| Upper Cross River | |
| Also Known As: | Upper Cross |
| Region: | SE Nigeria |
| Familycolor: | Niger-Congo |
| Fam2: | Atlantic–Congo |
| Fam3: | Benue–Congo |
| Fam4: | Cross River |
| Child1: | Central |
| Child2: | Akpet |
| Child3: | Agoi–Doko–Iyoniyong |
| Child4: | Kiong–Korop |
| Glotto: | uppe1418 |
| Glottorefname: | Upper Cross |
The Upper Cross River languages form a branch of the Cross River languages of Cross River State, Nigeria. The most populous languages are Lokö and Mbembe, with 100,000 speakers.
The internal structure per Cornell (1994), reproduced in Williamson and Blench (2000), is as follows:
Below is a list of language names, populations, and locations from Blench (2019).[1]
| Language | Branch | Cluster | Dialects | Alternate spellings | Own name for language | Endonym(s) | Other names (location-based) | Other names for language | Exonym(s) | Speakers | Location(s) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agoi | WaGọi | Ibami | Ro Bambami | Wa Bambami | 3,650 (1953); estimated 12,000 (Faraclas 1989) | Cross River State, Obubra LGA, Agoi–Ekpo, Ekom–Agoi, Agoi–Ibami and Itu–Agoi towns | ||||||
| Akoiyang, Äkäyöñ, Okoyong, Okonyong | Spoken only by old people, younger generation speak Efik | Cross River State, Odukpani and Akamkpa LGAs | ||||||||||
| Durop, Kurop | Kòṛ óp̣ | Ododop | 12,500 total (1982 SIL) | Cross River State, Odukpani and Akamkpa LGAs; and in Cameroon | ||||||||
| East–West | Gbo | Legbo | Agbo | Itigidi | Igbo Imaban | 18,500 (1963); 30,000 (1973 SIL) | Cross River State, Obubra LGA; Abia State, Afikpo LGA | |||||
| East–West | Anyima | Inyima | Cross River State, Obubra LGA | |||||||||
| East–West | Ayiga, Yigha | Asiga | 3,150 (1953) | Cross River State, Obubra LGA | ||||||||
| East–West | Ugep, Nkpam | Lokә, Lokö | Yakạ, Yakә, Yakurr, Yakö | Ugep | 38,200 (1953); 100,000 (1973 SIL) | Cross River State, Obubra LGA | ||||||
| East–West | Kabila | Ojor, Kabila, Kaibre, Kabire | Cross River State, Akamkpa LGA, at Ojo Nkomba, and Ojo Akangba | |||||||||
| East–West | Adun, Okom (Eghom) (sub–dialects: Apiapum, Ohana, Onyen), Osopong (Ezopong), Ofombonga (Ewumbonga), Ofonokpan, Okorogbana, Ekama (Akam) in Ikom LGA, Oferikpe in Abakaliki LGA | Okam, Oderiga, Wakande, Ifunubwa, Ekokoma, Ofunobwan (per Thomas) | 35,600 (1953); 100,000 (1982 UBS) | Cross River State, Obubra and Ikom LGAs; Anambra State, Abakaliki LGA | ||||||||
| East–West | Nkokolle | Lokukoli | Ekuri | 17,831 (1926 Talbot); 10,000 (1973 SIL) | Cross River State, Ikom, Obubra and Akamkpa LGAs, Iko Ekperem Development Area | |||||||
| Olulumọ–Ikọm cluster | East–West | Olulumọ–Ikọm | Òkúní | 9,250 (1953) | Cross River State, Ikom LGA | |||||||
| East–West | Olulumọ–Ikọm | Òlúlùmọ | 1,730 (1953); 5,000 (Faraclas 1989) | |||||||||
| East–West | Olulumọ–Ikọm | 7,520 (1953); 25,000 (Faraclas 1989) | ||||||||||
| East–West | Iyongiyong, Iyoniyong | Uwet | Begbungba | Cross River State, Akamkpa LGA | ||||||||
| East–West | Dọsanga | Basanga | Iko | Several towns | Cross River State, Akamkpa LGA | |||||||
