Back Ingaleg Breton Igala Catalan Igala German Igala (langue) French Lingua igala Galician Harshen Igala Hausa Igala jezik Croatian Asụsụ Igáláà IG Ichi Igala IGL Ga̱ra (a̱lyem) KCG
| Igala | |
|---|---|
| Native to | Nigeria |
| Ethnicity | Igala |
Native speakers | 11 million (2020)[1] |
| Latin | |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | igl |
| Glottolog | igal1242 |
Igala is a Yoruboid language, spoken by the Igala ethnic group of Nigeria. In 1989 an estimated 800,000 spoke Igala, primarily in Kogi State, though current estimates place the number of Igala speakers at upwards of 10.6 million. Dialects include Ibaji, Idah, Dekina, Ogugu, Ankpa, [[Languages of Nigeria|Olu in the South South States and south east state of Nigeria, the Olumbanasaa group (Anambra West); These lgala dialects share deep lexical (vocabulary) and structural similarities with the Yoruba and Itsekiri languages, with varying degrees of influence from neighbouring languages around the Niger-Benue triangular wedge where the Igala homeland is situated.[2] Renowned linguist Kay Williamson recorded a cognate/similarity score of 66% between Yoruba and Igala, and a score of 56% between Igala and Itsekiri.[3]
Igala, living on the left bank of the Niger River below its junction with the Benue River. Their language belongs to the Benue–Congo branch of the Niger–Congo family. Their ruler, the Àtá, traditionally also governed two other groups, the Bassa Nge and the Bass Nkome, who live between the Igala and the Benue River.[4]
- ^ Igala at Ethnologue (26th ed., 2023)
- ^ Dunmade, Oluwatumininu (22 April 2022). "The Igala people: Their origin, food and dressing". Pulse NG. Pulse Africa.
- ^ Blench, Roger; Spriggs, Matthew (2 September 2003). Archaeology and Language IV: Language Change and Cultural Transformation. Routledge. p. 82. ISBN 978-1-134-81624-8. Retrieved 9 March 2025.
- ^ "Igala". Encyclopedia Brittanica. 22 August 2019.
© MMXXIII Rich X Search. We shall prevail. All rights reserved. Rich X Search