Upper Cross River languages

The Upper Cross River languages form a branch of the Cross River languages of Cross River State, Nigeria. The most populous languages are Loko and Mbembe, with 100,000 speakers.

Upper Cross River
Upper Cross
Geographic
distribution		SE Nigeria
Linguistic classificationNiger–Congo?
Subdivisions
  • Central
  • Akpet
  • Agoi–Doko–Iyoniyong
  • Kiong–Korop
Glottologuppe1418

Languages

The internal structure per Cornell (1994), reproduced in Williamson and Blench (2000), is as follows:

 Upper Cross 
 Central 
 North–South 
Koring–Kukele

Oring (Koring)

Kele (Kukele), Zekwe (Uzekwe)

Ubaghara–Kohumono

Kohumono: Humono (Kohumono), Gwune (Agwagwune), Umon

Ubaghara

 East–West 

Ikom

Loko: Lokaa, Lubila, Nkukoli

Mbembe–Legbo

Mbembe

Legbo: Legbo (Gbo), Nyima (Lenyima), Yigha (Leyigha)

Akpet: Ukpet-Ehom

Agoi, Doko (Uyanga), Iyongiyong (Bakpinka)

Kiong–Kororb: Kiong (Kayon), Dorop (Korop)

Names and locations

Below is a list of language names, populations, and locations from Blench (2019).[1]


