EWE Pronunciation

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EWE Pronunciation

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Pronunciation Consonants

Spellfu

Description

Examples

b,

For all practical purposes, b1

'to ask'

these consonants are pro-

'money'

g

v

1,-

'to finish'

corresponding sounds in

fe

'debt'

English.

mama

'grandmother'

/lb

'mother'

'nounced the same as the

f

m, n

Sa

Similar to the corresponding

a

consonant in English, but pronounced with the tip of

'to send' 'town'

the tongue against the back of the teeth and not against the ridge behind the teeth. 'to fill'

Made with the tip of the

tongue avAnst the front of

c111

'gun powdex'

the hard palai:e.

Tee nically:

p,

t, k

a voiced retroflex stop.

Similar to the corresponding plaaa

'papa'

English consonants but with

pr

'chisel'

less aspiration (puff of /t/, like /d/, is breath).

to

'yam'

t6

'father'

pronounced with the tip of

la'

'to be tall'

the tongue against the back

kti

'to die'

of the teeth.

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gb, kp

Pronounced with simultaneous

glie

'voice'

closure at the lips (as for

gbh

'side, vicinity'

/b/ or /p/) and at the soft

kpl!

'to be heavy'

palate (as for /g/ or /k/).

kp6

to see'

Released simultaneously and without aspiration. Technically:

labiovelar stops, voiced and voiceless respectively.

dz, is

Usually similar to the final

to lodge'

dze

consonant clusters in English dz'a

'to fall (of rain;'

cads and cats respectively,

tsb

'yesterday'

but pronounced with the tongue against the back of

ts6

Ito come from'

the teeth.

Before /i/1 and sometimes

dzesi

before .other vowels, similar

dz.

'to =know'

to give birth to

to the consonants in English

tsi

'water'

Joe and chew respectively.

r

In producing 0/ and 4:/, the air passes through a

?'5

'door'

911

'vehicle'

narrow opening left between

e

'year'

the lips (rather than between the low:r lip and the upper

o

'to beat'

teeth as in /v/ and /f/). Technically:

bilabial fricatives, voiced and voiceless respectively.

4

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.

z, S

Similar to the corresponding

za

'in abundance' ....

sounds in English but slight-

azi

'peanut'

ly palatalized (i.e. somewhat

srti

'wife, husband'

closer to the medial con-

(

asi

'hand'

sonant sounds in English pleasure and pressure respectively) before /i/. ft;

,x

In producing /T/ and /x /, the

air passes through a narrow

'ea .. 4-L:e

'sun'

'flowing'

passage formed by raising

x3

'friend'

the back of the tongue towards

x.'s

'house'

the soft palate. Technically:

velar fricatives, voiced and voiceless respectively.

h

Similar to /TY, but produced somewhat further back in the

he

'to educate'

lia%a

'broad'

mouth.

Technically:

ny

Similar to French zn as in Boulogne. Technically:

n J

a voiced pharyngal fricative. nye

'I, me'

ny6

'to be good'

a palatal nasal.

Similar to English DA as in

'to break'

Alas. Technically:

'name'

a velar nasal.

/ 1

Similar to the first 1 in English little. The tongue is raised and flat, not

1L

Ito be there'

bll

'corn'

retracted as in the second 1 in little. Hosted for free on livelingua.com

r

In producing /r/, the air

dzra

passes through a narrow

sr5

'to buy'

'wife, husband;

passage formed by raising the tip of the tongue towards the ridge behind the teeth. Technically: WI Y

a voiced alveolar fricative.

Similar to the corresponding sounds in English, but often

wl

1 to do'

ew6

'ten'

...

weakened to the point of disappearing completely

Y1 . yoe

'to go'

4

'0.K.'

between vowels.

Vowels Examoles

S,-;elling

Description

i

Similar to the vowel in

dz1

'to give .birth to'

English beat but unglided. Technically:

11

'to be there'

a high front unrounded vowel. .

e

Between the vowel in English bet and the final

4

'to marry'

eve

'two'

k4,

vowel in English sofa. a centralized mid front unrounded vowel. Technically:

C

Between the vowel in English bet and that of

e PE

'cook it' 'chisel'

English bat, but much closer to the former.

Techniclly:

a lower mid front unrounded vowel.

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Similar to the vowel in

a

c

American English pot. Technically: 0

a low central unrounded vowel. d6

'to send'

English bought but unglided.

m5

'street'

a lower mid back rounded vowel.

Similar to the vowel in

.r o

English boat but unglided Technically:

u

English boot but unglided. Technically:

'to beat'

t6

'ear'

a higher mid back rounded vowel.

Simil.,1r to the vowel in

i.''i

'hand'

A. SI

Similar to the vowel in Technically:

o

'money

Sa

r% 4.

u

'sea'

to

'gun'

a high back rounded vowel.

