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Wikipedia / Ijaw languages

The Ijaw languages (), also spelled Ịjọ, are the languages spoken by over 14 million Ijaw people in Nigeria.

Classification

The Ijo languages were traditionally considered a distinct branch of the Niger–Congo family (perhaps along with Defaka in a group called Ijoid). They are notable for their subject–object–verb basic word order, which is otherwise an unusual feature in Niger–Congo, shared only by such distant potential branches as Mande and Dogon. Like Mande and Dogon, Ijoid lacks even traces of the noun class system considered characteristic of Niger–Congo. This motivated Joseph Greenberg, in his initial classification of Niger–Congo, to describe them as having split early from that family. However, owing to the lack of these features, linguist Gerrit Dimmendaal doubts their inclusion in Niger–Congo altogether and considers the Ijoid languages to be an independent family.

The ijoid languages can be classified into three main linguistic groups, Eastern Ijo, Western Ijo and Central Ijo, with the Central Izon (Ijaw) language being the most common.

Ijoid

Eastern Ijo

  • Nkoroo

  • Kalabari (Kalabari)

  • Bille (Touma, Krikama, Jikeama)

  • Ibani, Obolo, Wakirike

Southeast Ijo/Central Ijo

Central Ijo/Inland Ijo

Central Izon

  • Furupaga, Finima, Engeni, Arogbo, Burutu, Patani, Oboro etc

Biseni

  • Akinima, Engeni, Egbema, Mbiama

  • Akita (Okordia)

  • Ogbia (Ogbia, Anyama, Abureni)

  • Abua/Odual, Apoi, Arogbo etc

  • Oruma

Western Ijo

  • Furupagha, Apoi, Olodiama, Arogbo etc

Names and locations

Below is a list of some Ijaw language names, groups, and locations.

Language

Group

Alternate Names

Speakers

Location

Oruma

Central Ijo

Kąąma, Tugbaru

Bayelsa State

Nembe

Central Ijo

Nimbi, Akaha

Brass, Akassa, Nembe

Bayelsa State

Kalabari

Eastern Ijo

Degema, Abonema, Kula, Ke, Asari-Toru, Akuku-Toru, Bille, Krakrama etc

Rivers State

Ogbia

Central Ijo

Kolo, Anyama, Immiringi, Emakalakala/Amakalakala, Ogbia, Ewoma, etc

Bayelsa State

Bille

Eastern Ijo

Degema, Bille

Rivers State

Wakiriki

Eastern Ijo

Kirike

Okirika, Ogu-Bolo

Rivers State

Okodia

Central Ijo, Western Ijo

Akita

Buseni, Yenagoa, Operemo, Opukuma etc

Bayelsa State, Edo State

Epie/Atissa

Central Ijo

Yenagoa, Ekpetiama, Akenfa, Gbaran, Agudama, Epie, Atissa etc

Bayelsa State

Biseni

Central Ijo

Buseni

Biseni, Mbiama, Akinima, Engeni, Egbema etc

Bayelsa State, Rivers State

Central Izon (Ijaw)

Central Ijo, Western Ijo

Ijaw, Izon, Ijo

Burutu, Sagbama, Bomadi, Warri, Oporoza, Tuomo, Kolokuma, Patani, Southern Ijaw, Ekeremor, Focardos, Ndoro, Opokuma, Egbema, Zide, Kabo, Age, Toru-Orua, Ogobiri, Amassoma, Aleibiri, Torugbene, Angiama, Ayamasa, Igbematoru, Azuzuama, Anyama Ijaw, Okumo/Ukomo, Tarakiri, Furupagha, Boma (Bumo), Oporoma, Olodiama, Pakiama, Oboro, Isama, Akugbene, Okologba etc

