Edo is the name for the place, people andlanguage of an ethnic group in Nigeria. Other Edo-speaking ethnicgroups include the Esan, the Afemai, the Isoko, the Urhobo amongothers. Also referred to as Bini or Benin ethnic group thoughcurrently the people prefer to be simply called Edo, the Edo arethe descendants of the people who founded the Benin Empire, whichis located in South/Mid-Western Nigeria now called Edo State.
The name Benin is a Portuguese corruption ultimately from theItsekhiri’s “Ubinu”, which came into use during the reign of ObaEwuare the Great circa 1440. The Itsekhiri’s “Ubinu” was used todescribe the royal administrative centre or city or capital properof the kingdom, Edo. ‘Ubinu’ was later corrupted to ‘Bini’ by themixed ethnicities living together at the centre; and furthercorrupted to “Benin” around 1485 when the Portuguese began traderelations with Oba Ewuare. See Oba of Benin.