Okpe language (Southwestern Edo)

Okpe is an Edoid language of Nigeria spoken by the Urhobo people.

Okpe
Native toNigeria
RegionDelta State
EthnicityUrhobo
Native speakers
25,000 (2000)[1]
Niger–Congo?
Language codes
ISO 639-3oke – inclusive code
Individual code:
ids – Idesa
Glottologokpe1250

Phonology

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The sound system is rather conservative, and nearly the same as that of Urhobo. The vowels system is the same, and somewhat reduced compared to proto-Edoid: there are seven vowels, /i e ɛ a ɔ o u/.[2] Of the consonants, only significant differences are the addition of /ɣʷ/ and of the distinction between l vs n and y vs ny: these alternate, depending on whether the following vowel is oral or nasal. /ɾ, ʋ, w/ also have nasal allophones before nasal vowels.

  Labial Labiodental Alveolar Palatal Velar Labio-velar Glottal
Nasal m l [n] j [ɲ]      
Plosive p  b t  d c  ɟ k  ɡ k͡p  ɡ͡b  
Fricative ɸ   f  v s  z ɕ  ʑ   ɣ   ɣʷ h
Trill   r        
Flap   ɾ        
Approximant   ʋ l [n] j [ɲ]   w  

References

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  1. ^ Okpe at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
    Idesa at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
  2. ^ Archangeli & Pulleyblank, 1994. Grounded phonology, p 181ff