Ekpeye language (original) (raw)
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Distinct Igboid language spoken in Rivers State and Bayelsa State, Nigeria
| Ekpeye | |
|---|---|
| ẹkpeye[1] | |
| Native to | Nigeria |
| Region | Rivers State |
| Ethnicity | Ekpeye people |
| Native speakers | 226,000[_citation needed_][2] |
| Language family | Niger–Congo? Atlantic–CongoVolta–NigeryeaiIgboidEkpeye |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | ekp |
| Glottolog | ekpe1253 |
Ekpeye language is one of many Igbo dialects spoken in Rivers State, Nigeria. According to Roger Blench, Ekpeye is classified as an Igboid language.[3] The Ogba and Ikwerre dialects are closely related to Ekpeye.
Ekpeye alphabet[1]
| a | b | bh | ch | d | dh | e | ẹ | g | gb | gw | h | i | ị | j | k | kp | kw |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| l | m | n | nw | ny | o | ọ | p | s | sh | t | u | ụ | w | wh | y | z | zh |
Ekpeye has nine vowel phonemes:
Vowels of Ekpeye
| | Front | Back | | | --------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Close | i | u | | Near-close | ɪ | ʊ | | Close-mid | e | o | | Open-mid | ɛ | ɔ | | Open | a | |
The language has no long nasal vowels, no contrast between oral and nasal vowels, and no allophonic variants. The vowels carry tones, as Ekpeye is a tonal language. Ekpeye exhibits active synchronic vowel harmony.[1]
- Rivers State: Ahoada East, Ahoada West, and Ogba–Egbema–Ndoni LGAs.
- Imo State: Ohaji/Egbema LGA
- ^ a b c Ngulube, Isaac (2011). "Ekpeye Orthography". Orthographies of Nigerian Languages. IX. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
- ^ Ekpeye at Ethnologue (21st ed., 2018)
- ^ Blench, R. (2013). "A dictionary of Ekpeye : an Igboid language of Southern Nigeria" (PDF). Kay Williamson Educational Foundation.
