View source for Edo language

{{Short description|Edoid language spoken in Nigeria}}
{{Use Nigerian English|date=December 2024}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2024}}
{{Distinguish|Ido}}
{{Infobox language
| name          = Edo
| altname       = Bini
| nativename    = {{lang|ig|Ẹ̀dó}}
| states        = [[Nigeria]]
| region        = [[Edo State]]
| ethnicity     = [[Edo people|Edo]]
| speakers      = {{sigfig|2.031670|1}} million
| date          = 2020
| ref           = e25
| familycolor   = Niger-Congo
| fam2          = [[Atlantic–Congo languages|Atlantic–Congo]]
| fam3          = [[Volta-Congo]]
| fam4          = [[Benue-Congo]]
| fam5          = [[Akpes language|Akpes]]-[[Edoid]]
| fam6          = [[Edoid]]
| fam7          = North-Central
| fam8          = Edo–Esan–Ora
| script        = [[Latin script|Latin]]
| iso2          = bin
| iso3          = bin
| glotto        = bini1246
| glottorefname = Bini
| map           = Edo language.svg
| mapcaption    = Location of Edo speakers in Nigeria.
}}

'''Edo''' ({{lang|bin|Ẹ̀dó}}; <small>English:</small> {{IPAc-en|ˈ|ɛ|d|oʊ}},<ref>Laurie Bauer, 2007, ''The Linguistics Student's Handbook'', Edinburgh</ref> <small>West African English:</small> [[Help:IPA|/ˈedo/]]<ref>{{Cite OED|Edo|access-date=30 September 2024}}</ref>), also known as '''Bini''', is the language spoken by the [[Edo people]] in [[Edo State]], [[Nigeria]]. It was the primary language of the [[Benin Empire]] and its predecessor, [[Igodomigodo]]. It is the majority language spoken in Edo State, particularly in [[Benin City]], and the surrounding local governments and senatorial districts in the Southern parts of the State.

==Distribution==
Most of the Edo language-speakers live in the Southern parts of [[Edo State]], [[Nigeria]]. The current state: [[Edo State]] derives its name from the Edo speaking people of the state. A smaller number of Edo speakers are also found in [[Delta State]] and [[Ondo State]] and in other parts of Nigeria. 

Edo is an [[Edoid language]]. These languages are also spoken in [[Rivers State]] and [[Bayelsa State]], Nigeria.

==Phonology==

=== Vowels ===
There are seven vowels, {{IPA|/i e ɛ a ɔ o u/}}, all of which may be long or nasal.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
!
! [[Front vowel|Front]]
! [[Back vowel|Back]]
|-
! [[Close vowel|Close]]
| {{IPA link|i}}
| {{IPA link|u}}
|-
![[Close-mid vowel|Close-mid]]
| {{IPA link|e}}
| {{IPA link|o}}
|-
![[Open-mid vowel|Open-mid]]
| {{IPA link|ɛ}}
| {{IPA link|ɔ}}
|-
![[Open vowel|Open]]
| colspan="2" | {{IPA link|a}}
|}

=== Consonants ===
Edo has a rather average consonant inventory for an [[Edoid language]]. It maintains only a single phonemic nasal, {{IPA|/m/}}, but has 13 oral consonants, {{IPA|/r, l, ʋ, j, w/}} and the 8 [[plosive|stop]]s, which have nasal allophones such as {{IPA|[n, ɲ, ŋʷ]}}, and nasalized allophones {{IPA|[ʋ̃, j̃, w̃]}} before nasal vowels.

