|
Volta–Niger Languages
The Volta–Niger family of languages, also known as West Benue–Congo or East Kwa, is one of the branches of the Niger–Congo language family, with perhaps 70 million speakers. Among these are the most important languages of southern Nigeria, Benin, Togo, and southeast Ghana: Yoruba, Igbo, Bini, and Gbe. These languages have variously been placed within the Kwa or Benue–Congo families, but Williamson & Blench (2000) separate them from both. The boundaries between the various branches of Volta–Niger are rather vague, suggesting diversification of a dialect continuum rather than a clear split of families, which suggest a close origin. Branches The constituent groups of the Volta–Niger family, along with the most important languages in terms of number of speakers, are as follows (with number of languages for each branch in parentheses): The Yoruboid languages and Akoko were once linked as the Defoid branch, but more recently they, Edoid, and Igboid have been sugge ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Eastern Mande Languages
The Eastern Mande languages (called Eastern Eastern Mande by Kastenholz, and Niger–Volta by SchreiberSchreiber, Henning. 2008. ''Eine historische Phonologie der Niger-Volta-Sprachen: Ein Beitrag zur Erforschung der Sprachgeschichte der östlichen Ost-Mandesprachen'' (Mande Languages and Linguistics 7). Cologne: Rüdiger Köppe. and also known as the Bisa–Busa languages) are a branch of the Mande languages spoken in seven areas: northwest Burkina Faso, the border region of northern Benin and Nigeria, and one language, Bissa, also spoken in Ghana, Togo, and Ivory Coast and the Samo languages also spoken in Mali. Member languages * Bissa, spoken in Burkina Faso, Ghana, Togo, and Ivory Coast * Boko of Benin and Nigeria * Busa of Nigeria and Benin * Bokobaru of Nigeria *Samo languages Samo (Sane, San, Sa), also known as Mande Samo, is a dialect cluster of Niger-Congo languages spoken in Burkina Faso and Mali. Varieties Intelligibility between Samo varieties is low. The follow ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Benue–Congo Languages
Benue–Congo (sometimes called East Benue–Congo) is a major branch of the Volta-Congo languages which covers most of Sub-Saharan Africa. Subdivisions Central Nigerian (or Platoid) contains the Plateau, Jukunoid and Kainji families, and Bantoid–Cross combines the Bantoid and Cross River groups. Bantoid is only a collective term for every subfamily of Bantoid–Cross except Cross River, and this is no longer seen as forming a valid branch, however one of the subfamilies, Southern Bantoid, is still considered valid. It is Southern Bantoid which contains the Bantu languages, which are spoken across most of Sub-Saharan Africa. This makes Benue–Congo one of the largest subdivisions of the Niger–Congo language family, both in number of languages, of which '' Ethnologue'' counts 976 (2017), and in speakers, numbering perhaps 350 million. Benue–Congo also includes a few minor isolates in the Nigeria–Cameroon region, but their exact relationship is uncertain. The neighbouri ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Isoko Language
Isoko is an Edoid language, one of the languages in Delta State spoken by the Isoko people in Isoko South, North and part of Ndokwa East Local Government Areas of Delta State, Southern part of Nigeria in Niger Delta region. It is also spoken in some part of Bayelsa. The Isoko language has close similarities between them and Edo people with other Edoid language because it is an Edoid language,the Isoko people are “an ethnic nationality made up of people and their ancestral roots can be traced through history to the Benin (Aka) kingdom, attested to by the linguistic and cultural similarities that exist between the Isoko people and the Benin (Aka)people” although a few of the Isoko communities or clans have their origins attached to the Ibo language and Urhobo language. Some 750,000 people consider themselves Isoko. Language is a mark of identity and plays an all-important role in the life of a people. The Isoko language however, is being threatened with extinction as ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Urhobo Language
