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
87 core words in Ekpeye
Sources
Words compared
Compared with languages in the same classification: Niger-Congo
| Meaning | Ekpeye | Izii | Igbo | Rwa | Zambian Tonga | Zande | Yekhee |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | mini /mini/ | mini /mini/ | mmiri /mːiɾi/ | mura /muɾa/ | meenda /meːnda/ | ime /ime/ | amɛ /amɛ/ |
| Fire | ẹcị /ɛtʃɪ/ | oku /oku/ | ọkụ /ɔkʊ/ | muro /muɾo/ | mulilo /mulilo/ | we /we/ | eria /eɾia/ |
| Sun | ẹlaŋụ /ɛlaŋʊ/ | anwu /aŋwu/ | anyanwụ /aɲaŋʷʊ/ | saa /saː/ | zuba /zuba/ | uru /uɾu/ | ovan /ovan/ |
| Moon | adịgwẹ /adɪɡwɛ/ | onwa /oŋwa/ | ọnwa /ɔŋʷa/ | mwiri /mwiɾi/ | mwezi /mwezi/ | diwi /diwi/ | ukpoki /ukpoki/ |
| Star | opipinyenye /ɔpipiˈɲeɲe/ | kpokpode /kpokpode/ | kpakpando /kpakpando/ | nyinyiri /ɲiɲiɾi/ | nyenyezi /ɲeˈɲezi/ | kerekuru /kɛɾɛkuɾu/ | isi /isi/ |
| Night | abala /abala/ | enyashi /eɲaʃi/ | abalị /abalɪ/ | kio /kio/ | busiku /busiku/ | yuru /juru/ | eridai /eridai/ |
| Wind | uweele /uweele/ | phẹrephere /ɸɛɾeɸeɾe/ | ifufe /ifufe/ | mburaato /mbuɾaːto/ | muwo /muwo/ | yuge /juɡe/ | — |
| Earth | ele /ɛlɛ/ | alị /alɪ/ | ala /àlà/ | uteri /uteɾi/ | bulongo /buloŋɡo/ | sende /sɛndɛ/ | — |
| Stone | igwu /iɡwu/ | mkpuma /mkpuma/ | nkume /ŋˈkume/ | iwe /iwe/ | ibbwe /iˈbwe/ | mbia /mbia/ | udo /udo/ |
| Mountain | ebu /eɓu/ | ubvu /ubvu/ | ugwu /úɡʷú/ | uro /uɾo/ | cilundu /tʃilundu/ | gangara /ɡaŋɡara/ | — |
| Sea | olimini /olimini/ | eze-ẹnyimu /eze ɛɲimu/ | oke osimiri /oke osimiɾi/ | nruva /nɾuva/ | lwaanje /lwaːndʒe/ | baime /baime/ | — |
| Mother | ịna /ɪna/ | ne /ne/ | nne /nːe/ | mama /mama/ | bama /bama/ | na /na/ | iye /ije/ |
| Father | ịda /ɪda/ | nna /nːa/ | nna /nːa/ | baba /baba/ | bataata /bataːta/ | ba /ba/ | eθa /eθa/ |
| I | ma /ma/ | mu /mu/ | mụ /mʊ/ | inyi /iɲi/ | ime /ime/ | mi /mi/ | mẹ /mɛ/ |
| You | yo /jo/ | ngu /ŋɡu/ | gị /ɡɪ/ | iwe /iwe/ | iwe /iwe/ | mo /mo/ | wẹ /wɛ/ |
| We | ye /je/ | anyi /aɲi/ | anyị /aɲɪ/ | ise /ise/ | iswe /iswe/ | ani /ani/ | mae /mae/ |
| Name | ewa /ɛˈwa/ | ẹpha /ɛɸa/ | aha /aha/ | irina /irina/ | izina /iˈziːna/ | rimo /ɾimo/ | ena /ena/ |
| Person | madu /madu/ | amadụ /amadʊ/ | mmadụ /mmadʊ/ | nndu /ndu/ | muntu /muntu/ | boro /boro/ | — |
