Eperara language

Eperara a.k.a. Epena (Southern Embera) is an Embera language of Colombia, with about 250 speakers in Ecuador.

Eperara
Saija
Epena
Native toColombia
Native speakers
3,600 in Colombia and Ecuador (2004–2012)[1]
plus an unknown number in Panama[1]
Chocoan
Language codes
ISO 639-3sja
Glottologepen1239
ELPEpena

Geographic Distribution

Epena is spoken on the Pacific coastal rivers of the departments of Nariño, Cauca, and Valle del Cauca in Colombia. A major grouping of the Epena is found in Cauca along the Saija River and three of its major tributaries: the Guangüí, Infí, and Cupí. Social contact and intermarriage with the neighboring Wounaan is commonplace.[2]

The Basuradó dialect is spoken on the Basuradó River in the Department of the Chocó, near the Docampadó River. This is the only Epena dialect that differs significantly from the others.[2]

Orthography
  • a - [a]
  • ã - [ã]
  • b - [b]
  • ch - [t͡ʃ]
  • d - [d]
  • e - [e]
  • ẽ - [ẽ]
  • ë - [ə]
  • ë̃ - [ə̃]
  • g - [g]
  • i - [i]
  • ĩ - [ĩ]
  • ï - [ɨ] (also written as ɨ in some texts)
  • ï̃ - [ɨ̃]
  • j - [h]
  • k - [k]
  • k' - [kʰ]
  • m - [m]
  • n - [n]
  • o - [o]
  • õ - [õ]
  • p - [p]
  • p' - [pʰ]
  • r - [ɾ~r]
  • s - [s]
  • t - [t]
  • t' - [tʰ]
  • u - [u]
  • ũ - [ũ]
  • w - [w]
  • y - [j]

Glottal stops are represented with hyphens.

Long vowels are doubled.

C, f, h, l, ñ, q, v, x, z are used in foreign words and names.[3]

Phonology[4]

Consonants
Bilabial Alveolar Palatal Velar Glottal
Stop plain p t k ʔ
aspirated pʰ tʰ kʰ
voiced b d ɡ
Affricate t͡ʃ
Fricative s h
Nasal m n
Liquid trill r
tap ɾ
Glide w j

Vowels
Front Central Back
High i ĩ iː ɨ ɨ̃ ɨː u ũ uː
Mid e ẽ eː ə ə̃ əː o õ oː
Low a ã aː

Notes
  1. Eperara at Ethnologue (25th ed., 2022) closed access
  2. Harms, Phillip Lee (1994). "Epena Pedee syntax: Studies in the languages of Colombia 4" (PDF).
  3. Eperara language and pronunciation, Omniglot.
  4. Harms, Philip Lee (1984). Fonología del epena pedee (saija).

Bibliography
  • Harms, Phillip Lee. 1994. Epena Pedee Syntax. Dallas: Summer Institute of Linguistics and University of Texas at Arlington.


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