Leko languages should not be confused with Leco language.
| Leko | |
| Region: | northern Cameroon, eastern Nigeria |
| Familycolor: | Niger-Congo |
| Fam2: | Atlantic–Congo |
| Fam3: | Savannas |
| Fam4: | Leko–Nimbari |
| Glotto: | leko1246 |
| Glottorefname: | Sambaic |
The Leko languages are a small group of languages spoken in northern Cameroon and eastern Nigeria. They were labeled "G2" in Joseph Greenberg's Adamawa language-family proposal. The Duru languages are frequently classified with the Leko languages, although their relationship remains to be demonstrated.[1]
The languages are:
Below is a list of language names, populations, and locations (in Nigeria only) from Blench (2019).[2]
| Language | Dialects | Alternate spellings | Own name for language | Endonym(s) | Other names (location-based) | Other names for language | Exonym(s) | Speakers | Location(s) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nyɔŋ | Nyɔŋ Nyanga | sg. Nyɔŋvena, pl. Nyɔŋnepa (Nyongnepa) | Mumbake, Mubako | 10,000 (SIL) | Adamawa State, Mayo Belwa LGA, West of Mayo Belwa town, Bingkola and 5 other villages | |||||
| Perema | sg. Pena, pl. Pereba | Wom (town name) | Spoken in 10 villages around Yadim: Fewer than 4,000 | Adamawa State, Fufore LGA | ||||||
| Chamba Leko, Samba Leeko | Sama | Samba | Leko, Suntai | 42,000 total (1972 SIL); 50,000 (1971 Welmers) | Taraba State, Ganye, Fufore, Wukari and Takum LGAs; mainly in Cameroon |