Engenni language

Engenni
Ẹgẹnẹ
Native to	Nigeria
Region	Bayelsa State, Rivers State
Ethnicity	Engenni people
Native speakers	(20,000 cited 1980)
Language family	Niger–Congo? Atlantic–Congo Volta–Niger yeai Edoid Delta Engenni
Language codes
ISO 639-3	enn
Glottolog	enge1239

Engenni (Ẹgẹnẹ) is an Edoid language of Nigeria.

Grammar

Engenni is a fairly isolating language, having little affixation. There is no plural form for words. It has definite articles, but no indefinite articles. There is a two-contrast with regards to demonstratives, while pronominal and adnominal demonstratives are identical (as in English). Verbs are marked for perfective/imperfective aspect, but there is no past tense.

Engenni is an SVO language that uses prepositions. Adjectives, demonstratives, and numerals follow the noun they describe. Yes–no questions are marked with a special particle, which goes at the end of the question. Negation is indicated by a change in tone.

Writing System

Engenni has been written since the 1930s, initially in leaflets, posters and religious hymns, or a translation of the Bible. It took several decades before non-religious literary works were published in English. In the 1970s, several literacy works were published by Joycelyn Clevenger or Mosaic Urugba with the Rivers Readers Project. A translation of the New Testament, Baibulu Eba Fai was published in 1977 by World Home Bible League. An alphabet with 9 vowels and 25 consonants is used in epoch.

In 2011, a new alphabet with 10 vowels and 30 consonants was adopted and published.

Engenni alphabet (2011)

a

ạ

b

ḅ

ch

d

ḍ

e

ẹ

f

g

gb

gw

i

ị

j

k

kp

kw

l

m

n

ny

nw

o

ọ

p

r

s

sh

sw

t

u

ụ

v

w

y

z

ẓ

References

Works cited

• Ngulube, Isaac (2011). "The Engene Orthography". In Ozo-Mekuri Ndimele (ed.). Orthographies Of Nigerian Languages Manual X. Nigerian Education Research and Development Council.