{| class="wikitable"
!
![[Labial consonant|Labial]]
![[Labiodental consonant|Labiodental]]
![[alveolar consonant|Alveolar]]
![[palatal consonant|Palatal]]
![[velar consonant|Velar]]
![[Labialization|Labio-velar]]
![[glottal consonant|Glottal]]
|-
![[Nasal stop|Nasal]]
| align=center | {{IPA link|m}}
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
![[plosive consonant|Plosive]]
| align=center | {{IPA link|p}}&nbsp;&nbsp;{{IPA link|b}}<br>{{IPA|[pm&nbsp;bm]}}
|
| align=center | {{IPA link|t}}&nbsp;&nbsp;{{IPA link|d}}<br>{{IPA|[tn&nbsp;dn]}}
|
| align=center | {{IPA link|k}}&nbsp;&nbsp;{{IPA link|ɡ}}<br>{{IPA|[kŋ&nbsp;ɡŋ]}}
| align=center | {{IPA link|k͡p}}&nbsp;&nbsp;{{IPA link|ɡ͡b}}<br>{{IPA|[k͡pŋ͡m&nbsp;ɡ͡bŋ͡m]}}
|
|-
![[fricative consonant|Fricative]]
|
| align=center | {{IPA link|f}}&nbsp;&nbsp;{{IPA link|v}}
| align=center | {{IPA link|s}}&nbsp;&nbsp;{{IPA link|z}}
|
| align=center | {{IPA link|x}}&nbsp;&nbsp;{{IPA link|ɣ}}
|
| align=center | {{IPA link|ɦ}}
|-
![[Trill consonant|Trill]]
|
|
| align=center | {{IPA link|r}}
|
|
|
|
|-
![[Raised (phonetics)|Close]] approximant
|
|
| align=center | {{IPA link|ɹ̝̊}}&nbsp;&nbsp;{{IPA link|ɹ̝}}
|
|
|
|
|-
!Open [[Approximant consonant|approximant]]
|
| align=center| {{IPA link|ʋ}}<br>{{IPAblink|ʋ̃}}
| align=center| {{IPA link|l}}<br>{{IPAblink|n}}
| align=center| {{IPA link|j}}<br>{{IPAblink|ɲ}} {{IPAblink|j̃}}
|
| align=center| {{IPA link|w}}<br>{{IPAblink|ŋʷ}} {{IPAblink|w̃}}
|
|}

The three [[rhotic consonant|rhotics]] have been described as voiced and voiceless trills as well as a lax English-type approximant. However, Ladefoged<ref>{{SOWL}}</ref>{{rp|241}} found all three to be approximants, with the voiced–voiceless pair being [[raised (phonetics)|raised]] (without being fricatives) and perhaps at a slightly different [[place of articulation]] compared to the third but not trills.

=== Tone===
There are three tones.

=== Phonotactics ===
Syllable structure is simple, being maximally CVV, where VV is either a long vowel or {{IPA|/i, u/}} plus a different oral or nasal vowel.

== Orthography ==
The Edo alphabet has separate letters for the nasalised allophones of {{IPA|/ʋ/}} and {{IPA|/l/}}, ''mw'' and ''n'':

{|
|-align=center
|A||B||D||E||Ẹ||F||G||Gb||Gh||H||I||K||Kh||Kp||L||M||Mw||N||O||Ọ||P||R||Rh||Rr||S||T||U||V||Vb||W||Y||Z
|-align=center
|{{IPA|/a/}}||{{IPA|/b/}}||{{IPA|/d/}}||{{IPA|/e/}}||{{IPA|/ɛ/}}||{{IPA|/f/}}||{{IPA|/ɡ/}}||{{IPA|/⁠ɓˠ⁠/}}||{{IPA|/ɣ/}}||{{IPA|/ɦ/}}||{{IPA|/i/}}||{{IPA|/k/}}||{{IPA|/x/}}||{{IPA|/kp/}}||{{IPA|/l/}}||{{IPA|/m/}}||{{IPA|[ʋ̃]}}||{{IPA|[n]}}||{{IPA|/o/}}||{{IPA|/ɔ/}}||{{IPA|/p/}}||{{IPA|/r/}}||{{IPA|/ɹ̝̊/}}||{{IPA|/ɹ̝/}}||{{IPA|/s/}}||{{IPA|/t/}}||{{IPA|/u/}}||{{IPA|/v/}}||{{IPA|/ʋ/}}||{{IPA|/w/}}||{{IPA|/j/}}||{{IPA|/z/}}
|}
Long vowels are written by doubling the letter. Nasal vowels may be written with a final -n or with an initial nasal consonant. Tone may be written with acute accent, grave accent, and unmarked, or with a final -h (-nh with a nasal vowel).