LanguageBranchClusterDialectsAlternate spellingsOwn name for languageEndonym(s)Other names (location-based)Other names for languageExonym(s)SpeakersLocation(s)
AgọiAgoiWaGọiIbamiRo BambamiWa Bambami3,650 (1953); estimated 12,000 (Faraclas 1989)Cross River State, Obubra LGA, Agoi–Ekpo, Ekom–Agoi, Agoi–Ibami and Itu–Agoi towns
KiọngAkoiyang, Äkäyöñ, Okoyong, OkonyongSpoken only by old people, younger generation speak EfikCross River State, Odukpani and Akamkpa LGAs
KọrọpDurop, KuropKòṛ óp̣Ododop12,500 total (1982 SIL)Cross River State, Odukpani and Akamkpa LGAs; and in Cameroon
LegboEast–WestGboLegboAgboItigidiIgbo Imaban18,500 (1963); 30,000 (1973 SIL)Cross River State, Obubra LGA; Abia State, Afikpo LGA
LenyimaEast–WestAnyimaInyimaCross River State, Obubra LGA
LeyighaEast–WestAyiga, YighaAsiga3,150 (1953)Cross River State, Obubra LGA
LokәәEast–WestUgep, NkpamLokә, LoköYakạ, Yakә, Yakurr, YaköUgep38,200 (1953); 100,000 (1973 SIL)Cross River State, Obubra LGA
LubilaEast–WestKabilaOjor, Kabila, Kaibre, KabireCross River State, Akamkpa LGA, at Ojo Nkomba, and Ojo Akangba
MbembeEast–WestAdun, Okom (Eghom) (sub–dialects: Apiapum, Ohana, Onyen), Osopong (Ezopong), Ofombonga (Ewumbonga), Ofonokpan, Okorogbana, Ekama (Akam) in Ikom LGA, Oferikpe in Abakaliki LGAOkam, Oderiga, Wakande, Ifunubwa, Ekokoma, Ofunobwan (per Thomas)35,600 (1953); 100,000 (1982 UBS)Cross River State, Obubra and Ikom LGAs; Anambra State, Abakaliki LGA
NkukoliEast–WestNkokolleLokukoliEkuri17,831 (1926 Talbot); 10,000 (1973 SIL)Cross River State, Ikom, Obubra and Akamkpa LGAs, Iko Ekperem Development Area
Olulumọ–Ikọm clusterEast–WestOlulumọ–IkọmÒkúní9,250 (1953)Cross River State, Ikom LGA
OlulumọEast–WestOlulumọ–IkọmÒlúlùmọ1,730 (1953); 5,000 (Faraclas 1989)
IkọmEast–WestOlulumọ–Ikọm7,520 (1953); 25,000 (Faraclas 1989)
BakpinkaEast–WestIyongiyong, IyoniyongUwetBegbungbaCross River State, Akamkpa LGA
Doko–UyangaEast–WestDọsangaBasangaIkoSeveral townsCross River State, Akamkpa LGA
Ukpet–Ehom clusterEast–WestUkpet–EhomAkpet–EhomCross River State, Akamkpa LGA
UkpetEast–WestUkpet–EhomAkpet
EhomEast–WestUkpet–EhomUbetengEbeteng
KukeleNorth–South4 dialects in north, 3 in south, Ugbala, Mtezi and Mtezi–Iteeji in Anambra State, Abakaliki LGAUkele, UkelleKukeleBakele31,700 (1953); 40,000 (1980 UBS)Cross River State, Ogoja LGA; Anambra State, Abakaliki LGA; Benue State, Okpokwu and Oju LGAs; and in Cameroon
Ubaghara clusterNorth–SouthUbaghara30,000 (1985 UBS)Cross River State, Akamkpa LGA
BiakpanNorth–SouthUbagharaUbaghara Development Area
IkunNorth–SouthUbagharaUbaghara Development Area
EtonoNorth–SouthUbagharaUbaghara Development Area
UgbemNorth–SouthUbagharaEgup–Ita Development Area
UtumaNorth–SouthUbagharaUmon Development Area
KohumonoNorth–SouthKohumonoKoHumonoBaHumono, sg. ÒhúmónòEdiba (under Ekurĩ (Thomas)Ekumuru, Ìkúmúrú, Ìkúmóró (Igbo name); Àtàm (Efik name)11,870 (1952)Cross River State, Abi and Obubra LGA
KOIN (Kalaḅarị–Okrika–Ịḅanị–Nkọrọ)North–SouthKohumonoKalaḅarị, Kịrịkẹ (Okrika), Ịḅanị dialects and the isolated lect Nkọrọ Kokura (Bura Kokura), belonging to the Tera clusterRivers State, Asari–Toru, Degema, Bonny, Okrika, and Port Harcourt LGAs
Oring clusterNorth–SouthOringOrriKoringat least 25,000 (1952 RGA); 75,000 (Faraclas 1989)Benue State, Okpokwu LGA; Anambra State, Ishielu LGA
UfiaNorth–SouthOringUtonkon12,300 (1952 RGA)Benue State, Okpokwu LGA
UfiomNorth–SouthOringEffium3,000 (1952 RGA)Benue State, Okpokwu LGA; Anambra State, Ishielu LGA
OkpotoNorth–SouthOring6,350 (1952 RGA)Anambra State, Ishielu LGA
UmonNorth–SouthAmon25 villagesCross River State, Akamkpa LGA
UzekweNorth–SouthEzekwe5,000 (1973 SIL)Cross River State, Ogoja LGA
Agwagwune clusterNorth–SouthAgwagwuneAgwa–Gwunɛ20,000 (SIL)Cross River State, Akamkpa LGA
AgwagwuneNorth–SouthAgwagwuneGwuneAgwagwuneAkunakuna (not recommended), Akurakura (of Koelle)Cross River State, Akamkpa LGA, Egup–Ipa Development Area
EreiNorth–SouthAgwagwuneEzeiEnnaCross River State, Akamkpa LGA, Erei Development Area
AbiniNorth–SouthAgwagwuneBini, AbiriObiniCross River State, Akamkpa LGA, Egup–Ipa Development Area
AdimNorth–SouthAgwagwuneArәm, DimOdimOrumCross River State, Akamkpa LGA, Egup–Ipa Development Area
AbayongoNorth–SouthAgwagwuneBayono, BayinoCross River State, Akamkpa LGA, Egup–Ipa Development Area
Etono IINorth–SouthAgwagwuneEtunoCross River State, Akamkpa LGA, Ubaghara Development Area

Reconstruction

A reconstruction of Proto-Upper Cross River has been proposed by Gerrit Dimmendaal (1978).[2]

See also

References
  1. Blench, Roger (2019). An Atlas of Nigerian Languages (4th ed.). Cambridge: Kay Williamson Educational Foundation.
  2. Dimmendaal, Gerrit J. 1978. The Consonants of Proto-Upper Cross and their Implications for the Classification of the Upper Cross Languages. Leiden: Leiden University.

 This article incorporates text available under the CC BY 3.0 license.

  • ComparaLex, database with Upper Cross River word lists
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.