| Head | ishi /iʃi/ | ishi /iʃi/ | isi /isi/ | nrwe /nɾwe/ | mutwe /mutwe/ | — | usumi /usumi/ |
| Eye | anya /aɲa/ | ẹnya /ɛɲa/ | anya /aɲa/ | iriso /iɾiso/ | liso /liso/ | bangiri /baŋɡiɾi/ | evua /evua/ |
| Ear | ẹtẹ /ɛtɛ/ | nchị /ntʃɪ/ | ntị /ntɪ/ | kuri /kuɾi/ | kutwi /kutwi/ | tu /tu/ | eo /eo/ |
| Nose | emi /emi/ | imi /imi/ | imi /īmī/ | — | impemo /impemo/ | ho /ho/ | isue /isue/ |
| Mouth | ụnụ /ʊnʊ/ | ọnu /ɔnu/ | ọnụ /ɔnʊ/ | kana /kana/ | kanwa /kanwa/ | ngba /ŋɡba/ | uno /uno/ |
| Tooth | ize /ize/ | eze /eze/ | eze /eze/ | iyoo /ijoː/ | linyo /liɲo/ | rinde /rinde/ | ako /ako/ |
| Tongue | idho /iðo/ | ire /ire/ | ire /iɾe/ | ulumi /ulumi/ | mulaka /mulaka/ | mira /mira/ | olemi /olemi/ |
| Hand | aka /aka/ | ẹka /ɛka/ | aka /aka/ | uko /uko/ | kuboko /kuboko/ | be /be/ | oba /oba/ |
| Foot | uko /uko/ | ọkpa /ɔkpa/ | ụkwụ /ʊkʷʊ/ | urende /uɾende/ | cituta /tʃituta/ | kpendu /kpendu/ | — |
| Heart | obi /obi/ | obu /obu/ | obi /obi/ | ngoo /ŋɡoː/ | moyo /mojo/ | ngbaduse /ŋɡbaduse/ | itsu /itsu/ |
| Bone | ukpo /ukpo/ | ọkpu /ɔkpʊ/ | ọkpụkpụ /ɔkpʊkpʊ/ | ifua /ifua/ | ifuwa /ifuwa/ | meme /meme/ | ugoa /uɡoa/ |
| Blood | ubala /ubala/ | mmee /mːeː/ | ọbara /ɔbaɾa/ | usao /usao/ | bulowa /bulowa/ | kure /kure/ | atale /atale/ |
| Love | ihunanya /ihunaɲa/ | ihunanya /ihunaɲa/ | ịhụnanya /ɪhʊnaɲa/ | lumbo /lumbo/ | luyando /lujando/ | kpinyemu /kpiɲemu/ | gbele /ɡbele/ |
| Tree | osisi /osisi/ | oshi /oʃi/ | osisi /osisi/ | nri /nɾi/ | cisamu /tʃisamu/ | ngua /ŋɡua/ | orhan /oɾhan/ |
| Dog | akịta /akɪta/ | nkita /ŋkita/ | nkịta /ŋkɪta/ | mboha /mboha/ | muvwa /muvwa/ | ango /aŋɡo/ | agbon /aɡbon/ |
| Cat | nwamba /ŋwamba/ | nwamba /ŋwamba/ | nwamba /ŋʷamba/ | paka /paka/ | kaaze /kaːze/ | gbabo /ɡbabo/ | otsuvua /otsuvua/ |
| Fish | ukpa /ukpa/ | ema /ema/ | azụ /azʊ/ | ikunga /ikuŋɡa/ | inswi /inswi/ | tio /tio/ | eseri /eseri/ |
| Egg | ukwa /ukwa/ | ẹkwa /ɛkwa/ | àkwá /àkʷá/ | ngosho /ŋɡoʃo/ | iji /idʒi/ | para /paɾa/ | — |
| Horse | inyanya /ɨɲaɲa/ | ịnya /ɪɲa/ | ịnyịnya /ɪɲɪɲa/ | farasi /faɾasi/ | ibbiza /iˈbiza/ | farasi /faɾasi/ | akazi /akaʒi/ |
| House | ulo /ulo/ | ulo /ulo/ | ụlọ /ʊlɔ/ | numba /numba/ | ngʼanda /ŋanda/ | bambu /bambu/ | ukekpe /ukekpe/ |