Urhobo is a South-Western Edoid language spoken by the Urhobo people of southern Nigeria. From the region of Delta and Bayelsa State. They are also known as fishermen. Their neighbours are the Isoko to the South East, the Itsekiri to the West, Ijaw to the South and Ukwuani people to the North East. Urhobo people are referred to as "Urhobians" or "Urhobeans" Phonology Urhobo has a rather reduced system of sound inventory compared to proto-Edoid. The inventory of Urhobo consists of seven vowels; which form two harmonic sets, and . It has a conservative consonant inventory for an Edoid language. It maintains three nasals, and only five oral consonants, , have nasal allophones before nasal vowels.Rolle, N. 2013. “Phonetics and phonology of Urhobo.”UC Berkeley Phonology Lab Annual Report, 2013: 281-326. * is interchangeable with only before nasal vowels. * can be heard as before non-front vowels. * Nasal consonants can have allophones of nasalized approximants as , , ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Edoid Languages
The Edoid languages are a few dozen languages spoken in Southern Nigeria, predominantly in the former Bendel State. The name ''Edoid'' derives from its most widely spoken member, Edo, the language of Benin City, which has 25 million native and secondary speakers. Classification Elugbe (1989) The following classification is based on that of Elugbe (1989). * Delta: Degema, Epie, Ẹgẹnẹ (Engenni) * North-Central ** Edo: Edo (Bini), Ivbiosakon (Ora, Emai, Iuleha), Esan (Ishan) ** Yekhee: Ghotuo, Yekhee, Enwan, Igwe, Ikpeshi, Okpela (Ivbie North, Arhe), Ososo, Sasaru, Uneme ** ?Ihievbe * Northwestern: ** Osse River: Ehuẹun– Ukue, Iyayu– Uhami ** Southern Northwestern: Okpamheri, Akuku, Okpe, Oloma ** ? Aduge * Southwestern: Isoko, Urhobo, Eruwa, Okpe, Uvbie Ihievbe and Aduge are unclassified within their branches. Lewis (2013) An alternative classification of the Edoid languages by Lewis (2013:160):Lewis, Ademola Anthony. 2013. ''North Edoid relations an ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Itsekiri Language
The Itsekiri language is a major branch of the Yoruboid group of languages, which as a group, is a key member of the Volta–Niger sub-family of the Niger–Congo family of African languages. Itsekiri is spoken by nearly 900,000 people in Nigeria as a first language and by many others as an additional language notably in the Niger Delta and in parts of Edo and Ondo states of Nigeria. The other key members of the Yoruboid group are Yoruba (55 million) and Igala (1.8 million) along with the various Yoruba dialects spoken in Benin and Togo. Classification Itsekiri is most closely related to the Yoruba dialects of south western Nigeria with which it shares close similarity in grammar, lexicon and syntax. Itsekiri represents one end of a continuum of Yoruba dialects from the northern Yoruba lands of Oyo and Offa to the western reaches of the Niger-Delta. In many ways standard Yoruba and Itsekiri may be considered official variants of the same language. Although Itsekiri and the So ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ede Language
Ede is a dialect continuum of Benin and Togo that is closely related to the Yoruba language Yoruba (, ; Yor. '; Ajami script, Ajami: ) is a language spoken in West Africa, primarily in South West (Nigeria), Southwestern Middle Belt, and Central Nigeria. It is spoken by the Ethnic group, ethnic Yoruba people. The number of Yoruba speake .... The best-known variety is Ife. Kluge (2011) includes Yoruba within Ede. The Ede dialects include Ede Cabe (Caabe, Shabè), Ede Ica (Itcha, Isha), Ede Idaca (Idaaca, Idaatcha), Ede Ije, Ede Nago (Nagot), Ede Kura Nago, Ede Manigri (Kambolé), and Ede Ife. References Yoruboid languages Languages of Togo Languages of Benin {{VoltaNiger-lang-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Igala Language
Igala is a Yoruboid language, spoken by the Igala ethnic group of Nigeria. In 1989 an estimated 800,000 spoke Igala, primarily in Kogi State, though current estimates place the number of Igala speakers at upwards of 2 million. Dialects include Idah, Imane, Ankpa, Dekina, Ogugu, Ibaji, and Ife. The Igala is related to Yoruba with which it shares a previous common ancestor; it remains unclear when the languages split. Mutual intelligibility in modern times is only marginal, although the sound/tonal systems remain the same; akin to the relationship between the various daughter languages of the Romance or Slavic language families. The Idoma and Bassa people use Igala in primary schools. The Igala language, as well as Igala culture and tradition, has influenced other languages and cultures around the confluence of the Niger ) , official_languages = , languages_type = National languages [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Yoruboid Languages
