Ijaw languages

The Ijaw languages (/ˈiːdʒɔː/),^[1] also spelled Ịjọ,^[2] are the languages spoken by over 14 million Ijaw people in Nigeria.^[3]

Ijaw
Izon
Geographic distribution	Southern Nigeria, Niger Delta
Ethnicity	Ijaw people
Linguistic classification	Niger–Congo? Ijoid? Ijaw
Subdivisions	East Central West
Language codes
ISO 639-2 / 5	ijo
Glottolog	ijoo1239

Classification

The Ijo languages were traditionally considered a distinct branch of the Niger–Congo family (perhaps along with Defaka in a group called Ijoid).^[4] 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.^[5][6]

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.^[7][8]

• Ijoid
  • Eastern Ijo
    • Nkoroo
    • Kalabari (Kalabari)
    • Bille (Touma, Krikama, Jikeama)
    • Ibani, Obolo, Wakirike
    • Southeast Ijo/Central Ijo
      • Nembe
      • Akassa
  • 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.^[8][9]

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.^[10]

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.^[11]

See also

• Nigeria portal
• Languages portal

• List of Proto-Ijaw reconstructions (Wiktionary)