| Honey | oga ogbenyi /ɔɡa ɔɡbɛɲɨ/ | manụ ẹnwu /manʊ ɛŋwu/ | mmanụ aṅụ /mːanʊ aŋʊ/ | uki /uki/ | buci /butʃi/ | anyege /aɲeɡe/ | — |
| Salt | aɗa /aɗa/ | unu /unu/ | nnu /nːu/ | munyu /muɲu/ | munyo /muɲo/ | tikpo /tikpo/ | umeri /umeri/ |
| Rice | alisu /alɨsu/ | — | osikapa /osikapa/ | — | mupunga /mupuŋɡa/ | mapunga /mapuŋɡa/ | — |
| Iron | uci /utʃi/ | igwe /iɡwe/ | igwe /iɡʷe/ | minya /miɲa/ | butale /butale/ | mara /mara/ | akure /akuɾe/ |
| Eat | ri /ɾi/ | ri /ɾi/ | iri /iɾi/ | kuria /kuria/ | kulya /kulja/ | ri /ɾi/ | remi /ɾemi/ |
| Drink | ŋụ /ŋʊ/ | nu /nu/ | ịṅụ /ɪŋʊ/ | kunyua /kuɲua/ | kunywa /kuɲwa/ | mbira /mbiɾa/ | yamẹ /jamɛ/ |
| Sleep | nyi inina /ɲi inina/ | ku mgbẹnya /ku mɡbɛɲa/ | ịrahụ /ɪɾahʊ/ | — | koona /koːna/ | ra /ɾa/ | — |
| One | otu /otu/ | nanụ /nanʊ/ | otu /otu/ | mongo /moŋɡo/ | mwi /mwi/ | sa /sa/ | ɔkpa /ɔkpa/ |
| Two | gbibo /ɡbibo/ | ẹbo /ɛbɔ/ | abụọ /abʊɔ/ | fivili /fivili/ | bili /bili/ | ue /uwe/ | eva /eva/ |
| Three | bɨtọ /ɓɨtɔ/ | ẹto /ɛtɔ/ | atọ /atɔ/ | firaru /fiɾaɾu/ | totatwe /totatwe/ | biata /biata/ | ela /ela/ |
| Four | bɨnọ /ɓɨnɔ/ | ẹno /ɛnɔ/ | anọ /anɔ/ | fiini /fiːni/ | ne /ne/ | biama /biama/ | ezie /eʒie/ |
| Five | bise /ɓise/ | ise /ise/ | ise /ise/ | firaanu /fiɾaːnu/ | musanu /musanu/ | bisue /bisue/ | ise /ise/ |
| Hello | nno /nːo/ | ndo /ndo/ | nnọọ /nːɔː/ | kira /kiɾa/ | mwabuka buti /mwabuka buti/ | mo ima ya /mo ima ja/ | udze /udze/ |
| Thank you | imela /imela/ | ima ego /ima eɡo/ | daalụ /daːlʊ/ | asante /asante/ | twalumba /twalumba/ | oni-tambua /oni-tambua/ | oyabuwere /ojabuweɾe/ |
| Good | oma /oma/ | oma /oma/ | ọma /ɔma/ | kya /kja/ | kabotu /kabotu/ | wene /wene/ | edue /edue/ |
| Red | bara /bara/ | bara /bara/ | ọbara ọbara /ɔbaɾa ɔbaɾa/ | nkundu /nkundu/ | subila /subila/ | zamba /zamba/ | bara /bara/ |
| White | usa /usa/ | ọchaa /ɔtʃaː/ | ọcha /ɔtʃa/ | sheelwa /ʃeːlwa/ | salala /salala/ | pisi /pisi/ | pfa /pfa/ |
| Black | uyi /uji/ | ojii /odʒiː/ | ojii /odʒiː/ | shuu /ʃuː/ | siya /sija/ | bibiri /bibiɾi/ | wisi /wisi/ |
| Orange | aledu /aledu/ | — | oroma /oɾoma/ | — | — | oronzi /oɾonzi/ | — |
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