Eleme language explained

Eleme
States:Nigeria
Speakers:58,000
Date:1990
Ref:e25
Familycolor:Niger-Congo
Fam2:Atlantic–Congo
Fam3:Benue–Congo
Fam4:Cross River
Iso3:elm
Glotto:elem1253
Glottorefname:Eleme

Eleme is a language spoken by Eleme people in the Niger Delta Region of Nigeria. Eleme is a Niger-Congo language spoken by approximately 40-50,000 speakers in Rivers State in southeast Nigeria. It belongs to the Ogonoid (also known as Ogoni or Kegboid) language group, within the Cross River branch of Benue-Congo.[1] Eleme language was originally divided into two mutual dialects of Nchia and Odido. Nchia spoken in six communities of Agbonchia, Akpajo, Alesa, Aleto, Alode and Ogale, while Odido dialect was spoken at Ebubu, Ekporo, Eteo and Onne, today, both dialects have submerged, with a few varying pronunciations.

A unique feature of Eleme is that it uses reduplication to negate verbs.[2]

Writing System

a
b ch d eɛ f g gb gwh i j k kpkw l m n nwny o ɔ p rs t u w yʼ
Nasal vowels are indicated with a tilde .

References

Works cited

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Eleme - Surrey Morphology Group . 2023-05-01 . www.smg.surrey.ac.uk.
  2. Book: Harrison, K. David.. When languages die : the extinction of the world's languages and the erosion of human knowledge. 2007. Oxford University Press. 978-0-19-518192-0. Oxford. 216. 65425996.