The Ijo languages were traditionally considered a distinct branch of the Niger–Congo family (perhaps along with Defaka in a group called Ijoid).[3] 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.[4][5]
The following internal classification is based on Jenewari (1989) and Williamson & Blench (2000).
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.[8]
^Williamson, Kay (2011-08-11). A Grammar of the Kolokuma Dialect of Ịjọ. Cambridge University Press. ISBN9780521175265.
^Dimmendaal, Gerrit Jan (2011-01-01). Historical Linguistics and the Comparative Study of African Languages. John Benjamins Publishing. ISBN978-9027211781.
^"Ijoid languages | Ijoid Languages, Niger-Congo, West Africa | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved 2024-01-26.
^ abBlench, Roger (2019). An Atlas of Nigerian Languages (4th ed.). Cambridge: Kay Williamson Educational Foundation.
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.
External linksedit
January 01, 1970
ijaw, languages, izon, languages, ɔː, otherwise, known, Ịjọ, languages, languages, spoken, izon, people, southern, nigeria, izonỊjọethnicityijaw, peoplegeographicdistributionsouthern, nigerialinguistic, classificationniger, congo, ijoidizonsubdivisionseast, ce. The Izon languages ˈ iː dʒ ɔː 1 otherwise known as the Ịjọ languages 2 are the languages spoken by the Izon people in southern Nigeria IzonỊjọEthnicityIjaw peopleGeographicdistributionSouthern NigeriaLinguistic classificationNiger Congo IjoidIzonSubdivisionsEast Central WestISO 639 2 5ijoGlottologijoo1239 Contents 1 Classification 2 Names and locations 3 In the diaspora 4 Education and media 5 See also 6 References 7 Bibliography 8 External linksClassification editThe Ijo languages were traditionally considered a distinct branch of the Niger Congo family perhaps along with Defaka in a group called Ijoid 3 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 4 5 The following internal classification is based on Jenewari 1989 and Williamson amp Blench 2000 Ijoid East Nkoroo Kalabari Bonny Ibani Okrika Kirike Bille Touma Krikama Jikeama Southeast Ijo Nembe Akassa West or Central Izon Inland Ijo Biseni Akita Okordia Oruma Blench 2019 moves Southeast Ijo into the West or Central branch 6 Ijoid East Nkoroo Kalabari Bonny Ibani Okrika Kirike Bille West or Central Southeast Ijo Nembe Akassa Izon Inland Ijo Izon Inland Ijo Biseni Akita Okordia OrumaNames and locations editBelow is a list of Ijaw language names populations and locations from Blench 2019 6 Language Cluster Alternate spellings Own name for language Endonym s Other names location based Other names for language Speakers Location s Nembe Akaha cluster Nembe Akaha Brass Ịjọ 71 500 1977 Voegelin and Voegelin Rivers State Brass LGA Nembe Nembe Akaha Nimbi Nembe Brass older term not giving way to Nembe Nempe Itebu Cust 1883 Nembe Brass Tepowa 1904 Nembe Brass Book of Common Prayer 1957 Ijo Nembe Bible 1956 Brass Nembe Ijaw Rowlands 1960 Nembe Ịjọ Alagoa 1967 66 600 1963 Rivers State Brass LGA Nembe Ọkpọma and Tụwọn Brass towns and nearby villages Akaha Nembe Akaha Akasa Akassaa Akaha Akaha 4 913 1963 Rivers State Brass LGA Opu Akassa town and nearby hamlets Bille Bille Touma Opu Bille Boko Rivers State Degema LGA Bille Town and 29 Villages Inland Ịjọ cluster Inland Ịjọ Rivers State Yenagoa and Brass LGAs Biseni Inland Ịjọ Buseni Biseni Biseni Amegi Community consisting of five sections Rivers State Yenagoa LGA Akpeịdẹ Egbebiri Kalama Tẹịn and Tụbụrụ towns Akịta Inland Ịjọ Okordia Ọkọdi Akịta Akịta Community consisting of six sections six towns Rivers State Yenagoa LGA Oruma Inland Ịjọ Tugbeni Tugbeni Kạạmạ A single town surrounded by Central Delta languages Rivers State Brass LGA Kalaḅarị KOIN Kalaḅarị Okrika Ịḅanị Nkọrọ Kalaḅarị Kalaḅarị New Calabar 200 000 1987 UBS Rivers State Degema and Asari Toru LGAs 3 major towns and 24 villages Kịrịkẹ KOIN Kalaḅarị Okrika Ịḅanị Nkọrọ Okrika Okrika town Rivers State Okrika LGAIn the diaspora editBerbice Creole Dutch an extinct creole spoken in Guyana had a lexicon based partly on an Ịjọ language perhaps the ancestor of Kalabari 7 Education and media editIn 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 8 See also edit nbsp Nigeria portal nbsp Languages portal List of Proto Ijaw reconstructions Wiktionary References edit Laurie Bauer 2007 The Linguistics Student s Handbook Edinburgh generally pronounced ˈ iː dʒ oʊ in English Williamson Kay 2011 08 11 A Grammar of the Kolokuma Dialect of Ịjọ Cambridge University Press ISBN 9780521175265 Dimmendaal Gerrit Jan 2011 01 01 Historical Linguistics and the Comparative Study of African Languages John Benjamins Publishing ISBN 978 9027211781 Ijoid languages Ijoid Languages Niger Congo West Africa Britannica www britannica com Retrieved 2024 01 26 a b Blench Roger 2019 An Atlas of Nigerian Languages 4th ed Cambridge Kay Williamson Educational Foundation Kouwenberg 1994 Garba Kabir Alabi 2013 06 08 Izon Fie Popularising An Indigenous Tongue The Guardian Nigeria Retrieved 2013 06 15 Bibliography editFreemann 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 Kiabara 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 amp 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 External links editThe Ijaw Dictionary Online Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Ijaw languages amp oldid 1199206877, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
