Ekpeye
Niger-Congo
Ekpeye (also Akpeya) is an Igboid Niger-Congo language of the Niger Delta region in Nigeria, classified as a separate language from Igbo (ig) by Ethnologue and Glottolog despite their close genetic relationship within the Igboid subgroup. The Ekpeye people inhabit the Ahoada area of Rivers State, in the riverine Niger Delta. Linguistically, Ekpeye shares core Igboid features (noun-class system, tonal with downstep, SVO constituent order) but with distinctive phonological and lexical features that distinguish it from mainstream Igbo. Ekpeye New Testament was translated by Bible Society of Nigeria 1980s. The Ekpeye community has been affected by ongoing Niger Delta oil-extraction disputes and environmental degradation.
Where it is spoken
20 core words in Ekpeye
Water
mini
/mini/
Fire
oku
/oku/
Sun
anwu
/aŋwu/
Moon
onwa
/oŋwa/
Mother
nne
/nːe/
Father
nna
/nːa/
Eat
ri
/ɾi/
Drink
ñu
/ɲu/
Love
ihunanya
/ihunaɲa/
Heart
obi
/obi/
Tree
osisi
/osisi/
House
ulo
/ulo/
Dog
nkita
/ŋkita/
Cat
nwamba
/ŋwamba/
Hand
aka
/aka/
Eye
anya
/aɲa/
Hello
nno
/nːo/
Thank you
imela
/imela/
One
otu
/otu/
Good
oma
/oma/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Niger-Congo languages
| Meaning | Ekpeye | Izii | Igbo | Berom | Luganda | Kikuyu | Soga |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | mini /mini/ | mini /mini/ | mmiri /mːiɾi/ | bí /bi/ | amazzi /amaːzːi/ | maaĩ /maːi/ | amaaji /amaːdʒi/ |
| Fire | oku /oku/ | oku /oku/ | ọkụ /ɔkʊ/ | cá /tʃa/ | omuliro /omuliɾo/ | mwaki /mwaki/ | omuliro /omuliɾo/ |
| Sun | anwu /aŋwu/ | anwu /aŋwu/ | anyanwụ /aɲaŋwʊ/ | kọs /kɔs/ | enjuba /eɲɟuba/ | rĩũa /ɾiwa/ | enjuba /eɲɟuba/ |
| Moon | onwa /oŋwa/ | onwa /oŋwa/ | ọnwa /ɔŋwa/ | cwèl /tʃwel/ | omwezi /omwezi/ | mweri /mweɾi/ | omwezi /omwezi/ |
| Mother | nne /nːe/ | nne /nːe/ | nne /nːe/ | ne /ne/ | maama /maːma/ | maitũ /maitu/ | maama /maːma/ |
| Father | nna /nːa/ | nna /nːa/ | nna /nːa/ | da /da/ | taata /taːta/ | baba /baba/ | taata /taːta/ |
| Eat | ri /ɾi/ | ri /ɾi/ | iri /iɾi/ | rì /ɾi/ | kulya /kulja/ | kũrĩa /kuɾia/ | kulya /kulja/ |
| Drink | ñu /ɲu/ | nu /nu/ | ịṅụ /ɪŋʊ/ | nyaŋ /ɲaŋ/ | kunywa /kuɲʷa/ | kũnyua /kuɲua/ | kunywa /kuɲʷa/ |
| Love | ihunanya /ihunaɲa/ | ihunanya /ihunaɲa/ | ịhụnanya /ɪhʊnaɲa/ | shìr /ʃiɾ/ | okwagala /okwaːɡala/ | wendo /wendo/ | kwagala /kwaɡala/ |
| Heart | obi /obi/ | obi /obi/ | obi /obi/ | kúgú /kuɡu/ | omutima /omutima/ | ngoro /ŋɡoɾo/ | omutima /omutima/ |
| Tree | osisi /osisi/ | osisi /osisi/ | osisi /osisi/ | kàn /kan/ | omuti /omuti/ | mũtĩ /muti/ | omuti /omuti/ |
| House | ulo /ulo/ | ulo /ulo/ | ụlọ /ʊlɔ/ | wùm /wum/ | ennyumba /eɲɲumba/ | nyũmba /ɲumba/ | enju /eɲɟu/ |
| Dog | nkita /ŋkita/ | nkita /ŋkita/ | nkịta /ŋkɪta/ | cà /tʃa/ | embwa /embwa/ | ngui /ŋɡui/ | embwa /embwa/ |
| Cat | nwamba /ŋwamba/ | nwamba /ŋwamba/ | nwamba /ŋwamba/ | mìshí /miʃi/ | kkapa /kːapa/ | nyaũ /ɲau/ | enkaaku /eŋkaːku/ |
| Hand | aka /aka/ | aka /aka/ | aka /aka/ | kpàá /kpaː/ | omukono /omukono/ | guoko /ɡuoko/ | omukono /omukono/ |
| Eye | anya /aɲa/ | anya /aɲa/ | anya /aɲa/ | nyíí /ɲiː/ | eriiso /eɾiːso/ | riitho /riːθo/ | eriiso /eɾiːso/ |
| Hello | nno /nːo/ | ndo /ndo/ | nnọọ /nːɔː/ | kèèlé /keːle/ | oli otya /oli otja/ | wĩmwega /wimweɡa/ | mwaakire /mwaːkiɾe/ |
| Thank you | imela /imela/ | ima ego /ima eɡo/ | daalụ /daːlʊ/ | gèyak /ɡejak/ | webale /weːbale/ | nĩ wega /ni weɡa/ | weebale /weːbale/ |
| One | otu /otu/ | otu /otu/ | otu /otu/ | kòp /kop/ | emu /emu/ | ĩmwe /imwe/ | ndala /ndala/ |
| Good | oma /oma/ | oma /oma/ | ọma /ɔma/ | mwa /mwa/ | kirungi /tʃiɾuŋɡi/ | wega /weɡa/ | bulungi /buluŋɡi/ |
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