Idomoid languages
The Idomoid languages are spoken primarily in Benue State of east-central Nigeria and surrounding regions. Idoma itself is an official language spoken by nearly four million people including the subgroups of Igede, Uffia, Otukpo, and Orokam.
| Idomoid | |
|---|---|
| Geographic distribution | Central Nigeria, lower reaches of the Benue River |
| Linguistic classification | Niger–Congo
|
| Subdivisions |
|
| Glottolog | idom1262 |
Languages
Ethnologue includes Eloyi, though that assignment is outdated as Blench (2007)[1] considers Eloyi to be a divergent Plateau language that has undergone Idomoid influence, rather than vice versa.
Ethnologue also calls the non-Yace branch "Akweya", despite the fact that Yace are also called "Akweya".
Names and locations
Below is a list of language names, populations, and locations from Blench (2019).[2]
| Language | Branch | Cluster | Dialects | Alternate spellings | Own name for language | Endonym(s) | Other names (location-based) | Other names for language | Exonym(s) | Speakers | Location(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Igede | Three dialects: Òjù (Central), Ìtóò (Ito), Ùẉ ọò`kwù ̣(Worku); also Gabu (Ogoja LGA) | Igedde, Egede, Egedde | 70,000 (1952 RGA), 120,000 (1982 UBS) | Benue State, Oju, Otukpo and Okpokwu LGAs; Cross River State, Ogoja LGA | |||||||
| Yace | Alifokpa, Ijiegu | Yache, Yatye, Iyace | Ekpari? | 6,600 (1937 RGA); 10,000 (1982 UBS) | Cross River State, Ogoja LGA | ||||||
| Akpa | Akweya | 5,500 (1952 RGA) | Benue State, Otukpo LGA | ||||||||
| Eloyi | Mbeci (=Mbekyi, Mbejĩ, Mbamu) | Afo, Epe, Aho, Afu, Afao | 20,000 (Mackay 1964); 25,000 (SIL) | Nasarawa State, Nasarawa and Awe LGAs; Benue State, Otukpo LGA | |||||||
| Alago | Group B | Agwatashi, Assaikio, Doma, Keana in towns of these names | Arago | Idoma Nokwu | 15,000 (1953 RGA); at least 100,000 (Blench 2017) | Nasarawa State, Awe and Lafia LGAs | |||||
| Etulo | Group B | Utur, Eturo | Turumawa | 2,900 (1952 RGA); more than 10,000 (Shain, p.c. 1988) | Benue State, Gboko LGA, Taraba State, Wukari, LGA | ||||||
| Yala | Yala | Iyala | 25,650 (1952); 50,000 (1973 SIL) | ||||||||
| Yala Ikom | Yala | Nkum | Cross River State, Ikom LGA | ||||||||
| Yala Obubra | Yala | Nkum Akpambe | Cross River State, Obubra LGA | ||||||||
| Yala Ogoja | Yala | Yala Ọkpọ̃ma (Central Yala) spoken in all hamlets comprising Ọkpọ̃ma village; Yala Igbeeku spoken between Igbeeku Rikọ and Oloko; Yala Ọkpamẹ, spoken in Ọkkpamẹ, Yẹhẹ and Ebo. | Cross River State, Ogoja LGA | ||||||||
| Idoma cluster | Idoma | Benue State, Otukpo and Okpokwu LGAs; Nasarawa State, Nasarawa and Awe LGAs | |||||||||
| Agatu | Idoma | Agatu, Ochekwu | Idoma North | 56,000 (1952 RGA); 70,000 (1987 UBS) | Benue State, Otukpo LGA; Nasarawa State, Nasarawa and Awe LGAs | ||||||
| Idoma Central | Idoma | Oturkpo, Otukpo | Akpoto | 66,000 (1952 RGA) | Benue State, Otukpo and Okpokwu LGAs | ||||||
| Idoma West | Idoma | 60,000 (1952 RGA) | Benue State, Okpokwu LGA | ||||||||
| Okpogu | Idoma | ||||||||||
| Idoma South | Idoma | Igumale, Igwaale, Ijigbam | 13,500 (1952 RGA) | Benue State, Okpokwu LGA |
See also
- List of Proto-Idomoid reconstructions (Wiktionary)
References
- Blench, Roger. 2007. The Eloyi language of Central Nigeria and its affinities.
- Blench, Roger (2019). An Atlas of Nigerian Languages (4th ed.). Cambridge: Kay Williamson Educational Foundation.
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