| Idomoid | |
|---|---|
| Geographic distribution | Central Nigeria, lower reaches of the Benue River |
| Linguistic classification |
Niger–Congo?
|
| Subdivisions |
|
| Glottolog | idom1262 |
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.
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Ethnologue includes Eloyi, though that assignment is outdated as Blench (2007) [1] considers Eloyi to be a divergent Plateau language that has undergone Idomoid influence, rather than vice versa.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 | Alago | 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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