As we said before, Ígáláà is a tonal language; in other words, only tone introduces a meaning in a word. For instance, the duplicated consonant, ‘k k,’ is meaningless because there is no vowel bearing a tone or two to give it meaning. But when we add the low-toned vowel, ‘à’ and the high-toned ‘é,’ a meaning emerges: a short sentence, a command: Kà ké. (Say it now).
The Igala speech uses a number of tones, namely: High, Mid, Low and Mid-High tones; and the Extra High tone, sounding shrill like none of the ones mentioned, usually occurring at the end of negative and other rare statements. This tone is represented by a dot-bearing ‘n’ (ṅ). The four tone variants are shown below with their corresponding tone (or accent) marks and are also phonetically-transcribed to demonstrate how they are articulated, with examples translated to English:
-
Vowel
Phonetic Transcription
Tone
Examples of the sounds
Á
/á/
High
ájá (Market); éwó (goat)
A
/a/
Mid
awa; awa; agba (Casual greeting)
Ā
/ā/
Mid-high
Ọ́mátā (name); Ọ́fákāga (town)
À
/à/
Low
àjà (bird, Night jar); ùlẹ̀ (walk)e
É
/é/
High
égbé (grass); úlé (run)
E
/e/
Mid
hieele (all); che (to do)
Ē
/ē/
Mid-high
égélē (a bird);
È
/è/
Low
ènè (question); Ètè (town)
Ẹ́
/ɛ́/
High pẹ́ẹ́ (a little); fẹ́fẹ́ (to be very clean)
ẹ
/ɛ/
Mid ẹ; wẹ (pron.) you; gbẹ (to dry)
Ẹ̄
/ɛ̄/
z Á í dẹ̄?: How is it? Áñẹ́jẹ̄ (tortoise)
Ẹ̀
/ɛ̀/
Low ẹ̀tẹ̀ (source); Ẹ̀dẹ̀ (Igala day/name)
Í
/ Í /
High
fÍÍlÍ (to be thin); míílí (to be slim)
I
/ i /
Mid
Iii (yes); Òmii? (Is it me?)
Ī
/ Ī /
Mid-high
Ẹ́nẹ́ lī? (Who saw it?) Ọ́jaīnā (Royal Necropolis at Ídá)
Ì
/ ì /
Low
ìtì (cheek); jìm (darkly)
Ó
/ó/
High
óbó (soup); ólóló (intensity)
O
/o/
Mid
Oo (Casual: I have heard you).
Ō
/ō/
Mid-high
átákōya (town-crier)
Ò
/ò/
Low
òdò (yellow; dwelling place).
Ọ́
ɔ́
High
ọ́lọ́ (deformity); ẹ́nẹ-ọlọ́ (a physically challenged person.
Ọ
ɔ
Mid
Ábọ (Title Greeting); ọ̀lọ (skyward).
Ọ̣̄
ɔ̄
Mid-high
Ọ́gọ́lọ̄ (gutter)
Ọ̀
ɔ̀
Low
Ọ̀dọ̀ (wall)
Ú
Ú
High
úlú (seedling); úgwúnú (vulture)
U
U
Mid
lu (of light) to go off. Look up ‘úná.’
Ū
Ū
Mid-high
ny’ánūnū (to dye a clothing).
Ù
Ù
Low
ùmù (lantern). Look up ‘ẹ̀mùtúla.’
