Epie language

Epie
Native to	Nigeria
Region	Bayelsa state
Native speakers	140,000 (2021)
Language family	Niger–Congo? Atlantic–Congo Volta–Congo Volta–Niger yeai Akpes–Edoid Edoid Delta Edoid Epie
Language codes
ISO 639-3	epi
Glottolog	epie1238

Epie (or Epie–Atịsa) is part of Delta Edoid languages spoken in Nigeria by the Epie–Atissa people.

Phonology

The language has a partially reduced system, compared to proto-Edoid, of eight vowels; these form two harmonic sets, /i e a o u/ and /i ɛ a ɔ ʊ/.

Epie has only one clearly phonemic nasal stop, /m/; [n] alternates with [l], depending on whether the following vowel is oral or nasal. (The other approximants, /j ɣ w/, are also nasalized in this position: see Edo language for a similar situation.) The inventory is:

	Labial	Alveolar	Palatal	Velar	Labio-velar
Nasal	m
Implosive	ɓ	ɗ
Plosive	p  b	t  d		k  ɡ	k͡p  ɡ͡b
Fricative	f  v	s  z
Trill		(r)
Approximant		l [n]	j	ɣ	w

Further reading

• Thomas, Elaine and Kay Williamson. 1967. "Wordlists of delta Edo: Epie, Engenni, Degema." In Occasional Papers 8, p. 105. Accra: Institute of African Studies, University of Ibadan.