Lower Cross River languages

The Lower Cross River languages form a branch of the Cross River languages of Cross River State, Nigeria. They consist of the divergent Obolo language (or Andoni, 200,000 speakers), and the core of the branch, which includes the 4 million speakers of the Efik-Ibibio cluster.[1]

Lower Cross River
Lower Cross, Ibibioid
Geographic
distribution
Nigeria; Roughly west of the Imo estuary to east of the Cross estuary.
lower Southwest Cameroon
Linguistic classificationNiger–Congo?
Subdivisions
  • Obolo
  • Lower Cross proper (Ibibioid)
Glottologobol1242

Additionally, Ethnologue lists several more languages within the Efik-Ibibio cluster. (See Ibibio-Efik languages.)

Forde and Jones (1950) considered Ibino and Oro to be Efik-Ibibio.

Names and locations

Below is a list of language names, populations, and locations from Blench (2019).[2]


LanguageBranchDialectsAlternate spellingsOwn name for languageEndonym(s)Other names (location-based)Other names for languageExonym(s)SpeakersLocation(s)Notes
EbughuEbughuEbughuOronmore than 5,000 (1988)Akwa Ibom State, Mbo and Oron LGAs
EnwangEnwangEnwangOron (incorrectly)estimated 50,000 plus (1988)Akwa Ibom State, Mbo LGA
IkoIkoObolo (incorrectly included within Obolo)Three villages: 5,000+ (1988)Akwa Ibom State, Eastern Obolo LGA[3]
IlueIduaIlue5,000 (1988); diminishingAkwa Ibom State, Oron LGA
Ọkọbọ11,200 (1945 F&J); 50,000Akwa Ibom State, Okobo LGA
UdaUda10,000 plus (1988)Akwa Ibom State, Mbo LGA
UkwaCross River State, Akampka LGA
UsaghadeUsakade(t)UsaghadeIsangeleestimate 10,000 (1990) although mostly in CameroonCross River State, Odukpani LGA; mainly in Cameroon, Isangele sub–division
IdereIderemore than 5,000 (1988)Akwa Ibom State, Itu LGAno data
EfaiEfaiEffiat (from Efik)>5,000 (1988 est.)Akwa Ibom State, Mbo LGA; Cameroon, Isangele sub–division
ỌrọOronỌrọ (Oro)Ọrọ (Oro)319,000 (1963 per Kuperus)Akwa Ibom State, Oron LGA
ItoIto5,000 plus (1988)Akwa Ibom State, Akamkpa LGAno data
EkiEki5000 plus (1988)Cross River Stateno data
EtebiCentralEtebiOron (incorrectly); Ekit (incorrectly)estimate 15,000 (1989)Akwa Ibom State, Uquo Ibeno LGA
Itu Mbon UzoCentralItu MbuzoItu Mbon Uzo5,000 plus (1988)Akwa Ibom State, Ikono LGA
AnaangCentralAbak, Ikot Ekpene, UkanafunAnnang, Anang, Anaŋ246,000 (F&J 1944-5): estimated 1,000,000 (1990)Akwa Ibom State, Ikot Ekpene, Essien Udim, Abak, Ukanafun and Oruk–Anam LGAs
EfikCentralCalabar26,300 (1950 F&J),[4] 10,000 in Cameroon; 360,000 first language speakers; spoken as a second language by 1.3 million (UN 1960), 3.5 million (1986 UBS) diminishingCross River State, Calabar municipality, Odukpani and Akamkpa LGAs; and in Cameroon
EkitCentralEkid, Eket22,000 (1952 W&B); estimated 200,000 (1989)Akwa Ibom State, Eket and Uquo Ibeno LGAs
IbibioCentralNkari, Enyong, Central, Itak, Nsit etc. roughly according to clansIbibyo800,000 (1952) (may include Efik); 283,000 (1945 F&J); 2 million (1973 census); estimated 2.5 million (Ibibio proper 1990)Akwa Ibom State, Ikono, Itu, Uyo, Etinan, Ekpe–Atai, Uruan, Nsit–Ubium, Onna, Mkpat Enin and Abasi LGAs
IbuoroCentralIbuoro5,000 plus (1988)Akwa Ibom State, Itu and Ikono LGAs
OboloWestFrom West to East: Ataba, Unyeada, Ngo, Okoroete, Ibot OboloÒbólòAndoni22,400 (1944 F&J); 90,000 (1983 Aaron); 100,000 (Faraclas 1989)Rivers State, Andoni LGA: western dialects; Akwa Ibom State, Eastern Obolo LGA: eastern dialects[5]
IbinọWestIbuno, Ibeno10,000 (Faraclas (1989)Akwa Ibom State, Ibeno LGA[6]

Reconstructions

Proto-Lower Cross River has been reconstructed by Connell (n.d.)[7]

See also

References

  1. Essien, Okon (1990). A grammar of the Ibibio language. Ibadan, Nigeria: University Press Limited.
  2. Blench, Roger (2019). An Atlas of Nigerian Languages (4th ed.). Cambridge: Kay Williamson Educational Foundation.
  3. "Iko".
  4. Forde, C.D. and G.I. Jones 1950. The Ibo and Ibibio speaking peoples of Southern Nigeria. Ethnographic Survey of Africa. Western Africa part III. International African Institute, London.
  5. "Obolo".
  6. "Ibino".
  7. Connell, Bruce. n.d. Comparative Lower Cross wordlist.

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