Ulukwumi language

Ulukwumi
Olùkùmi
Native toNigeria
RegionAniocha North LGA, Delta State
Native speakers
(10,000 cited 1992)
Niger–Congo?
Language codes
ISO 639-3ulb
Glottologuluk1257
Road signage indicating some Olukumi villages of northern Delta state, close to the Edo state border.

Ulukwumi, also known as Olùkùmi, is a Yoruboid language spoken by the Olukumi people of Aniocha North LGA, Delta State, Nigeria.

Olùkùmi means 'my friend' in the Owé dialect of Yoruba and Igala.

Vocabulary

Below are some Olùkùmi words compared with the other Yoruboid languages Yorùbá (standard dialect), Òwé (a Yoruba dialect spoken in Kabba district of Kabba-Bunu LGA, Kogi State), and Igala, as given by Arokoyo (2012):

GlossOlùkùmiYorùbáÒwéIgala
handọwọ́ọwọ́ọwọ́ọ́wọ́
yamuṣuiṣu/uṣuuṣu/iṣuúchu
bodyaraara/ọraọraọ́la
childọmaọmọọmọọ́ma
friendolukuolùkùolúkuónùkú
womanobìnrinobìnrinobùnrinọ́bùlẹ
fatherbabàbábabaàtá
personẹnẹẹniọniọ́nẹ̀
fireunáináunáúná
wordọ̀fọ̀ọ̀rọ̀ọ̀rọ̀ọ̀là
heartẹdọọkànẹ̀kẹ̀dọ̀ẹ̀dọ̀
potùṣàìṣàùṣàùchà
cow/meatẹlamalu/ẹranẹláẹ́la
old personarigboarúgboarígbóògìjo
ratekuekuekuíkélékwu
carrygbegbégbené
eatzẹjẹjẹjẹ
colanutobìobìobìobì
wateromiomiomiómi
urineìtọ̀ìtọ̀ìtọ̀ìtọ̀
cottonòwúòwúòwúòwú
stoneòkútaòkútaòkútaòkwúta

References

  1. ↑ Ulukwumi at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
  2. ↑ Arokoyo, Bolanle Elizabeth. 2012. A Comparative Phonology of the Olùkùmi, Igala, Owe and Yoruba Languages. Paper presented for the International Congress "Towards Proto-Niger-Congo: Comparison and Reconstruction", Paris, 18–21 September 2012. 10pp.

Sources