Oko is a member of the Volta-Niger branch of the Niger-Congo language family. It is spoken by about 40,000 people in southern Nigeria, particularly in and near the towns of Ogori and Magongo in the Ogori-Magongo Local Government Area (LGA) in the southwest of Kogi State, and also in the Akoko-Edo LGA in the north of Edo State.
Oko is also known as Osayen, Ogori-Magongo, Oko-Eni-Osayen or Oko-Eni-Osayin. Oko is classified as a cluster of closely-related dialects in some sources. These include Oko (Ọkọ), which is spoken in Ogori, Osayin (Ọsayin), which is spoken in Magongo, and Eni.
Ways to write Oko with the Latin alphabet were first developed in the 1970s by Oko speakers such as G. B. Akerejola. Since then, various spelling systems have been created by people such as E. Gabriel, Dr. Ernest S. Akerejola, Prof. E. E. Adegbija, Peter Ebenrubo Okunola, Mr Gideon Eyika, and linguist Joseph D. Atoyebi. The Orthography Workshop and the Ogori League of Professors also worked collectively on the Oko alphabet in 2019.
Download an alphabet chart for Oko (Excel)
Vowels are nasalized when occuring in a final syllable and followed by n. For example, òrínrin [òrĩ́rĩ] (black)
Ọgbọna i wo ogbẽnikeke i mè din kẹnakide
Mà a ma mè e roro titi i da ka ẹna e gbe ẹnanẹ a?
Usiye à á gan amẹ è é roro, iroro de kuwe í mi ibe
De din ka me è mi gbenanyẹn ka otutun.
Amẹ è é mi ma, ka amẹ dakẹ bẹn (dakẹ bẹn)
Ka amẹ mi guwe i mi gbenanyẹn sigan.
When I was a small child, I knew nothing
When I sat and pondered, I would wonder what kind of world I was in
I never knew that what I lacked was wisdom.
I would sit and think until I could think no more
When I sit now and reflect, I rejoice (greatly rejoiced)
Source: A realistic orthography for Ò̩kọ. Institute of Oko Language. Composed by Pa S. O. Ogunleye
Erokoro fẹnyan bẹ ba ọ́la ọọrẹ akà ébori nẹ bi diya wa ọpọpa ókukuruno akà ọ́kpa. Bi je be eji aka iroro akà ẹyẹ uùbedin ọ́nẹbẹ uùba bẹ gbadọ siye ki to abẹn ẹ́funwẹnfunwẹn nẹnẹ wa ubaro eègbẽn ẹka na.
All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.
(Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights)
Corrections, additions and recording provided by Peter Ebenrubo Okunola
Information about Oko | Numbers
Information about Oko
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oko_language
https://okolanguage.com/about-oko/
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/333917339_A_realistic_orthography_for_Oko
Aja, Ayizo, Belanda Viri, Degema, Ebira, Edo, Egene, Ekpeye, Esan, Ewe, Fon, Gen, Gun, Igala, Igbo, Ikwerre, Isoko, Ivbiosakon, Nupe, Ogba, Oko, Ososo, Saxwe, Urhobo, Yorùbá
Languages written with the Latin alphabet
Page created: 11.09.25. Last modified: 16.09.25
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