| Igboid | |
| Region: | South central Nigeria, lower reaches of the Niger River and east, south of the Benue |
| Familycolor: | Niger-Congo |
| Fam2: | Atlantic–Congo |
| Fam3: | Volta-Congo |
| Fam4: | Volta-Niger |
| Protoname: | Proto-Igboid |
| Glotto: | igbo1258 |
| Glottorefname: | Igboid |
Igboid languages constitute a branch of the Volta–Niger language family.
Williamson and Blench conclude that the Igboid languages form a "language cluster" that are mutually intelligible.[1] Igboid languages are being spoken by over 40 million people.[2]
Below is a list of language names, populations, and locations from Blench (2019).[3]
| Language | Cluster | Dialects | Alternate spellings | Own name for language | Endonym(s) | Other names (location-based) | Other names for language | Exonym(s) | Speakers | Location(s) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ibo | |||||||||||
| Agbor (standard form); southern and eastern varieties are more similar to Igbo | Ìḳá | Agbor | Delta State, Ika and Orhionmwon LGAs | ||||||||
| Northern dialects: Elele, Apanị, Ọmerelu, Ubima, Isiokpo, Ọmagwa (Ọmegwa), Ipo, Ọmudioga, Ọmuanwa, Igwuruta, Egbeda, Alụu, Ịbaa; Southern dialects: Akpọ–Mgbu–Tolu, Ọbio, Ọgbakiri, Rụmuji, Ndele, Emọhua | Ikwerre | Ìwhuruò`hnà | 54,600 (1950 F&J);[4] possibly 200,000 (SIL) | Rivers State, Ikwerre, Emohua,Port Harcourt and Obio–Akpor LGAs | |||||||
| Izii–Ẹzaa–Ikwo–Mgbo cluster | Izii–Ẹzaa–Ikwo–Mgbo | 593,000 (1973 SIL) | |||||||||
| Izii–Ẹzaa–Ikwo–Mgbo | Ezzi, Izzi | 84,000 (1950 F&J); 200,000 (1973 SIL) | Ebonyi State, Abakaliki, Izzi, and Ebonyi LGAs; Benue State, Okpokwu LGA | ||||||||
| Izii–Ẹzaa–Ikwo–Mgbo | Eza | 93,800 (1950 F&J); 180,000 (1973 SIL) | Ebonyi State, Ezza and Ishielu LGAs; Benue State, Okpokwu LGA | ||||||||
| Izii–Ẹzaa–Ikwo–Mgbo | 38,500 (1950 F&J); 150,000 (1973 SIL) | Ebonyi State, Ikwo and Abakaliki LGAs | |||||||||
| Izii–Ẹzaa–Ikwo–Mgbo | Ngbo | 19,600 (1950 F&J); 63,000 (1973 SIL) | Ebonyi State, Ishielu and Ohaukwu LGAs | ||||||||
| Egnih (East Ogbah), South Ogbah, West Ogbah | Ogba | 22,750 (1950 F&J) | Rivers State, Ahoada LGA | ||||||||
| According to clan names: Ako, Upata, Ubye, Igbuduya | Ekpeye, Ekpabya (by Abua), Ekkpahia, Ekpaffia | 20,000 (1953); 50,000 (1969 Clark)[5] | Rivers State, Ahoada LGA | ||||||||
| Ụkwuanị–Aboh–Ndọnị cluster | Ụkwuanị–Aboh–Ndọnị | 150,000 (SIL) | Delta State, Ndokwa LGA; Rivers State, Ahoada LGA | ||||||||
| Ụkwuanị–Aboh–Ndọnị | Utaaba, Emu, Abbi, Obiaruku | Ukwani, Ukwali, Kwale | Delta State, Ndokwa LGA | ||||||||
| Ụkwuanị–Aboh–Ndọnị | Eboh | Delta State, Ndokwa LGA | |||||||||
| Ụkwuanị–Aboh–Ndọnị | Rivers State, Ahoada LGA |