# Ebira language > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Ebira_language > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Ebira_language.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ebira_language > Source revision: 1343453884 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|Niger-Congo language spoken in Nigeria}} {{Infobox language |name=Ebira |states=[Nigeria](/source/Nigeria) |region=[Kogi state](/source/Kogi_state), [Nassarawa state](/source/Nassarawa_state), [FCT](/source/Federal_Capital_Territory%2C_Nigeria), [Kwara state](/source/Kwara_state), [Niger State](/source/Niger_State), [Benue state](/source/Benue_State), [Edo state](/source/Edo_state), [Ondo State](/source/Ondo_State) |ethnicity=[Ebira](/source/Ebira_people) |speakers={{sigfig|2.210000|2}} million |date=2020 |ref = e25 |familycolor=Niger-Congo |fam2=[Atlantic–Congo](/source/Atlantic%E2%80%93Congo) |fam3=[Volta–Niger](/source/Volta%E2%80%93Niger) |fam4={{sm|noi}} |fam5=[Nupoid](/source/Nupoid_languages) |fam6=Ebira–Gade |iso3=igb |glotto=ebir1243 |glottorefname=Ebira }} '''Ebira''' (pronounced as /eh 'bi ra/) is a [Nupoid](/source/Nupoid_languages) language{{Glottolog|ebir1243|Ebira}} spoken by around 2 million people in [Nigeria](/source/Nigeria)'s [Middle Belt](/source/Middle_Belt). It is the most divergent Nupoid language with the central dialect known as [Okene](/source/Okene). ==Geographic distribution== The majority of speakers are in [Kogi State](/source/Kogi_State) in the [Central part](/source/Kogi_Central_Senatorial_District) of that state; constituting the second largest ethnic group according to national population commission census 2006 [Nasarawa State](/source/Nasarawa_State) in [Toto](/source/Toto%2C_Nigeria) Local Government Area, where the name is usually spelt Egbura; [Edo State](/source/Edo_State) in the Town of [Igarra](/source/Igarra), where a similar language is known as Etuno; and in the Federal Capital Territory in the Town of [Abaji](/source/Abaji). It is also spoken in [Lapai](/source/Lapai) ([Niger State](/source/Niger_State)), [Makurdi](/source/Makurdi) ([Benue State](/source/Benue_State) and [Kwara State](/source/Kwara_State) and some are also found in [Ondo State](/source/Ondo_State) ([Akoko](/source/Akoko)). ==Dialects== Varieties of Ebira are:Blench, Roger. 2013. ''[http://www.rogerblench.info/Language/Niger-Congo/VN/Nupoid/Nupoid%20Overview%202013.pdf The Nupoid languages of west-central Nigeria: overview and comparative word list]''. *'''Tao dialect''', the more prominent dialect used in media and publishing. It is spoken to the west of the Niger-Benue confluence *'''Koto (Okpoto) dialect''', spoken to the northeast of the Niger-Benue confluence. It is known only from a wordlist in Sterk (1978a). Blench (2019) lists Okene, Etuno (Tụnọ), and Koto.{{Cite book|title=An Atlas of Nigerian Languages|last=Blench|first=Roger|publisher=Kay Williamson Educational Foundation|year=2019|edition=4th|location=Cambridge}} Glottolog divides Ebira into three dialects ''Igara'', ''Koto'' and ''Okene''.{{Glottolog|ebir1243|Ebira}} ==Phonology== === Consonants === {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" ! colspan="2" | ![Labial](/source/Labial_consonant) ![Alveolar](/source/Alveolar_consonant) ![Palatal](/source/Palatal_consonant) ![Velar](/source/Velar_consonant) ![Glottal](/source/Glottal_consonant) |- ! rowspan="2" |[Plosive](/source/Plosive)/
[Affricate](/source/Affricate) !voiceless |{{IPA link|p}} |{{IPA link|t}} |{{IPA link|t͡ɕ}} |{{IPA link|k}} | |- !voiced |{{IPA link|b}} |{{IPA link|d}} |{{IPA link|d͡ʑ}} |{{IPA link|ɡ}} | |- ! rowspan="2" |[Fricative](/source/Fricative) !voiceless | |{{IPA link|s}} |({{IPA link|ʃ}}) | |{{IPA link|h}} |- !voiced |{{IPA link|v}} |{{IPA link|z}} |({{IPA link|ʒ}}) | | |- ! colspan="2" |[Nasal](/source/Nasal_consonant) |{{IPA link|m}} |{{IPA link|n}} |{{IPA link|ɲ}} |{{IPA link|ŋ}} | |- ! colspan="2" |[Tap](/source/Tap_and_flap_consonants) | |{{IPA link|ɾ}} | | | |- ! colspan="2" |[Approximant](/source/Approximant) |{{IPA link|w}} |({{IPA link|l}}) |{{IPA link|j}} | | |} * Sounds /s, z/ are heard as [ʃ, ʒ] when before a front-close vowel in syllable-initial position. * [l] is in free variation with /ɾ/. * Voiceless sounds /p, t, k/ can also be heard as slightly aspirated [pʰ, tʰ, kʰ].{{Cite book |last=Adive |first=John R. |title=A descriptive study of the verbal piece in Ebira (a language of Kwara State of Nigeria) |publisher=University of London |year=1984}} === Vowels === {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" ! ![Front](/source/Front_vowel) ![Central](/source/Central_vowel) ![Back](/source/Back_vowel) |- ![Close](/source/Close_vowel) |{{IPA link|i}} | |{{IPA link|u}} |- ![Near-close](/source/Near-close_vowel) |{{IPA link|ɪ}} | |{{IPA link|ʊ}} |- ![Close-mid](/source/Close-mid_vowel) |{{IPA link|e}} | |{{IPA link|o}} |- ![Open-mid](/source/Open-mid_vowel) |{{IPA link|ɛ}} | |{{IPA link|ɔ}} |- ![Open](/source/Open_vowel) | |{{IPA link|a}} | |} ==References== {{Reflist}} {{Authority control}} {{Volta-Niger languages}} Category:Nupoid languages {{VoltaNiger-lang-stub}} --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Ebira language](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ebira_language) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ebira_language?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.