Igbo ( otherwise ) 
i / ˈ ɪ ɡ b oʊ / - the language of the Igbo people . Distributed in southeast Nigeria . The number of speakers is over 18 million. (1999, estimate). Refers to Benue-Congolese languages . It is a collection (bundle) of dialects (onich, overri, umuahia, and many others), some of which are more likely separate languages (for example, onich).
| Igbo | |
|---|---|
| Self name | Igbo |
| Countries |  Nigeria |
| Regions | southeast |
| Total number of speakers | 18 million (estimate, 1999) |
| Classification | |
| Category | African languages |
Benue Congolese family
| |
| Writing | latin |
| Language Codes | |
| GOST 7.75–97 | for 199 |
| ISO 639-1 | ig |
| ISO 639-2 | ibo |
| ISO 639-3 | ibo |
| WALS | |
| Ethnologue | |
| ABS ASCL | |
| IETF | |
| Glottolog | |
Content
- 1 Writing
- 2 Linguistic characteristic
- 2.1 Phonetics
- 2.2 Phonology
- 2.2.1 Consonants
- 2.2.2 Vowels
- 2.3 Morphology
- 3 Literature
- 4 References
Writing
In early translations of the Gospel, the Latin alphabet was used based on the Latin alphabet with numerous diacritical signs. In 1908, when translating the New Testament and then when translating the Bible, another, more simplified writing system was used, but it very approximately transmitted the sound composition of the language.
The modern alphabet is as follows:
In early translations of the Gospel, the Latin alphabet was used based on the Latin alphabet with numerous diacritical signs. In 1908, when translating the New Testament and then when translating the Bible, another, more simplified writing system was used, however, it very approximately transmitted the sound composition of the language. The modern alphabet is as follows:| Spelling | MFA | Spelling | MFA | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A a | / a / | Ọ ọ | / ɔ / | |
| B b | / b / | P p | / p / | |
| Gb gb | / ɓ / ~ / ɡ͡b / | Kp kp | / ɓ̥ / ~ / k͡p / | |
| D d | / d / | Er | / ɾ / | |
| E e | / e / | S s | / s / | |
| F f | / f / | Sh sh | / ʃ / | |
| G g | / ɡ / | T t | / t / | |
| Gh gh | / ɣ / | U u | / u / | |
| H h | / h / | Ụ ụ | / ʊ / | |
| I i | / i / | V v | / v / | |
| Ị ị | / ɪ / | W w | / w / | |
| J j | / ʤ / | Y y | / j / | |
| K k | / k / | Z z | / z / | |
| L l | / l / | Ch ch | / ʧ / | |
| M m | / m / and / m̩ / | Gw gw | / ɡʷ / | |
| N n | / n / and / n̩ / | Kw kw | / kʷ / | |
| Ṅ ṅ | / ŋ / | Nw nw | / ŋw / | |
| O o | / o / | Ny ny | / ɲ / |
Written on a Latin graphic basis; different dialects have their own written traditions, there is no single literary norm. In recent decades, the so-called central igbo , oriented to the norms of the dialects of the central zone, has become increasingly widespread, especially in the field of written use, although this is met with resistance from some peripheral dialects.
The most common is the so-called Ongwu alphabet ( Onwu , / oŋwu /).
Linguistic characteristic
Phonetics
Vocalism includes 8 vowel phonemes, forming 2 series according to the degree of rise: high and low. Within the framework of this contrast, vowel harmony is realized, similar to syngarmonism in some other languages. There are phonological contrasts of tones with both grammatical and lexical meanings. Characteristic inherent in many other languages of West Africa is the phenomenon of stepwise lowering of tones in syntagma .
Phonology
Consonants
| Labial | Labial dental | Dental / Alveolar | Post alveolar | Palatal | Velar | Labiobel | Glottal | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ordinary | Labialized | |||||||||
| Explosive | Deaf | p | t | k | kʷ | k͡p | ||||
| Voiced | b ~ m | d | ɡ ~ ŋ | ɡʷ ~ ŋʷ | ɡ͡b | |||||
| Affricates | Deaf | tʃ | ||||||||
| Deaf | dʒ | |||||||||
| Graduate students | Deaf | f | s | ʃ | ||||||
| Voiced | z | ɣ | ɦ ~ ɦ̃ | |||||||
| Approximants | Central | ɹ | j ~ ɲ | w | ||||||
| Side | l ~ n | |||||||||
| Labial | Alveolar | Alveo-palatal consonants | Velar | Labiobel | Glottal | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ordinary | Palatalized | ordinary | Labialized | ||||||
| Explosive | Deaf | p | pʲ | t | tɕ | k | kʷ | ƙ͜ƥ | |
| Aspirated | pʰ | pʲʰ | tʰ | tɕʰ | kʰ | kʷʰ | |||
| Voiced | b | bʲ | d | dʑ | ɡ | ɡʷ | ɠ͜ɓ | ||
| Voiced aspirates | bʱ | bʲʱ | dʱ | dʑʱ | ɡʱ | ||||
| Graduate students | Deaf | f | s | ||||||
| Deaf nasalized | f̃ | s̃ | |||||||
| Voiced | v | z | ɣ | ɣʷ | |||||
| Voiced nasalized | ṽ | z̃ | |||||||
| Trembling | ordinary | r | |||||||
| Nasalized | r̃ | ||||||||
| Approximants | Deaf | j̊ | w̥ | h | |||||
| Deaf nasalized | j̊̃ | w̥̃ | h̃ | ||||||
| Voiced | l | j | w | ||||||
Vowels
Morphology
Personal pronouns in units. including 2 rows: independent pronouns and subjective verbal pronouns (for the most part, the latter are absent). In the case of the use of pronominal indicators, the vowel prefix of the verb stem is omitted (stored with plural pronouns).
Verbs are divided into 2 tonal morphological classes: high and low. There are 2 conjugated verb forms (“ tenses ”), as well as 3 types . Contrasted independent and 3 dependent verb forms; these latter are used in different types of subordinate clauses (differ in tonal characteristics). There is also a system of verb suffixes used to express various additional meanings, including tense. Names are also divided into morphological classes in accordance with tonal patterns in different syntagmatic constructions, in particular in the genitive construction.
Literature
- Emenanjo 'Nolue. Elements of modern Igbo Grammar. Ibadan, 1976.
- Green M., Igve G. A descriptive grammar of Igbo. AT.; L., 1963;
- Green M., Igve G. A short Igbo grammar. L., 1964;
- Ward I. An introduction to the Ibo language. Camb., 1936;
- Westermann D., Bryan M. Languages of West Africa. 2nd ed., Folkestone; L., 1970.
- Dictionaries
- Awde Nicholas, Onyekachi Wambu. Igbo: Igbo-English - English-Igbo Dictionary and Phrasebook. NY, 1999.