Phonology Consonants + Consonant phonemes Bilabial Labio-dental Alveolar Palatal Velar Labio-velar Stop voiced voiceless Fricative Nasal Semi-vowels Allophones /b/ has several allophones.Essien, p. 15Goldie, Principles, p. 5 These allophones are dependent on the position of /b/ in a word. In final positions it occurs as an unreleased stop phonetically represented as [p̚] , as in the following imperative verbs. [kop̚] (listen!), [sɔp̚] (quick!), [fɛp̚] (dodge!). /p/ in Efik is only found in final positions and can only be realised as /β/ in intervocalic position, example; [dép] + [úfɔk] = [déβúfɔk].Ukpe, p. 35 If it is, however, immediately followed by a consonant, it occurs as a released stop phonetically, as in these examples:Essien, p. 16 [i.kop.ke] (he hasn't heard) [n̩.dɛp.ke] (I haven't bought) Like /b/, /t/ and /k/ are unreleased in final positions. Thus, phonetically we have the following: [bɛt̚] (wait) [dɔk̚] (dig) /k/ has other allophones. If it is preceded by a high front vowel, it is phonetically [g], as in these examples: [digi] (trample) [idigɛ] (it is not) [tiga] (shoot, kick) If, however, it occurs between two mid front vowels, or two low central vowels, it is phonetically [ɣ] or [x] , as in the following: examples: [fɛxɛ] (run) [daɣa] (leave, go away) [g] is sometimes found in initial positions as in loan words such as "Garri". However, pronunciations with [k] and [ŋk] also occur. /d/ has an allophone [ɾ], which can occur in free between vowels, as in the following examples:Essien, p. 17 [adan] or [aɾan] (oil) [odo] or [oɾo] (the/that) When the preceding vowel itself is preceded by a stop or fricative, it is deleted, and the /d/ always occurs as [ɾ]. Examples include: /tidɛ/ [tɾɛ] (stop) /k͡pidɛ/ [k͡pɾɛ] (be small) /fadaŋ/ [fɾaŋ] (fry) Vowels Vowels in Efik vary phonetically depending on whether they occur between consonants (i.e. in closed syllables) or not.Essien, p. 19 Vowels in closed syllables are shorter and more centralized than those in open syllables. Thus /i/ and /u/ are highly centralized in the following: [ɲɨk̚] (push or press someone to do something) [bʉt̚] (shame) As /i/ is a front vowel, centralization involves a position further back while in the case of /u/, a back vowel, centralization involves a position further front in the mouth. Semi-vowels The semi-vowels /w/ and /j/ behave like consonants, as the following show:Essien, p. 18 /wak/ (tear up) /awa/ (a green plant) /jom/ (look for, search) /ajaŋ/ (broom) When they are preceded by a consonant, they sound like /u/ and /i/ respectively, as these examples show: Phonemic Phonetic /udwa/ [udua] (market) /dwɔ/ [duɔ] (fall) /bjom/ [biom] (carry on the head) /fjob/ [fiop̚] (to be hot) Tones Oral Efik is predominantly tonal in structure, and this is essentially the pitch of the voice in saying a word or syllable of a word Aye,A learner's Dictionary, p. x A word may have two or more meanings depending on the tonal response of the speaker.Essien, p. 21 Examples include: Ákpá - River, Àkpá - First and Àkpà - Stomach. In Efik, there are five different tone marks that aid in the definition of the meaning of words: 1. High Tone defined by (⸝) 2. Low Tone defined by (⸜) 3. Mid Tone defined by (–) 4. Falling Tone defined by (∧) 5. Rising Tone defined by (∨)
Phonology Consonants + Consonant phonemes Labial Alveolar Palatal Velar Labio-velar Plosive voiced voiceless Fricative Nasal Semi-vowels Allophones /b/ has several allophones.Essien, p. 15Goldie, Principles, p. 5 These allophones are dependent on the position of /b/ in a word. In final positions it occurs as an unreleased stop phonetically represented as [p̚] , as in the following imperative verbs. [kop̚] (listen!), [sɔp̚] (quick!), [fɛp̚] (dodge!). /p/ in Efik is only found in final positions and can only be realised as /β/ in intervocalic position, example; [dép] + [úfɔk] = [déβúfɔk].Ukpe, p. 35 If it is, however, immediately followed by a consonant, it occurs as a released stop phonetically, as in these examples:Essien, p. 16 [i.kop.ke] (he hasn't heard) [n̩.dɛp.ke] (I haven't bought) Like /b/, /t/ and /k/ are unreleased in final positions. Thus, phonetically we have the following: [bɛt̚] (wait) [dɔk̚] (dig) /k/ has other allophones. If it is preceded by a high front vowel, it is phonetically [g], as in these examples: [digi] (trample) [idigɛ] (it is not) [tiga] (shoot, kick) If, however, it occurs between two mid front vowels, or two low central vowels, it is phonetically [ɣ] or [x] , as in the following: [fɛxɛ] (run) [daɣa] (leave, go away) [g] is sometimes found in initial positions as in loan words such as "Garri". However, pronunciations with [k] and [ŋk] also occur. /d/ has an allophone [ɾ], which can occur in free between vowels, as in the following examples:Essien, p. 17 [adan] or [aɾan] (oil) [odo] or [oɾo] (the/that) When the preceding vowel itself is preceded by a stop or fricative, it is deleted, and the /d/ always occurs as [ɾ]. Examples include: /tidɛ/ [tɾɛ] (stop) /k͡pidɛ/ [k͡pɾɛ] (be small) /fadaŋ/ [fɾaŋ] (fry) Vowels Vowels in Efik vary phonetically depending on whether they occur between consonants (i.e. in closed syllables) or not.Essien, p. 19 Vowels in closed syllables are shorter and more centralized than those in open syllables. Thus /i/ and /u/ are highly centralized in the following: [ɲɨk̚] (push or press someone to do something) [bʉt̚] (shame) As /i/ is a front vowel, centralization involves a position further back while in the case of /u/, a back vowel, centralization involves a position further front in the mouth. Semi-vowels The semi-vowels /w/ and /j/ behave like consonants, as the following show:Essien, p. 18 /wak/ (tear up) /awa/ (a green plant) /jom/ (look for, search) /ajaŋ/ (broom) When they are preceded by a consonant, they sound like /u/ and /i/ respectively, as these examples show: Phonemic Phonetic /udwa/ [udua] (market) /dwɔ/ [duɔ] (fall) /bjom/ [biom] (carry on the head) /fjob/ [fiop̚] (to be hot) Tones Oral Efik is predominantly tonal in structure, and this is essentially the pitch of the voice in saying a word or syllable of a word Aye,A learner's Dictionary, p. x A word may have two or more meanings depending on the tonal response of the speaker.Essien, p. 21 Examples include: Ákpá - River, Àkpá - First and Àkpà - Stomach. In Efik, there are five different tone marks that aid in the definition of the meaning of words: High Tone defined by (⸝) Low Tone defined by (⸜) Mid Tone defined by (–) Falling Tone defined by (∧) Rising Tone defined by (∨)
R
Bilabial Labio-dental
Labial
R
Stop
Plosive
D
examples:
D
1.
D
2.
D
3.
D
4.
D
5.