Edekiri languages
| Edekiri | |
|---|---|
| Geographic distribution | Togo, Benin and Nigeria |
| Linguistic classification | Niger–Congo?
|
| Subdivisions | |
| Language codes | |
| Glottolog | edek1238 |
The Edekiri is a group of languages in the Volta-Niger branch of the Niger-Congo family.[1] The Niger-Congo language family, and by extension the Edekiri languages, formed a cohesive linguistic unit as far back as the end of the Upper Paleolithic 11,000 years ago.[2]
The group includes:
- the Ede dialect cluster, including Ife[3][4]
- Itsekiri[3]
- Lucumi language, which is spoken in Cuba[3]
- the Nago languages[3]
- the Yoruboid languages Ulukwumi and Mokole[3]
- Yoruba, with approximately 40 million speakers in Nigeria and several million more in the diaspora.[2]
See also
References
- ^ Bamidele, Oluwabukola Omolara (2019). The /h/ Phenomenon: Over Generalised or Confused? The Nigerian Yoruba-English Speakers as a Case Study (PhD thesis). University of West Virginia.
- ^ a b Olagunju, Tosin Samson; Ukpe, Queen Lucky (2025). "A Contrastive Study of Reduplication in Yorùbá & Èfîk Languages". International Journal of Language and Linguistics. 12: 127. doi:10.30845/ijll.v12p12.
- ^ a b c d e "Edekiri". Ethnologue. Retrieved March 10, 2026.
- ^ Frawley, William (2003). International Encyclopedia of Linguistics. Oxford University Press. p. 422.