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Igala language
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 1.6 million. Dialects include Ibaji, Idah, Dekina, Ogugu, Ankpa, Olu, 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. Renowned linguist Kay Williamson recorded a cognate/similarity score of 66% between Yoruba and Igala, and a score of 56% between Igala and Itsekiri.
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.
The first ruler of the kingdom to hold the title of 'Ata' was Ebule-Jonu, a woman; she was later succeeded by her brother, Agana-Poje, who was the father of Idoko. The origins of the Igala people are traditionally linked to Abutu-Eje, a legendary ancestor believed to have founded the Igala Kingdom during the 13th or 14th century. During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Igala Kingdom flourished under the leadership of the Ata Igala, a line of influential monarchs. Dominating the region both politically and militarily, the Igala Kingdom played a central role in shaping regional dynamics, influencing nearby ethnic groups and maintaining active trade and diplomatic networks.
The Igala language consists of several dialects, and their classifications have been subject to debate. Unubi & Atadoga (2019) classify the following:
In addition, Glottolog lists the following dialects, that are unclear which of Unubi & Atadoga's listing they correspond to (if any):
Igala's phonology is as follows:
Arokoyo (2020) states that where Yorùbá (standard dialect), Owé (a dialect of Yoruba), and Olùkùmi have /s/, Igala systematically replaces it with /tʃ/ in cognates; where they have /r/, Igala may replace with /l/; and where they have /l/, Igala may replace with /n/.
Omachonu (2001) states that the plosives /p t k/ are aspirated [pʰ tʰ kʰ] before the vowels /a o u/, while /p b m f h/ are palatalized [pʲ bʲ mʲ fʲ hʲ] before the vowel /i/.
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Igala language
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 1.6 million. Dialects include Ibaji, Idah, Dekina, Ogugu, Ankpa, Olu, 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. Renowned linguist Kay Williamson recorded a cognate/similarity score of 66% between Yoruba and Igala, and a score of 56% between Igala and Itsekiri.
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.
The first ruler of the kingdom to hold the title of 'Ata' was Ebule-Jonu, a woman; she was later succeeded by her brother, Agana-Poje, who was the father of Idoko. The origins of the Igala people are traditionally linked to Abutu-Eje, a legendary ancestor believed to have founded the Igala Kingdom during the 13th or 14th century. During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Igala Kingdom flourished under the leadership of the Ata Igala, a line of influential monarchs. Dominating the region both politically and militarily, the Igala Kingdom played a central role in shaping regional dynamics, influencing nearby ethnic groups and maintaining active trade and diplomatic networks.
The Igala language consists of several dialects, and their classifications have been subject to debate. Unubi & Atadoga (2019) classify the following:
In addition, Glottolog lists the following dialects, that are unclear which of Unubi & Atadoga's listing they correspond to (if any):
Igala's phonology is as follows:
Arokoyo (2020) states that where Yorùbá (standard dialect), Owé (a dialect of Yoruba), and Olùkùmi have /s/, Igala systematically replaces it with /tʃ/ in cognates; where they have /r/, Igala may replace with /l/; and where they have /l/, Igala may replace with /n/.
Omachonu (2001) states that the plosives /p t k/ are aspirated [pʰ tʰ kʰ] before the vowels /a o u/, while /p b m f h/ are palatalized [pʲ bʲ mʲ fʲ hʲ] before the vowel /i/.