Ehuẹun | |
---|---|
Native to | Nigeria |
Region | Ondo State |
Native speakers | 14,000 (2000) [1] |
Niger–Congo?
| |
Language codes | |
ISO 639-3 |
ehu |
Glottolog |
ehue1238 |
Ehuẹun (Ekpimi) is an Edoid language of Ondo State, Nigeria. It is sometimes considered the same language as Ukue.
Ehuẹun has a rather reduced system, compared to proto-Edoid, of seven vowels; these form two harmonic sets, /i e a o u/ and /i ɛ a ɔ u/. [2]
The language arguably has no phonemic nasal stops; [m, n] alternate with [β, l], depending on whether the following vowel is oral or nasal. The inventory is: [3]
Bilabial | Labiodental | Alveolar | Palatal | Velar | Labio-velar | Glottal | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Plosive | b | t d | k ɡ | k͡p ɡ͡b | |||
Fricative | ɸ β [m] | f v | s z | h | |||
Rhotic | r̝ r | ||||||
Approximant | ʋ | l [n] | j | w |
The two rhotics have been described as voiced and voiceless trills. However, Ladefoged [4][ page needed] found both to be approximants, with the pair being raised (without being fricatives) but not trills.