Bayelsa State, Delta State

Apoi

Central Ijo, Western Ijo

Oboro, Oju-ala, Apoi, Adolesemo, Ese-Odo, Inikorogha, Taribo etc

Bayelsa State, Ondo State, Delta State

Abua/Odual

Central Ijo

Abua, Odual

Rivers State

Arogbo

Central Ijo, Western Ijo

Finiama, Akpata, Opuba, Ukpe, Ajapa, Arogbo etc

Bayelsa State, Ondo State

Abureni

Central Ijo

Abureni, Ogbia

Bayelsa State

Ibani

Eastern Ijo

Opobo, Bonny, Finima, Nkoro, Borokiri, Oloma, Abalama, Peretside etc

Rivers State

Obolo

Eastern Ijo

Andoni

Akaradi, Andoni, Anyama-aganna, Ibeno, Eastern Obolo, Anyamabeko etc

Rivers State, AkwaIbom State

In the diaspora

Berbice Creole Dutch, an extinct creole spoken in Guyana, had a lexicon based partly on an Ịjọ language, perhaps the ancestor of Kalabari.

Education and media

In June 2013, the Izon Fie instructional book and audio CDs were launched at a ceremony attended by officials of the government of Bayelsa State. The Niger Delta University is working to expand the range of books available in the Ijo language. Translations of poetry and the Call of the River Nun by Gabriel Okara are underway.

See also

References

Bibliography

  • Freemann, R. A., and Kay Williamson. 1967. Ịjọ proverbs. Research Notes (Ibadan) 1:1-11.

  • Kouwenberg, Silvia 1994. A grammar of Berbice Dutch Creole. (Mouton Grammar Library 12). Berlin/New York: Mouton de Gruyter.

  • Lee, J. D., and Kay Williamson. 1990. A lexicostatistic classification of Ịjọ dialects. Research in African Languages and Linguistics 1:1.1-10.

  • Williamson, Kay. 1963. The syntax of verbs of motion in Ịjọ. J. African Languages 2.150-154.

  • Williamson, Kay. 1966. Ịjọ dialects in the Polyglotta Africana. Sierra Leone Language Review 5. 122-133.

  • Williamson, Kay. 1969. 'Igbo' and 'Ịjọ', chapters 7 and 8 in: Twelve Nigerian Languages, ed. by E. Dunstan. Longmans.

  • Williamson, Kay. 1971. Animal names in Ịjọ. Afr. Notes 6, no. 2, 53-61.

  • Williamson, Kay. 1973. Some reduced vowel harmony systems. Research Notes 6:1-3. 145-169.

  • Williamson, Kay. 1977. Multivalued features for consonants. Language 53.843-871.

  • Williamson, Kay. 1978. From tone to pitch-accent: the case of Ịjọ. Kiabàrà 1:2.116-125.

  • Williamson, Kay. 1979. Consonant distribution in Ịjọ. In: Linguistic and literary studies presented to Archibald Hill, ed. E.C. Polome and W. Winter, 3.341-353. Lisse, Netherlands: Peter de Ridder Press.

  • Williamson, Kay. 1979. Medial consonants in Proto-Ịjọ. Journal of African Languages and Linguistics 1.73-94.

  • Williamson, Kay. 1987. Nasality in Ịjọ. In: Current trends in African linguistics, 4, ed. by David Odden, 397-415.

  • Williamson, Kay. 1989. Tone and accent in Ịjọ. In Pitch accent systems, ed. by Harry v.d. Hulst and Norval Smith, 253-278. Foris Publications.

  • Williamson, Kay. 2004. The language situation in the Niger Delta. Chapter 2 in: The development of Ịzọn language, edited by Martha L. Akpana, 9-13.

  • Williamson, Kay, and A. O. Timitimi. 1970. A note on number symbolism in Ịjọ. African Notes (Ibadan) 5:3. 9-16.

  • Williamson, Kay & Timitime, A.O. (197?) 'A note on Ijo number symbolism', African Notes, 5, 3, 9-16.

  • Filatei, Akpodigha. 2006. The Ijaw Language Project. (Editor of www.ijawdictionary.com). www.ijawdictionary.com

On specific languages

  • Williamson, Kay. 1962. (Republished by Bobbs-Merrill Reprints 1971.). Changes in the marriage system of the Okrika Ịjọ. Africa 32.53-60.

  • Orupabo, G. J., and Kay Williamson. 1980. Okrika. In West African language data sheets, Volume II, edited by M.E. Kropp Dakubu. Leiden: West African Linguistic Society and African Studies Centre.