Obolo

Obolo is a Lower Cross River language, and part of the Benue-Congo branch of the Atlantic–Congo language family. It is spoken in southern Nigeria in the Andoni Local Government Area of Rivers State, and in the Eastern Obolo Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State. In 2012 there were about 250,000 speakers of Obolo, which is also known as Andone, Andoni or Andonni.

Dialects of Obolo include Ibot Obolo, Okoroete, Ataba, Unyeada, Ngo. The prestige dialect is Ngo, which is spoken in the central part of the Obolo-speaking region.

Obolo is taught in primary schools, and used in the media. There is also some literature in Obolo, and a translation of the Bible. An orthography for Obolo was developed in the 1980s by Nicolas Faraclas, who was then a post graduate student of Linguistics at the University of Port Harcourt. He published A Grammar of Obolo in 1984, and his orthography became the standard way to write Obolo.

Obolo alphabet and pronunciation

Download an alphabet chart for Obolo (Excel)

Sample text

Me ibebene, sabum enirom linyọn̄ Ikọ ya òwa. Ikọ ya melek Awaji ekup. Ikọ ya me lek kan̄ ìre Awaji.
Ikọ ya melek Awaji ekup bene me ibebene.
Sa me ubọk kan̄ ke Awaji orom otutuuk inu geelek eyi îrombe. Kpunu inu geege erombe eyi ikanan̄age me ubọk kan̄.
Îre me emen Ikọ ya ke ugwem okup. Ugwem keya ore inu òkinyi ebilene utoon̄.
Utoon̄ ya onenitoon̄ me emen udun, ire, udun ìkakọt ìniin̄ utoon̄ ya

Source: Bible.is

Translation

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
The same was in the beginning with God.
All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.

Source: https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/John-Chapter-1/#10

Sample video in Obolo

Information about Obolo | Numbers | Tower of Babel

Links

Information about Obolo
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obolo_language
https://www.ethnologue.com/language/ann
https://www.obololanguage.org/
https://iniobongokon.blogspot.com
https://core.ac.uk/display/45922142

Atlantic-Congo languages

Abua, Bandial, Bariba, Berom, Cebaara, Efik, Esimbi, Ibibio, Iceve-Maci, Jibu, Jju, Kambari, Kar, Kissi, Kom, Laalaa, Limba, Mbum, Mono, Mundang, Nafanan, Noon, Obolo, Safen, Supyire, Temne, Ubang

Languages written with the Latin alphabet

Page last modified: 02.12.24

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