Identification of Eue Phonemes in the Three Major Dialects of Eue

Abstract

ABSTRACT Discourse on the E3e phonology has provided several studies on the E3e phonemes, some of them include Abadzivor and Dzamesi (2008); Agbedoxor (2014); Amegashie (2011); Ansre (1961); Anyidoho (1990); Atakpa (1997); Duthie (1996); Kpodo (2014) and Nyomi (2017). However, the main issues are that most of them have professed varying number of E3e phonemes and conflicting description of some of the sound segments. Therefore, using the classical phonemic analysis in a phenomenological approach, this study establishes the number of E3e phonemes in the three main E3e dialects through interacting with 20 A`l4, E3eme and T4`u native speakers respectively. The results from the phonemic and articulatory analysis of the data show that all the three main dialects of E3e have 28 consonant phonemes (/b, p, ß, ɸ, m, w, v, f, d, t, z, s, ʤ, ʧ, n, r, l, 2, ɲ, j, g, k, h, x, `, ɰ, gb, kp/) but varied number of vowel phonemes. A`l4 has 14 vowel phonemes (/i, e, ǝ, a, u, o, 4, ĩ́́́́́́́́́́́́́́́́́, 8, ǝ͂, 7, [, 9, -/); E3eme has 12 vowel phonemes (/i, 1, a, u, o, 4, ĩ́́́́́́́́́́́́́́́́́, 0, 7, [, 9, -/) while T4`u has 15 vowel phonemes (/i, e, 1, ǝ, a, u, o, 4, ĩ́́́́́́́́́́́́́́́́́, 8, 0, ǝ͂, 7, [, -/); totalling 42, 40 and 43 phonemes for A`l4, E3eme and T4`u respectively. The study also ascertains the description of [w], [d], [t], [dz], [ts], [r], [l], [2], [ɰ], [kw ], [a] and [7] sound segments and asseverates the plausible reasons for the variations in the earlier studies’ findings. The findings in this research have some implications for scholarship, pedagogy and theory. In that, imparting phonemic awareness and phonic skills, especially in a cosmopolitan E3e class, demands good knowledge of the findings of this study.