All or the above vowels have

fx

'to blow the nose'

e- ,

0

Et

5

a nazalized counderpart.

a

slag

'to spoil'

gb7

'break it'

hip

'also'

1'5

'to get up'

1;

'to take from the stove'

la

'to shave'

Tones Ewe has three distinctive tones high:

mid:

to

'to draw'

to

'earl

t;

'head'

to

'mortar' Hosted for free on livelingua.com

low:

to

'to wear (of nativo drqss)'

7,

/b/ vs. /0/ Students should listen carefully to each of the following pairs of words as said by the instructor.

be

'to hide

bd

gbe

'voice'

'to say'

gbd

'to refuse'

ba

'mud'

gba

'to break'

bb

'to gather

gbb

'to come back'

136'

'magic'

gbb

'unripe'

'

Are the following pairs of words same or different '2 gbe

(voice)

be

(to hide)

D

gbe

(voice)

be

(to hide)

D

be

(to hide)

gbe

(voice

D

be

(to hide).

be

(to hide)

S

gbe

(voice)

gbe

(voice)

S

gb4

(to refuse)

gbd

(to refuse) S

gbd

(to refuse)

gbh

(to refuse) S

-gbd

(to refuse)

bd

(to' say)

gb4

(to refuse)

gbd

(to refuse) S

bd

(to say)

gbd

(to refuse) D

D

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It

Ewe

bh bh

(mud)

gbh

(to break)

D

(mud')

bh

(mud)

S

gbh

(to break)

bh

(mud)

D

gbh

(to break)

bh

(mud)

D

bh

(mud)

gbh

(to break)

D

gbb

(to come back)

bb

(to gather)

D

bb

(to gather)

bb

(to gather)

S

gbb

(to come back)

gb1,.

(to come back)

bb

(to gather)

bb

(to gather ) S

gbb

(to come back)

gbb

(to come back)

bO'

(magic)

bb'

(magic)

S

gbb'

(unripe)

bb'

(magic)

D

bb'

(magic)

bb'

(magic

S

gbb '

(unripe

bb'

(magic)

gbb '

(unrip)

gbb'

(unripe)

S

S

S

Do the following words contain /b/ or /gb/ ? be

(to hide)

b

bh

(to hide)

b

gbe

(voice)

gb

be

(to hide)

b

gbh

(voice)

gb

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Ewe gb4

(to refuse)

gb

b4

(

to say)

b

gb4

(to refuse)

gb

gb4

(to refuse)

gb

gb4

(to refuse)

gb

gbh

(to break)

gb

be

(mud)

be

(mud)

be

(mud)

be

(mud)

bb gbb

(to gather)

(to come back)

gb

bb

(to gather)

b

gbb

(to come back)

gb

bb

(to gather)

gbb"

(unripe)

gbb'

(unripe)

gbb.'

(unripe)

bb'

(magic)

bb'

(magic

gbb

(to come back)

bh

(mud)

b4

(to say)

gbe

(to break)

bb'

(magic)

gbb

(to come back)

gb

gbe

(voice)

gb

gb4

(to refuse)

gb

be

(to hide)

gbh

(to break)

.

gb gb

)

gb

gb

gb

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Ewe

IV

Identify by giving the English gloss.

The words for this exercise are /bh/ 'to hide' and voice'.

/gbh/

'

bb

(to hide)

'to hide'

gbh.

(voice)

'voice'

gbh

(voice)

'voice'

gbh-

(voice)

'voice'

IA

(to hide)

'to hide'

The words for this exercise are /IA/

to say' and

/gb4/ 'to refuse'. gb4

(to refuse)

'to refuse'

b4

(to say)

'to say'

gb?

(to refuse)

'to refuse'

gb4

(to refuse)

'to refuse'

gb4

(to refuse)

'to refuse'

The words fer this exercise are: /bh/ 'mud' and /gba/ 'to break'.

gbh

(to break)

'to break'

bh

(mud)

'mud'

bh

(mud)

'mud'

gbh

(to break)

'to break'

gbh

(to break)

'to break'

The words for this exercise are

:

/bb/ 'to gather'

and /gbb/ 'to come back'. ghb

(to come back)

'to come back'

gbb

.(to come back)

'to come back'

bb

(to gather)

'to gather'

bb

(to gather)

'to gather'

11

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Ewe V

gbb

(to come back)

'

The worts for this exercise are: /gbb"/ 'unripe'.

to come back'

/bb°/ 'magic and

bb'

(magic)

'magic'

gbb'

(unripe)

'unripe'

gbb'

(unripe)

'unripe'

bb'

(magic)

'magic'

gbb'

(Unripe)

'unripe'

12

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Ewe

VI

7kp/ vs. /gb/ Students should listen carefully to

each of the following

:pairs of words as said by the instructor. 2

---1