Gbagli lagoon

Gùngbè

Gbagli to Họgbonu. Gùngbè — a Gbe tongue, not Yoruba.

Beginner Intermediate Professional Kids yard Eré Nu xó

Yard school

A short path a child can clap.

Ogu is Gùngbè (ISO guw). The voice is a song: high ´, mid, low `. Same letters, new word — tɔ́ is father, tɔ̀ is the lagoon. Two writings: Benin primers use ɛ ɔ; Gbagli books often use ẹ ọ. Same mouth.

Open the kids yard

beginner

Wemá — seven vowels

Gùngbè has seven oral vowels and five nasal ones. The school writes Benin ɛ ɔ (Ouémé primers, 1923/1975 Bible, Aboh). Gbagli books often write ẹ ọ. Same mouth. Two pens.

The seven vowels a e ɛ i o ɔ u. Hear the open ones. Two writings, one mouth Benin primers: ɛ ɔ. Gbagli and Gungbe Wikipedia: ẹ ọ. Capo (1990) asked the pens to meet. Nasal vowels Five nasals: ã ɛ̃ ĩ ɔ̃ ũ. School books often write n after the vowel. Letters English skips The Gbe alphabet: ɖ gb kp x xw ny. Capo listed them for all Gbe. Letters inside a word Hear them where Gungbe actually lives — Gbagli, xwé, ɖòkpó. Pairs the ear must split Same family of letters, different mouth. Do not mix them.

beginner

Hùn — tone marks

High ´ , mid (no mark), low ` . Gbe has two basic tonemes (High vs Non-High); the school writes three levels as the primers do. Two-syllable words make four patterns: HH, HL, LH, LL.

High, mid, low The voice goes up, stays, or falls. Signs on a word Read ɔ, nasal n, and the tones together — Aboh’s Porto-Novo mouth. Same letters, new word Change the sign, change the meaning. Two-beat patterns Four shapes on two syllables: HH, HL, LH, LL. Rising ǐ ɔ̌ is a fifth the ear meets. Clap once per beat.

beginner

Mì kú tɔ — at the Gbagli door

Badagry Ogu greets with kú tɔ and the time of day (Alabi 2022). Porto-Novo greets with kú àbɔ̀. Same Gunnu, two mouths of the lagoon.

Gbagli — Badagry morning Mì kú tɔ àfọnnú. How an Ogu house in Badagry opens the day. Họgbonu — Porto-Novo door Mì kú àbɔ̀. The Benin Gungbe door. Same people, the other bank. Nyikɔ — your name Ùn ɖɔ̀ Gungbè. The Wiktionary line is living Gungbe.

beginner

Xwé — the house

Aboh: xwé, xwégbè, ví. Tɔ́ and nɔ̀ are the Gbe roots. Some Gbagli houses also say bàbà and íyà.

Tɔ́ and nɔ̀ The Gbe roots. Address forms may follow the neighbour. The people in it Aboh: dáwè (man). Pronouns ùn à é yé mì. In the house Water, food, sit. Aboh: wú (body), ná (give).

beginner

Àxì — the market

Gun-Gbe numbers (Chan): ɖòkpó, àwe, àtɔn. Then the stall.

Count to five Gun-Gbe (Chan): òɖè / ɖòkpó, àwe, àtɔn, ɛnɛ̀, àtɔ́n. I want to buy Aboh: xɔ̀ = buy. má = not. The food stall Lagoon stall: yam, beans, fish, oil, maize.

beginner · kids

Hùn vǐ — tones for children

Gùngbè is a song in the mouth. Stand for high ´. Sit for low `. Clap the two-beat words. Same letters can be a new word — tɔ́ is father, tɔ̀ is the lagoon Gbagli sits on.

Stand up, sit down High ´ — stand. Low ` — sit. Mid — stay still. The body learns the voice. Clap two beats Every Gungbe word of two beats is one of four shapes: HH, HL, LH, LL. Clap once per beat. Same letters, new word The marks are not decoration. Change the voice, change the thing. The greeting song Mì kú tɔ. Then the voice that climbs — jǐ, vɔ̌vɔ̌.

beginner · kids

Amìamì — colours

Name what you see. Made for children — and anyone starting with the eyes.

Red, white, black Vɔ̌vɔ̌ is the ripe pepper. Wéwé is cloth at a naming. Green and the lagoon Leaves first. Then the water Gbagli sits on.

beginner · kids

Wú — my body

Aboh: wú = body; là wú = wash the body. Point, name, laugh.

Head and face Tà, nùkún, tó — tap as you say it. Hands and feet The parts you use at the table and in the yard.

beginner · kids

Kanlin — animals

The courtyard zoo, then the lagoon catch. Gbagli lives by whevi.

At the house Avún at the gate. Hwèví from the creek. What they do Run, eat, drink, sleep — verbs a child copies.

beginner · wisdom

Nu xó — first sitting

Gùngbè keeps short wise lines at Gbagli and Họgbonu. Not Yoruba òwe. Wikipedia writes ẹ ọ; the school also writes ɛ ɔ. If your town says it differently, send the town form.

Nu xó — first sitting Five to keep in the mouth. Nu xó · sitting 3 Five more. Hear them. Say them. Nu xó · sitting 4 A third sitting. Still beginner.

beginner · kids