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

Ulukwumi
Olùkùmi
Native toNigeria
RegionAniocha North LGA, Delta State
Native speakers
(10,000 cited 1992)[1]
Niger–Congo?
Language codes
ISO 639-3ulb
Glottologuluk1257

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

Vocabulary

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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):[2]

Gloss Olùkùmi Yorùbá Òwé Igala
hand ọwọ́ ọwọ́ ọwọ́ ọ́wọ́
yam uṣu iṣu/uṣu uṣu/iṣu úchu
body ara ara/ọra ọra ọ́la
child ọma ọmọ ọmọ ọ́ma
friend oluku olùkù olúku ónùkú
woman obìnrin obìnrin obùnrin ọ́bùlẹ
father ba bàbá baba àtá
person ẹnẹ ẹni ọni ọ́nẹ̀
fire uná iná uná úná
word ọ̀fọ̀ ọ̀rọ̀ ọ̀rọ̀ ọ̀là
heart ẹdọ ọkàn ẹ̀kẹ̀dọ̀ ẹ̀dọ̀
pot ùṣà ìṣà ùṣà ùchà
cow/meat ẹla malu/ẹran ẹlá ẹ́la
old person arigbo arúgbo arígbó ògìjo
rat eku eku eku íkélékwu
carry gbe gbé gbe
eat zẹ jẹ jẹ jẹ
colanut obì obì obì obì
water omi omi omi ómi
urine ìtọ̀ ìtọ̀ ìtọ̀ ìtọ̀
cotton òwú òwú òwú òwú
stone òkúta òkúta òkúta òkwúta

References

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  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

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  • Arokoyo et al. 2022. Olùkùmi Living Dictionary. Living Tongues Institute for Endangered Languages. https://livingdictionaries.app/olukumi/entries/list
  • Eleshin, Alimot Folake. 2012. A comparative study of the morphosyntax of Olukumi and Standard Yorùbá: a minimalist approach. MA thesis, University of Ilorin.
  • Okolo-Obi, Bosco. 2014. Aspects of Olukumi Phonology. MA thesis, Nsukka: University of Nigeria; 117pp.
  • Obisesan, H. 2012. Lexical Comparison Of Olukumi, Owo Dialect And Standard Yoruba. Seminar paper presented to the Department of Linguistics and Nigerian Languages, University of Ilorin, Ilorin.