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
31 core words in Ekpeye
Water
mini
/mini/
Fire
oku
/oku/
Sun
anwu
/aŋwu/
Moon
onwa
/oŋwa/
Star
opipinyenye
/ɔpipiˈɲeɲe/
Mother
nne
/nːe/
Father
nna
/nːa/
I
ma
/ma/
You
yo
/jo/
Name
ewa
/ɛˈwa/
Eye
anya
/aɲa/
Hand
aka
/aka/
Heart
obi
/obi/
Love
ihunanya
/ihunaɲa/
Tree
osisi
/osisi/
House
ulo
/ulo/
Dog
nkita
/ŋkita/
Cat
nwamba
/ŋwamba/
Eat
ri
/ɾi/
Drink
ñu
/ɲu/
One
otu
/otu/
Two
gbibo
/ɡbibo/
Hello
nno
/nːo/
Thank you
imela
/imela/
Good
oma
/oma/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Niger-Congo languages
| Meaning | Ekpeye | Izii | Igbo | Berom | Luganda | Luba-Kasai | Kinyarwanda |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | mini /mini/ | mini /mini/ | mmiri /mːiɾi/ | bí /bi/ | amazzi /amaːzːi/ | mâyi /maːji/ | amazi /amaːzi/ |
| Fire | oku /oku/ | oku /oku/ | ọkụ /ɔkʊ/ | cá /tʃa/ | omuliro /omuliɾo/ | kapia /kapia/ | umuriro /umuɾiɾo/ |
| Sun | anwu /aŋwu/ | anwu /aŋwu/ | anyanwụ /aɲaŋwʊ/ | kọs /kɔs/ | enjuba /eɲɟuba/ | dîba /diːba/ | izuba /izuba/ |
| Moon | onwa /oŋwa/ | onwa /oŋwa/ | ọnwa /ɔŋwa/ | cwèl /tʃwel/ | omwezi /omwezi/ | ngondo /ŋɡondo/ | ukwezi /ukwezi/ |
| Star | opipinyenye /ɔpipiˈɲeɲe/ | kpakpando /kpakpando/ | kpakpando /kpakpando/ | taŋaten /taŋaˈten/ | emmunyeenye /emːuɲeːɲe/ | mutoto /mutoto/ | inyenyeri /iɲeɲeri/ |
| Mother | nne /nːe/ | nne /nːe/ | nne /nːe/ | ne /ne/ | maama /maːma/ | mâmu /maːmu/ | mama /maːma/ |
| Father | nna /nːa/ | nna /nːa/ | nna /nːa/ | da /da/ | taata /taːta/ | tâtu /taːtu/ | papa /paːpa/ |
| I | ma /ma/ | mụ /mʊ/ | mụ /mʊ/ | mé /me/ | nze /nze/ | meme /meme/ | njye /ɲɟe/ |
| You | yo /jo/ | gị /ɡɪ/ | gị /ɡɪ/ | hó /ho/ | ggwe /ɡːwe/ | wewe /wewe/ | wowe /wowe/ |
| Name | ewa /ɛˈwa/ | aha /aha/ | aha /aha/ | reza /ˈrɛza/ | erinnya /eriɲːa/ | dîna /diːna/ | izina /izina/ |
| Eye | anya /aɲa/ | anya /aɲa/ | anya /aɲa/ | nyíí /ɲiː/ | eriiso /eɾiːso/ | dîsu /diːsu/ | ijisho /idʒiʃo/ |
| Hand | aka /aka/ | aka /aka/ | aka /aka/ | kpàá /kpaː/ | omukono /omukono/ | tshianza /tʃianza/ | ikiganza /ikiɡanza/ |
| Heart | obi /obi/ | obi /obi/ | obi /obi/ | kúgú /kuɡu/ | omutima /omutima/ | mucima /mutʃima/ | umutima /umutima/ |
| Love | ihunanya /ihunaɲa/ | ihunanya /ihunaɲa/ | ịhụnanya /ɪhʊnaɲa/ | shìr /ʃiɾ/ | okwagala /okwaːɡala/ | dinanga /dinaŋɡa/ | urukundo /uɾukundo/ |
| Tree | osisi /osisi/ | osisi /osisi/ | osisi /osisi/ | kàn /kan/ | omuti /omuti/ | mutshi /mutʃi/ | igiti /iɡiti/ |
| House | ulo /ulo/ | ulo /ulo/ | ụlọ /ʊlɔ/ | wùm /wum/ | ennyumba /eɲɲumba/ | nzubu /nzubu/ | inzu /inzu/ |
| Dog | nkita /ŋkita/ | nkita /ŋkita/ | nkịta /ŋkɪta/ | cà /tʃa/ | embwa /embwa/ | mbwa /mbwa/ | imbwa /imbwa/ |
| Cat | nwamba /ŋwamba/ | nwamba /ŋwamba/ | nwamba /ŋwamba/ | mìshí /miʃi/ | kkapa /kːapa/ | nyao /ɲao/ | injangwe /indʒaŋɡwe/ |
| Eat | ri /ɾi/ | ri /ɾi/ | iri /iɾi/ | rì /ɾi/ | kulya /kulja/ | kudia /kudia/ | kurya /kuɾja/ |
| Drink | ñu /ɲu/ | nu /nu/ | ịṅụ /ɪŋʊ/ | nyaŋ /ɲaŋ/ | kunywa /kuɲʷa/ | kunua /kunua/ | kunywa /kuɲwa/ |
| One | otu /otu/ | otu /otu/ | otu /otu/ | kòp /kop/ | emu /emu/ | umue /umue/ | rimwe /ɾimwe/ |
| Two | gbibo /ɡbibo/ | abụọ /abʊɔ/ | abụọ /abʊɔ/ | bà /ba/ | bbiri /bːiri/ | bibidi /bibidi/ | kabiri /kabiri/ |
| Hello | nno /nːo/ | ndo /ndo/ | nnọọ /nːɔː/ | kèèlé /keːle/ | oli otya /oli otja/ | moyo /mojo/ | muraho /muɾaːho/ |
| Thank you | imela /imela/ | ima ego /ima eɡo/ | daalụ /daːlʊ/ | gèyak /ɡejak/ | webale /weːbale/ | tuasakidila /tuasakidila/ | murakoze /muɾakoze/ |
| Good | oma /oma/ | oma /oma/ | ọma /ɔma/ | mwa /mwa/ | kirungi /kiɾuŋɡi/ | bimpe /bimpe/ | byiza /bjiza/ |
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