Ehueun language explained

Ehuẹun
States:Nigeria
Region:Ondo State
Date:2000
Ref:e18
Familycolor:Niger-Congo
Fam2:Atlantic–Congo
Fam3:Volta–Niger
Fam5:Edoid
Fam6:Northwestern
Fam7:Osse River
Iso3:ehu
Glotto:ehue1238
Glottorefname:Ehueun

Ehuẹun (Ekpimi) is an Edoid language of Ondo State, Nigeria. It is sometimes considered the same language as Ukue.

Phonology

Ehuẹun has a rather reduced system, compared to proto-Edoid, of seven vowels; these form two harmonic sets, pronounced as //i e a o u// and pronounced as //i ɛ a ɔ u//.[1]

The language arguably has no phonemic nasal stops; pronounced as /[m, n]/ alternate with pronounced as /[β, l]/, depending on whether the following vowel is oral or nasal. The inventory is:[2]

 BilabialLabiodentalAlveolarPalatalVelarLabio-velarGlottal
Plosivealign=center pronounced as /  b/align=center pronounced as /t  d/align=center pronounced as /k  ɡ/align=center pronounced as /k͡p  ɡ͡b/ 
Fricativealign=center pronounced as /ɸ  β [m]/align=center pronounced as /f  v/align=center pronounced as /s  z/ align=center pronounced as /h/
Rhotic align=center pronounced as /r̝  r/    
Approximantpronounced as /ʋ/pronounced as /l [n]/pronounced as /j/ pronounced as /w/ 

The two rhotics have been described as voiced and voiceless trills. However, Ladefoged found both to be approximants, with the pair being raised (without being fricatives) but not trills.

Notes and References

  1. Archangeli & Pulleyblank, 1994. Grounded phonology, p 181ff
  2. Jeff Mielke, 2008. The emergence of distinctive features, p 136ff;
    also found in Variation and gradience in phonetics and phonology, p 26ff