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Hey Starflux,

I think I can render some help. There seems to be several factors that can influence which language you choose to learn.
You said your father was Edo, so if you want to learn Edo to communicate with him or your people in Nigeria it seems like a good idea. Or if you want to learn Edo to make up for that part of your past which you never got, it seems also like a good idea. You might also want to consider things like:

How available are the resources for learning this language?
How often will I use it?

You said you're interested in learning Yoruba and it can also be a fine choice along with Igbo. However, remember to learn a language that will benefit you and one that you will be using often. At the end of the day it all boils down to what makes you happier.

Good luck with whichever one you decide to learn!

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basic Hausa is easiset to learn if you decide to stay in Nigeria. Becuase where people speak Hausa (north Nigeria) you rarely hear english so you learns fast. However 'deep' hausa is very deep oo lot of vocab although you dont need all to communicate

If you want to stay in the West America/UK/Europe. Yoruba becuase you will more likely find people that speak it here and i think it has more rsources that Igbo to learn from.

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If you wanna learn a Nigerian language, you have to start with edo since it's your father's language. He won't be happy that you're learning some other Nigerian language ahead of his own. You may learn Igbo and/or Yoruba as an addition if you like. But start with edo.

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StarFlux:

That's the thing. If I were to learn Edo, I'd have no way of getting my hand on dictionaries and teaching books (if they even exist). I'd have to stay in Benin City for a long time to even get something out of it. My father's a busy man, so while he could be able to teach me the basics, he's no teacher, and without books it would be very hard to to learn something. As I mentioned earlier, my family is spread all over the world, Europe, Africa and America. And I don't have frequent contant with most of them, so the only one I'd be speaking Edo with would be my father and a very few others. So, very limited use overall.

While in Nigeria, Yoruba would also be much more convinient than Edo and I would be able to purchase books to study here in Norway more easily.

While I do want to learn Edo, I think I will have more use for Yoruba.
Hmm, decisions.

Based on this, it seems you are leaning towards Yoruba and that's great since it will be more useful to you and also satisfies your interest. Remember you can always learn Edo after Yoruba or vise versa.

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StarFlux:

Very true. I've decided that I will learn both. Starting with Yoruba.

Thanks for all your replies! They have been helpful. 

it seems u have already decided on what you want, and the "opinions" given on here have not swayed you from you wanted initially and is not going to change your mind. so why did u open the thread? and i dont see how it has been helpful.

exotik:

it seems u have already decided on what you want, and the "opinions" given on here have not swayed you from you wanted initially and is not going to change your mind. so why did u open the thread? and i dont see how it has been helpful.

Well said, a lot of idiotic threads keeps springing up daily.

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StarFlux:

I wanted to hear different views/opinions. Just because it didn't "sway" me away from my original thoughts, doesn't mean I didn't learn or get something useful out of the discussion. If you feel like the thread is useless then feel free to report it. Until then I would appreciate not reading ignorant replies like this.

Thank you.

I do not think there is malice in her question.
I understand that your question is which of these languages ​​to learn, ask the experts for help.
I too am a foreigner, and I have only very basic notions of Yoruba, for of all the African languages ​​is that more is known at least in the South and Central America. Course this does not imply that it is easier or better.
The little caencia literature and lack dictionaries (Yoruba-English: I know a work of Abraham in the decade of the 50, Yoruba-Spanish: I have understood that there , ).
Only some poor phonetic explanation of any site ,
For these reasons it is not easy for a researcher or interested to learn those languages.
I hope nobody feels offended by my opinion, and that it is helpful to the beloved sister.

StarFlux:

I wanted to hear different views/opinions. Just because it didn't "sway" me away from my original thoughts, doesn't mean I didn't learn or get something useful out of the discussion. If you feel like the thread is useless then feel free to report it. Until then I would appreciate not reading ignorant replies like this.

Thank you.

relax. so what exactly did u learn from the thread? every opinion does not support your intial thought, yet u always had some pre-conceived notion on why you should learn yoruba and the reasons you have given are quite unfounded.

then you went on to say this.

