Eperara (Epéna Pedée)

Eperara is a variety of Southern Emberá and a part of the Chocoan language family. It is spoken mainly in Colombia, in the departments of Cauca, Nariño, and Valle del Cauca. There are also Eperera speakers in Esmeraldas province of Ecuador, and in Panamá province of Panama. There were about 3,500 speakers in Colombia in 2004, and about 50 speakers in Ecuador in 2012. The number of speakers in Panama is not unknown.

Eperara is also known as Cholo, Embena, Embera, Emberá-Saija, Epená Saija, Saija, Eperara-Siapidara or Southern Empera. Speakers call themselves Sia Pedee or Wamuna o Epena, which means "voice of brave reeds".

Few Eperara speakers can read and write their language, however it is now being taught in primary schools.

Eperara alphabets and pronunciation

Eperara alphabet and pronunciation

Notes

Glottal stops [ʔ] can be indicated with hyphens
Long vowels are written double
The vowel [ɨ] is written ï in some texts, and ɨ in others
Aspirated consonants are written with a ’ or a ', e.g. k'/k’
c, f, h, l, ñ, q, v, x and z are only used in loanwords and foreign names

Download an alphabet chart for Eperara (Excel)

Sample text (The Lord's Prayer)

Tachi Ak'õre ɨt'ari bɨ, pɨ t'ɨ̃ awaraa t'ɨ̃ k'ãyaara pipɨara bɨ. Eperãarã bɨ́ji pɨchi jua ek'ari pɨchideerã p'aneedamerã. Óoji pɨchia k'inia bɨk'a na p'ek'au eujãde, ɨt'ari ooparik'a. Tai-it'ee chik'o téeji ewari chaa k'odait'ee. Taipa p'ek'au k'achia oopata chupɨria k'awáaji mãik'aapa perdonáaji taipa perdonaapatak'a, awaraarãpa taimaa ne-inaa k'achia oodak'ãri. Tai k'achiade baaipináaji. Tai k'aripa atáji Netuara Poro Waibɨa juadeepa.

Source: Sistemas fonológicos de idiomas colombianos 4

Details provided by Michael Peter Füstumum

Sample text (UDHR)

Ũma tachi eperarã t’opata apenaarã ome auk’a tachi creencia ome ɨchiava auk’a – kincia k’awaa- k’o p’anora ome a penaarã maa.

Translation

All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.
(Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights)

Sample videos in Eperara

Links

Information about Eperara
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eperara_language
https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epena_saija
https://www.ethnologue.com/language/sja
https://cuartoalosmejores2013.blogspot.com/2013/05/cultura-epera.html

Chocoan languages

Chami, Northern Emberá, Eperara

Languages written with the Latin alphabet

Page last modified: 23.04.21

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