== See also ==
* [[Edo people]]
* [[Edo literature]]
* [[Benin Empire]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}
== Further reading ==
* {{Cite thesis |last=Adénéyì |first=Harrison 'Rótìmí |title=A morphology of Edo |degree=MA |publisher=University of Ibadan |doi=10.5281/zenodo.3625750 |doi-access=free |year=2007}}
* {{Cite journal |last=Adeniyi |first=Harrison |year=2007 |title=A comparative study of reduplication in Edo and Yoruba |journal=MorphOn: e-Journal of Morphology |pages=1–23}}
* {{Cite journal |last=Ajiboye |first=Oladiipo Jacob |year=2001 |title=A comparative study of Èdó and Yorùbá gerunds |journal=University of British Columbia Working Papers in Linguistics |volume=4}}
* {{Cite journal |last=Aluede |first=Charles O. |last2=Braimah |first2=Abu A. |year=2005 |title=Edo folk songs as sources of historical reconstruction |journal=Studies of Tribes and Tribals |volume=3 |issue=2 |pages=123–128 |doi=10.1080/0972639X.2005.11886528 |s2cid=49571460}}
* {{Cite conference |last=Baker |first=Mark C. |title=On the Interplay of the Universal and the Particular: Case Studies from Edo |conference=35th Annual Meeting of the Chicago Linguistics Society |location=Chicago}}
* {{Cite journal |last=Baker |first=Mark C. |last2=Osumuyimen |first2=Thompson Stewart |year=2001 |title=Unaccusativity and the adjective/verb distinction: Èdó evidence |journal=University of British Columbia Working Papers in Linguistics |volume=4}}
* {{Cite book |last=Dunn |first=Ernest F. |title=An Introduction to Bini |publisher=African Studies Center, Michigan State University |others=assisted by Agheyisi, Rebecca N. |year=1968 |series=African Monograph |volume=8 |location=East Lansing |lccn=77629241 |oclc=614956253}}
* {{Cite thesis |last=Emovon |first=Joshua A. |title=A phonological study of Edo (Bini), with special reference to the verbal phrase |degree=MPhil |publisher=SOAS, University of London |doi=10.25501/SOAS.00029261 |doi-access=free |year=1979}}
* {{Cite journal |last=Imasuen |first=Ekhato Otamere |date=1998–1999 |title=Languages in contact: the case of Edo and Portuguese |url=https://journalofwestafricanlanguages.org/index.php/downloads/download/79-volume2702/379-languages-in-contact-the-case-of-edo-and-portuguese |journal=Journal of West African Languages |volume=27 |pages=39–50}}
* {{Cite book |last=Manfredi |first=Victor B. |title=Typologie des langues d'Afrique et universaux de la grammaire |publisher=L'Harmattan |year=2003 |editor-last=Sauzet |editor-first=Patrick |location=Paris |pages=127–162 |chapter=A fonosyntactic parameter within Benue-Kwa and its consequences for Edó |editor-last2=Zribi-Hertz |editor-first2=Anne}}
* {{Cite journal |last=Morrison |first=Megan |year=2001 |title=Plurality and multiplicity in Èdó and English |journal=University of British Columbia Working Papers in Linguistics |volume=4}}
* {{Cite journal |last=Naumann |first=Ralf |last2=Gamerschlag |first2=Thomas |year=2020 |title=Serial verb constructions and covert coordinations in Edo – an analysis in Type Logical Grammar |journal=Journal of Language Modelling |volume=8 |pages=337–413}}
* {{Cite journal |last=Ogie |first=Ota |year=2001 |title=Some comments on Èdó syntax |journal=Africa & Asia: Göteborg working papers on Asian and African languages and literatures |volume=1 |pages=50–59 |s2cid=64227751}}
* {{Cite book |last=Ogie |first=Ota |url=https://centreforedostudies.be/Papers/Ogie,%20Ota%20-%20About%20Multi-verb%20Constructions%20in%20Edo,%20Proceedings%20of%20the%20workshop%20on%20Multi-Verb%20constructions,%20Trondheim%20Summer%20School%202003.pdf |title=Proceedings of the workshop on Multi-Verb constructions |publisher=Trondheim Summer School |year=2003 |chapter=About Multi-verb Constructions in Edo}}
* {{Cite thesis |last=Ogie |first=Ota |title=Multi-Verb Constructions in È̱DÓ |degree=PhD |publisher=NTNU |hdl=11250/243996 |year=2009}}
* {{Cite journal |last=Omozuwa |first=Edosa Victor |year=1998 |title=A spectrographic study of Edo [ɹ] and [l] |url=https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/onseikenkyu/2/3/2_KJ00007630883/_pdf |journal=Onsei Kenkyu: Journal of the Phonetic Society of Japan |volume=2 |issue=3 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220508091847/https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/onseikenkyu/2/3/2_KJ00007630883/_pdf |archive-date=2022-05-08}}
* {{Cite journal |last=Sheedy |first=Cory R. C. |year=2001 |title=Grammatical tones in Èdó: an optimality theoretic account |journal=University of British Columbia Working Papers in Linguistics |volume=4}}
* {{Cite book |last=Wescott |first=Roger W. |title=A Bini grammar |publisher=African Languages and Area Center, Michigan State University |year=1962 |volume=1: Phonology |location=East Lansing}}
* {{Cite book |last=Wescott |first=Roger W. |title=A Bini grammar |publisher=African Languages and Area Center, Michigan State University |year=1962 |volume=2: Morphology |location=East Lansing}}
* {{Cite journal |last=Woo |first=Florence Fung Lam |year=2001 |title=Serial verb constructions in Èdó and Cantonese |journal=University of British Columbia Working Papers in Linguistics |volume=4}}
* {{Cite journal |last=Yuka |first=Lendzemo Constantine |last2=Mercy |first2=Omoregbe |year=2006 |title=Re as a post-verbal free form in Edo: a morpho-semantic re-analysis |journal=MorphOn: e-Journal of Morphology |pages=1–13}}