That's the thing. If I were to learn Edo, I'd have no way of getting my hand on dictionaries and teaching books (if they even exist).

you have already made up your mind without doing any research coz there are lots of books on edo, from children's books for easy learning to more advanced books. there is even an edo version of the bible, i remember my grandmother having one years ago.  edo language is being taught is schools from primary schools to secondary schools up to jss 3, and these student are obviously being taught with edo books, so i dont know where u got that from.

While in Nigeria, Yoruba would also be much more convinient than Edo and I would be able to purchase books to study here in Norway more easily.

unless you intend to stay in one of the "konk" yoruba cities like ibadan while in nigeria, i dont see how yoruba would be more convenient for you to learn. even a city like lagos, u can go about your business without uttering a single word in yoruba. if u intend to stay in the east since u aint going to the north, how is yoruba more convenient? and if u intend to stay in benin, how is it more convenient? in fact if you intend to stay in benin, after learning edo, id suggest you learn hausa or igbo because i don’t know of any trade in benin that is predominately being controlled by the yorubas. the hausas control the black market for foreign exchange, they also control the market for some food items like yam, onions, tomatoes etc, up to meat (cattle rearers) are all from the north. even the so-called yoruba “adire” is from the north brought in by the hausas. then the igbos control the importation of foreign goods from clothes to electronics. so when u go to the market and intend to purchase a tv or cell phone, u are most likely going to be dealing with an igbo man or an edo man who is also in the business.

i dont know how it is in norway, but how is yoruba going to be more beneficial to you than edo? is yoruba the linqua franca in norway? i can understand that there maybe yoruba books in norway with little to no edo books, but (this is going to sound harsh) when u decide to move your azz and actually do some work and not just rely on what is "conveniently" available, you will find out that there on lots of books in edo to learn from.

oh, my bad. i know of a trade that is predominately being controlled by the yorubas in benin. amala joints.

Well done Exotic. Happy new year.
Like I said earlier, this her thread is an idiotic one.

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Why not post this in your first post, instead of trying to make me look like a fool?

i didnt post it initially becos it seems u have already made up your mind on what u want. and i wasnt trying to make u look foolish, thats how we play on here, well for me anyway because nothing here is to be taken to heart

I've looked quite a few places, perhaps you'd have any suggestions as of where I'd be able to get these books without traveling to Nigeria? I'll not be going to Benin to at least summer times, 6-7 months. Not saying it's an eternity, but it would be nice having something to read on meanwhile.

well, the best suggestion i can give u it to tell your relatives in benin to source for the books u need and mail to you. i remember buying queens premiere and my copy book and sending to my niece in the US when her mother complained that she was having difficulty with reading and writing. and since she wasnt coming to nigeria any time soon, she called me up to buy the books and send to her. so i guess u can do same.

but it isn't a problem not speaking Edo  in Benin either, so that's not really a strong point to make

i dont see how that will not be a problem, not a major one though. but since u are edo and u will obviously still have family is benin even if they are distant relatives, and i guess those in benin can speak the language especially the elderly ones. what would you do when they speak the language to you and expect a response? so what will u do then? tell them i cant speak it? i dont know about you, but that is always an embarrassing moment.

As a sidenote, I never implied learning a new language is going to be easy, so I'm not sure what you base your assumption on. In fact, I expect it to be a struggle.

like i said, nothing here is to be taken to heart. i was just playing.

So based on this, do you think I should take Edo over Yoruba/Igbo?

i cant really tell u what language to choose, thats a personal choice u will have to make becos i like said, i dont know how it is in norway and how any nigerian language can your affect situation.

How is Edo among youth in Benin? I have never paid attention to what language people speak on the street, and my family don't speak much Edo around me anyway

well, like u said, benin is also somehow like lagos  i guess. and  u can go about your business with your normal english or pidgin english with the youths. but edo is still widely spoken in market places and social gatherings. and as an edo person, it is always nice when u can speak the language amongst the speakers coz na then the gist dey sweet pass.

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Thank you dear friend StarFlux. I will look at Amazon , Being so far away, and with so little material, the task becomes very difficult.
Kind regards!