| Ekpeye | |
|---|---|
| Native to | Nigeria |
| Region | Rivers State |
| Ethnicity | Ekpeye people |
Native speakers | (30,000 cited 1973)[1] |
Niger–Congo?
| |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | ekp |
| Glottolog | ekpe1253 |
Ekpeye (Ekpe ye) is one of many languages spoken in Rivers State, Nigeria. According to Roger Blench, Ekpeye is classified as an Igboid language. Although an Igboid language, Ekpeye has evolved to a very distinct Igboid language that is phonologically different from other Igboid languages.[2] The Engenni, Ogba and Ikwerre languages are closely related to Ekpeye. Ekpeye has many mutually intelligible dialects.
Writing system
| 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 |
Phonology
Vowels
Ekpeye has nine vowel phonemes:
| Front | Near-front | Near-back | 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.[3]
Distribution
- Rivers State: Ahoada East, Ahoada West, and Ogba–Egbema–Ndoni LGAs.
- Imo State: Ohaji/Egbema LGA
References
- ↑ Ekpeye at Ethnologue (21st ed., 2018)
- ↑ Blench, Roger. "A reconstruction of the phonology of proto-Igboid".
- 1 2 Ngulube, Isaac (2011). "Ekpeye Orthography". Orthographies of Nigerian Languages. IX. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
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