Berkeley Phonology Lab Annual Report|doi=10.5070/P72q6685k5|pages=281-326}}
| class="wikitable"
! |
| Nasal
| align=center | {{IPA link|m}} | | align=center | ({{IPA link|n}}) | | align=center | {{IPA link|ɲ}} | | align=center | {{IPA link|ŋ͡m}} |
|---|
| Plosive
| align=center | {{IPA link|p}} {{IPA link|b}} | | align=center | {{IPA link|t}} {{IPA link|d}} | align=center | {{IPA link|d͡ʒ}} | align=center | {{IPA link|kʲ}} {{IPA link|ɡʲ}} | align=center | {{IPA link|k}} {{IPA link|ɡ}} | align=center | {{IPA link|k͡p}} {{IPA link|ɡ͡b}} |
| Fricative
| align=center | {{IPA link|ɸ}} | align=center | {{IPA link|f}} {{IPA link|v}} | align=center | {{IPA link|s}} | align=center | {{IPA link|ʃ}} | align="center" | ({{IPA link|ç}} {{IPA link|ʝ}}) | align="center" | {{IPA link|x}} {{IPA link|ɣ}} | |
| Trill
| | | align=center | {{IPA link|r̥}} {{IPA link|r}} | | | | |
| Flap
| | | align=center | ({{IPA link|ɾ̥}} ɾ) | | | | |
| Lateral
| | | align=center | {{IPA link|l}} ~ {{IPA link|n}} | | | | |
| Approximant
| align="center" | {{IPA link|β̞}} {{IPAblink|β̞̃}} | | align="center" | ({{IPA link|ɹ̥}} {{IPA link|ɹ}}) {{IPAblink|ɹ̃}} | | align="center" | {{IPA link|j}} {{IPAblink|j̃}} | align="center" | ({{IPA link|ɰ}} {{IPA link|ɰ̥}}) | align="center" | {{IPA link|w}} {{IPAblink|w̃}} |
- {{IPA|/l/}} is interchangeable with {{IPA|[n]}} only before nasal vowels.
- {{IPA|/d͡ʒ/}} can be heard as {{IPA|[ɟ͡ʝ ~ ʝ]}} before non-front vowels.
- Nasal consonants {{IPA|/m, [n], ɲ, ŋ͡m/}} can have allophones of nasalized approximants as {{IPA|[β̞̃]}}, {{IPA|[ɹ̃ ~ ɾ̃]}}, {{IPA|[j̃]}}, {{IPA|[w̃]}}.
- Approximants {{IPA|/β̞, j, w/}} are heard as nasalized approximants {{IPA|[β̞̃, j̃, w̃]}} before and after nasal vowels.
- Velar fricatives {{IPA|/x, ɣ/}} can vary from being heard as {{IPA|[x, ɣ]}} to lowered fricatives {{IPA|[x̞, ɣ̞]}} and approximants {{IPA|[ɰ̥, ɰ]}}. {{IPA|/x/}} can also be heard as a palatal fricative {{IPA|[ç]}} before {{IPA|/i/}}.
- Rhotics {{IPA|/r̥, r/}} may have different realizations as alveolar or retroflex, and can be articulated as approximants {{IPA|[ɹ̥, ɹ, ɻ̊, ɻ]}}, or taps {{IPA|[ɾ̥, ɾ, ɽ̊, ɽ]}}. A retroflex lateral flap {{IPA|[ɭ̆]}} can also be heard in syllable-final position.
According to Anthony Ukere, Urhobo has two tones, a high tone and a low tone. These can also combine to form rising and falling tones.Ukere, Anthony Obakpọnọvwẹ. 1986. [http://www.rogerblench.info/Language/Niger-Congo/VN/Edoid/Urhobo%20dictionary%20web.pdf Urhobo-English dictionary]. Benin City: Ilupeju Press.
Syntax
Urhobo has the subject–verb–object word order (SVO) constituent order type as illustrated with the example below:
{{interlinear|indent=3
|Òtítí ò chó ọhọ ná
|Otiti 3SG steal.PST hen DET
|‘Otiti stole the hen.’}}
References
{{reflist}}
= General references =
- Frank Kügler, Caroline Féry, Ruben Van De Vijver (2009) Variation and Gradience in Phonetics and Phonology
- [http://www.urhobolanguageinstitute.com/viendo_categoria.cfm?num_cat=46 Okrokoto Ebireri. Ukoko re Ephere R'Urhobo]
{{Incubator|urh}}{{Languages of Nigeria}}
{{Volta-Niger languages}}
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