Uvwiẹ or Ẹphrọn (Effurun) is a Niger Delta language spoken by the Uvwie people of southern Nigeria. It is classified alongside Urhobo, Okpe, Isoko and Eruwa as co-ordinate members of South-western Edoid branch of Proto Edoid language[2] spoken by the Uvwie people of southern Nigeria.
| Uvwie | |
|---|---|
| Uvwie | |
| Native to | Nigeria |
| Region | Delta State |
| Ethnicity | Urhobo |
Native speakers | 20,000 (2000)[1] |
Niger–Congo?
| |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | evh |
| Glottolog | uvbi1238 |
Phonology
editThe phonemic inventory of Uvwie, amongst other things, consists of seven vowels.[3] Although earlier studies identified nine vowels in two harmonic sets, /i e a o u/ and /ɪ ɛ a ɔ ʊ/.[4][5]
The consonant system is somewhat conservative, and nearly the same as that of Urhobo. The only significant differences are the loss of ɸ, ɣ, and of the distinction between l and n: these alternate, depending on whether the following vowel is oral or nasal. /ɾ, ʋ, j, w/ also have nasal allophones before nasal vowels.
| Labial | Alveolar | Palatal | Velar | Labio-velar | Glottal | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nasal | m | ɲ | ||||
| Plosive | p b | t d | c ɟ | k ɡ | k͡p ɡ͡b | |
| Fricative | f v | s z | ʃ dʒ | h | ||
| Trill | r | |||||
| Flap | ɾ | |||||
| Approximant | ʋ | l [n] | j | w |
References
edit- ^ Uvwie at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
- ^ Elugbe, B. O. 1989. A comparative Edoid: Phonology and lexicon. Port Harcourt: University of Port Harcourt Press.Pp 26
- ^ Ekiugbo, P. O. 2016. The sound system of Uvwie. M. A. Thesis, University of Benin
- ^ Omamor, A. P. 1973.
- ^ Archangeli & Pulleyblank, 1994. Grounded phonology, p 181ff
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