Yoruboid is a 'megagroup' of 14 related language clades, composed of the Igala group of dialects spoken in south central Nigeria, and the Edekiri group spoken in a band across Togo, Ghana, Benin and southern Nigeria, including the Itsekiri of Warri Kingdom. Name The name ''Yoruboid'' derives from its most widely spoken member, Yoruba, which has around 55 million primary and secondary speakers. Another well-known Yoruboid language is Itsekiri (about 1,000,000 speakers). The Yoruboid group is a branch of Defoid which also includes the Akoko and Ayere-Ahan languages. The term Defoid itself is a derivative combination using the individual terms; "Ede" (meaning 'language' in most lects within the grouping), "Ife" - A city of profound cultural significance to speakers of the diverse lects, and ''oid'', a suffix meaning "to be like" or "In the same manner as". The ''Defoid'' group itself is a branch of the Benue–Congo subfamily of the wider Niger–Congo family of languages. A ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Phla–Pherá Languages
The Phla–Pherá (''Xwla–Xwela'') languages form a possible group of Gbe languages spoken mainly in southeastern and southwestern Benin; some communities are found in southeastern Togo and southwestern Nigeria. The group, comprising about ten Variety (linguistics), varieties, was introduced by H.B. Capo in his 1988 Language families and languages, classification of Gbe languages as one of the five main branches of Gbe. Additional research carried out by SIL International in the nineties corroborated many of Capo's findings and led to adjustment of some of his more tentative groupings; in particular, Phla–Pherá was divided in an eastern and a western cluster. Phla–Pherá is one of the smaller Gbe branches in terms of number of speakers. It is also the most linguistically diverse branch of Gbe, due partly to the existence of several geographically separated communities, but mainly because of considerable influence by several non-Gbe languages in the past. Some of the Phla–P ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Aja Language (Niger-Congo)
The Aja language is a Gbe language spoken by the Aja people of Benin, Togo, Ghana, Nigeria and Gabon. In Gabon, they are mostly migrants. it is closely related to other Gbe languages The Gbe languages (pronounced ) form a cluster of about twenty related languages stretching across the area between eastern Ghana and western Nigeria. The total number of speakers of Gbe languages is between four and eight million. The most widel ... such as Ewe, Mina, Fon, and Phla Phera. Phonology Consonants * Voiced consonants /, , / are heard as nasal sonorant sounds , when followed by a nasal vowel. * // is heard as a rhotic trill [] when after alveolar, retroflex or post-alveolar consonants. * Sounds // and // are heard as post-alveolar [], [] when preceding //. * Approximant sounds /, / may also be nasalized as [, ] when preceding or following nasal vowels. * Some linguists have also attested the nasal sound [], and labialized uvular sounds, [] and [], as separate phonemes. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ewe Language
Ewe (''Eʋe'' or ''Eʋegbe'' ) is a language spoken by approximately 20 million people in West Africa, mainly in Ghana, Togo and Benin, and also in some other countries like Liberia and southwestern Nigeria. Ewe is part of a cluster of related languages commonly called the Gbe languages. The other major Gbe language is Fon, which is mainly spoken in Benin. Like many African languages, Ewe is tonal as well as a possible member of the Niger-Congo family. The German Africanist Diedrich Hermann Westermann published many dictionaries and grammars of Ewe and several other Gbe languages. Other linguists who have worked on Ewe and closely related languages include Gilbert Ansre (tone, syntax), Herbert Stahlke (morphology, tone), Nick Clements (tone, syntax), Roberto Pazzi (anthropology, lexicography), Felix K. Ameka (semantics, cognitive linguistics), Alan Stewart Duthie (semantics, phonetics), Hounkpati B. Capo (phonology, phonetics), Enoch Aboh (syntax), and Chris Collins (s ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