| Ukpet–Ehom cluster | East–West | Ukpet–Ehom | Akpet–Ehom | Cross River State, Akamkpa LGA | ||||||||
| East–West | Ukpet–Ehom | Akpet | ||||||||||
| East–West | Ukpet–Ehom | Ubeteng | Ebeteng | |||||||||
| North–South | 4 dialects in north, 3 in south, Ugbala, Mtezi and Mtezi–Iteeji in Anambra State, Abakaliki LGA | Ukele, Ukelle | Kukele | Bakele | 31,700 (1953); 40,000 (1980 UBS) | Cross River State, Ogoja LGA; Anambra State, Abakaliki LGA; Benue State, Okpokwu and Oju LGAs; and in Cameroon | ||||||
| Ubaghara cluster | North–South | Ubaghara | 30,000 (1985 UBS) | Cross River State, Akamkpa LGA | ||||||||
| North–South | Ubaghara | Ubaghara Development Area | ||||||||||
| North–South | Ubaghara | Ubaghara Development Area | ||||||||||
| North–South | Ubaghara | Ubaghara Development Area | ||||||||||
| North–South | Ubaghara | Egup–Ita Development Area | ||||||||||
| North–South | Ubaghara | Umon Development Area | ||||||||||
| North–South | Kohumono | KoHumono | BaHumono, sg. Òhúmónò | Ediba (under Ekurĩ (Thomas) | Ekumuru, Ìkúmúrú, Ìkúmóró (Igbo name); Àtàm (Efik name) | 11,870 (1952) | Cross River State, Abi and Obubra LGA | |||||
| KOIN (Kalaḅarị–Okrika–Ịḅanị–Nkọrọ) | North–South | Kohumono | Kalaḅarị, Kịrịkẹ (Okrika), Ịḅanị dialects and the isolated lect Nkọrọ Kokura (Bura Kokura), belonging to the Tera cluster | Rivers State, Asari–Toru, Degema, Bonny, Okrika, and Port Harcourt LGAs | ||||||||
| Oring cluster | North–South | Oring | Orri | Koring | at least 25,000 (1952 RGA); 75,000 (Faraclas 1989) | Benue State, Okpokwu LGA; Anambra State, Ishielu LGA | ||||||
| North–South | Oring | Utonkon | 12,300 (1952 RGA) | Benue State, Okpokwu LGA | ||||||||
| North–South | Oring | Effium | 3,000 (1952 RGA) | Benue State, Okpokwu LGA; Anambra State, Ishielu LGA | ||||||||
| North–South | Oring | 6,350 (1952 RGA) | Anambra State, Ishielu LGA | |||||||||
| North–South | Amon | 25 villages | Cross River State, Akamkpa LGA | |||||||||
| North–South | Ezekwe | 5,000 (1973 SIL) | Cross River State, Ogoja LGA | |||||||||
| Agwagwune cluster | North–South | Agwagwune | Agwa–Gwunɛ | 20,000 (SIL) | Cross River State, Akamkpa LGA | |||||||
| North–South | Agwagwune | Gwune | Agwagwune | Akunakuna (not recommended), Akurakura (of Koelle) | Cross River State, Akamkpa LGA, Egup–Ipa Development Area | |||||||
| North–South | Agwagwune | Ezei | Enna | Cross River State, Akamkpa LGA, Erei Development Area | ||||||||
| North–South | Agwagwune | Bini, Abiri | Obini | Cross River State, Akamkpa LGA, Egup–Ipa Development Area | ||||||||
| North–South | Agwagwune | Arәm, Dim | Odim | Orum | Cross River State, Akamkpa LGA, Egup–Ipa Development Area | |||||||
| North–South | Agwagwune | Bayono, Bayino | Cross River State, Akamkpa LGA, Egup–Ipa Development Area | |||||||||
| North–South | Agwagwune | Etuno | Cross River State, Akamkpa LGA, Ubaghara Development Area |
A reconstruction of Proto-Upper Cross River has been proposed by Gerrit Dimmendaal (1978).[2]