Uvbie language

Uvbie (Uvwie, Evrie, or Evhro) is a Niger Congo 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.

Uvbie
Evrie
Native toNigeria
RegionDelta State
EthnicityUrhobo
Native speakers
20,000 (2000)[1]
Niger–Congo
Language codes
ISO 639-3evh
Glottologuvbi1238

Phonology

The 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
  1. Uvbie at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015)
  2. Elugbe, B. O. 1989. A comparative Edoid: Phonology and lexicon. Port Harcourt: University of Port Harcourt Press.Pp 26
  3. Ekiugbo, P. O. 2016. The sound system of Uvwie. M. A. Thesis, University of Benin
  4. Omamor, A. P. 1973.
  5. Archangeli & Pulleyblank, 1994. Grounded phonology, p 181ff


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