Ekpeye 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".
- ^ a b Ngulube, Isaac (2011). "Ekpeye Orthography". Orthographies of Nigerian Languages. IX. Retrieved 19 December 2023.