Kalabari is an Ijo language of Nigeria spoken in Rivers State and Bayelsa State by the Awome people. Its three dialects are mutually intelligible.[citation needed] The Kalabari dialect (Kalabari proper) is one of the best-documented varieties of Ijo, and as such is frequently used as the prime example of Ijo in linguistic literature.

As of 2005, the language, "spoken by 258,000 people, [was] endangered largely because of the massive relocation that has taken place in the area due to the development of Nigeria's oil industry in the Port Harcourt region."

Berbice Creole Dutch, a recently extinct Dutch Creole formerly spoken in Eastern Guyana, was spoken by descendants of Kalabari speakers. The African element in Berbice Dutch is predominantly Kalabari in origin.

Kalabari-language words have been proposed for some modern technical terms.

Dialects

Kalabari is spoken south of Port Harcourt.

Ibani is spoken southeast of Port Harcourt, in the Bonny local government area and in Opobo.

Kirike is spoken in Port Harcourt and the local government areas of Okrika and Ogu–Bolo.

Phonology

Consonants
LabialAlveolarPalatalVelarLabiovelarLabial–velarGlottal
Plosivevoicelessptkkʷ ⟨kw⟩kp ⟨kp⟩
voicedbdɡ ⟨g⟩ɡʷ ⟨gw⟩ɡb ⟨gb⟩
Implosiveɓ ⟨ḅ⟩ɗ ⟨ḍ⟩
Nasalmnɲ / j̃ ⟨ny⟩ŋ ⟨ñ⟩ŋʷ / w̃ ⟨nw⟩
Affricatevoicelesstʃ ⟨ch⟩
voiceddʒ ⟨j⟩
Fricativevoicelessfsh ~ ɦ ⟨h⟩
voicedvz
Approximantlj ⟨y⟩w
Trillr

The phonetic value of orthographic ⟨gh⟩ in Ibani is unclear. Ngulube (2011a) places the symbol for the voiced velar fricative ⟨ɣ⟩ (typically what ⟨gh⟩ would signify) in the glottal plosive cell of the consonant chart, but in the phonetic values table below it writes only [ɡh]. This is presumably the same sound, but is not explicitly stated; neither the place nor manner of articulation are obvious given this oddity. Harry (2003) shows neither a glottal plosive nor a velar fricative in the JIPA publication.

Vowels
FrontBack
Closeiu
Near-closeɪ ⟨ị⟩ʊ ⟨ụ⟩
Close-mideo
Open-midɛ ⟨ẹ⟩ɔ ⟨ọ⟩
Opena

Writing system

Ibani alphabet
abḅdeẹfggbghgwhiịjkkpkwlmnnwnyoọprstuụvwyz
Kirike alphabet
abḅchdḍeẹfggbgwhiịjkkpkwlmnñnwnyoọprstuụvwyz

See also

  • Defaka word list (Wiktionary.)

Works cited

  • Ngulube, Isaac Eyi (2011a). "Ibani orthography". In Ozo-mekuri Ndimele (ed.). . Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC). pp. 69–88.
  • Ngulube, Isaac Eyi (2011b). "Okrika orthography". In Ozo-mekuri Ndimele (ed.). . Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC). pp. 98–119.

External links

  • Braide, Pastor Daiwari. . Archived from on 2012-11-17.
  • .
  • . Global Recordings Network.