Ekpeye language

Ekpeye language is one of many languages spoken in Rivers State, Nigeria. According to Roger Blench, Ekpeye is classified as an Igboid language.^[3] Although an Igboid language, Ekpeye has evolved to a very distinct Igboid language that is phonologically different from other Igboid languages.^[4] The Ogba and Ikwerre languages are closely related to Ekpeye. Ekpeye has many mutually intelligible dialects.

Ekpeye
ẹkpeye[1]
Native to	Nigeria
Region	Rivers State
Ethnicity	Ekpeye people
Native speakers	226,000[citation needed][2]
Language family	Niger–Congo? Atlantic–Congo Volta–Niger yeai Igboid Ekpeye
Language codes
ISO 639-3	ekp
Glottolog	ekpe1253

Writing system

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

Phonology

Vowels

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]

Distribution

• Rivers State: Ahoada East, Ahoada West, and Ogba–Egbema–Ndoni LGAs.
• Imo State: Ohaji/Egbema LGA

References

1. Ngulube, Isaac (2011). "Ekpeye Orthography". Orthographies of Nigerian Languages. IX. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
2. Ekpeye at Ethnologue (21st ed., 2018)
3. Blench, R. (2013). "A dictionary of Ekpeye : an Igboid language of Southern Nigeria" (PDF). Kay Williamson Educational Foundation.
4. Blench, Roger. "A reconstruction of the phonology of proto-Igboid".