== External links ==
{{Incubator|bin}}
* [http://www.edofolks.com/words/ Edo Language Dictionary Online] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927043014/http://www.edofolks.com/words/ |date=2007-09-27 }}
* [https://archive.org/details/MelzianAConciseDictionaryOfTheBiniLanguageOfSouthernNigeria1937 Hans Melzian's Edo-English Dictionary]
* [https://archive.org/details/AgheysiRebeccaN.AnEdoEnglishDictionary Rebecca Agheyisi's Edo-English Dictionary]
* [http://centreforedostudies.be Centre for Edo Studies]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070225031019/http://www.panafril10n.org/wikidoc/pmwiki.php/PanAfrLoc/Edo PanAfrican L10n page on Edo (Bini)]
* [http://www.edoworld.net/Edo_names_dictionary.html   Edo/Africa names dictionary{source Edoworld}]
* [http://archive.phonetics.ucla.edu/Language/BIN/bin.html Bini (Edo) wordlists and recordings] at the UCLA Phonetics Archive
* [https://archive.today/20130620200824/http://naija-local.com/index.php/market_calender/ Bini (Edo) Market Days {{sic|nolink=y|Calender}}] on Naija local

{{Languages of Nigeria}}
{{Volta-Niger languages}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Edoid languages]]
[[Category:Edo culture| ]]
[[Category:Languages of Nigeria]]