Igala language

Last updated

Igala
Native to Nigeria
Ethnicity Igala
Native speakers
11 million (2020) [1]
Niger–Congo?
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, 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. [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]

Contents

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]

Historical background

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. [5] 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. [6] 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.

Language and dialect

People in Kogi State speak many languages across its 21 local government areas. Most of these languages are part of the Volta-Niger group of Niger-Congo languages.

The following is a list of indigenous languages and dialects in Kogi State, along with the locations where they are traditionally spoken; [7]

1. Igala Language; [8]

In Kogi State, the Igala language consists of six main dialects, such as

Idah

Imane

Ogugu

Ankpa

Ibaji

Dekina

Ife Dialects.

It is spoken across Olamaboro, Ankpa, Idah, Omala, Igalamela/Odolu, Ofu, Dekina, Ajaokuta, Bassa, and Ibaji local government area

2. Ebira Language; [9]

Ebira-Ta’o,

Ebira-Koto/Mozum

Ebira Panda and

Eganyi Ebira

People speak them in Ajaokuta, Adavi, Okene, Okehi, Kotonkarfi, Lokoja, and Bassa.

3. Yoruba Language; [10]

Owe

Yagba

Ijumu

Gbede

Bunu

Ikiri and

Oworo.

4.Oko Language; [11]

Oko is spoken by people in Ogori/Magongo LGA.

5. Osayen Language;

Osayen is spoken by people in Magongo in Ogori/Magongo LGA.

6. Eni Language;

Eni is spoken by people in Ogori/Magongo LGA.

7.Ukaan Language

8. Akpes Language

9. Ahan Language

10. Ayere Language

11. Akoko Language;

People in the border areas of Ijumu LGA, between Kogi and Ondo States, speak Ukaan, Akpes, Ahan, Ayere, and Akoko.

12. Bassa-Komu Language

13. Bassa-Nge Language

14. Kupa Language

15. Kakanda Language

16. Nupe Language

There are about 16 native languages and many dialects spoken by the people of Kogi State.

Phonology

Igala's phonology is as follows: [12]

Consonants
Labial Alveolar Post-alveolar Palatal Velar Labial–velar Glottal
Nasal m n ŋ
Plosive Voiceless p t k k͡p
Voiced b d ɡ ɡ͡b
Affricate Voiceless t͡ʃ
Voiced d͡ʒ
Fricative Voiceless f s ʃ h
Voiced ɣ gʷ
Trill r
Approximant w l j
Vowels
Front Central Back
Close i , ĩ u , ũ
Close-Mid e o
Open-Mid ɛ , ɛ̃ ɔ , ɔ̃
Open a , ã

Igala has seven oral vowels and five nasal vowels.

Alphabet

The Igala alphabet has a total of 31 letters. [13] [14]

Igala alphabet
CapitalLowercase
Aa
Bb
Chch
Dd
Ee
Ẹẹ
Ff
Gg
Gbgb
Gwgw
Hh
Ii
Jj
Kk
Kpkp
Kwkw
Ll
Mm
Nn
Nyny
Ññ
Ñmñm
Ñwñw
Oo
Ọọ
Pp
Rr
Tt
Uu
Ww

Vowels

Igala has seven vowel qualities and seven vowel letters: ⟨a⟩, ⟨e⟩⟨ẹ⟩⟨i⟩, ⟨o⟩, ⟨ọ⟩, and ⟨u⟩. [13]

Tones

Igala also has five tones: extra high, high, mid-high, mid, and low. [13] [14]

  1. The high tone is represented with an acute accent ⟨◌́⟩.
  2. The mid tone is unmarked ⟨◌⟩.
  3. The mid-high tone, which is an infrequent tone, is marked with a macron ⟨◌̄⟩.
  4. The low tone is marked with a grave accent ⟨◌̀⟩.
  5. The extra-high tone, which is usually found in negative statements, is marked with a dot ⟨◌̇⟩.

Homographs

  1. The word spelt, agba, depending on the tones used to pronounce it, may have four different meanings, namely:
    1. agba (casual greeting); pronounced with static, sustained Mid or Neutral tone – / ̩a ̩gba/
    2. àgbá (hand-cuffs); pronounced with Low-High tone combination / ̩à ‘gbá /
    3. àgbà (chin); pronounced with Low tone replicated – / ̩à ̩gbà /
    4. ágbá (Balsam tree); pronounced with the High tone duplicated – / á gbá / –
  2. The bi-syllabic noun spelt, iga can generate three other words pronounced differently each having its distinct meaning as follows:
    1. ìga (Weaver bird); pronounced with Low-Mid tones – / ̩ ì ‘ga / – and a secondary-primary stress pattern.
    2. ìgà (net); pronounced with the Low tone duplicated – / ̩ ì ̩ gà / – and a secondary-secondary stress pattern.
    3. ìgá (estate); pronounced with the Low-High tone combination – / ̩ ì ‘gá / – and a secondary-primary stress pattern. [15]

References

  1. ↑ Igala at Ethnologue (26th ed., 2023) Closed Access logo transparent.svg
  2. ↑ Dunmade, Oluwatumininu (22 April 2022). "The Igala people: Their origin, food and dressing". Pulse NG. Pulse Africa.
  3. ↑ 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.
  4. ↑ "Igala". Igala | Igala Kingdom, Benue State, Nigeria | Britannica. Encyclopedia Brittanica. 22 August 2019.
  5. ↑ "AFRICA | 101 Last Tribes - Igala people". www.101lasttribes.com. Retrieved 8 September 2025.
  6. ↑ "The African Archives". theafricanarchives.org. Retrieved 8 September 2025.
  7. ↑ admin (17 July 2019). "Languages and Dialects in Kogi State". Kogi Reports. Retrieved 8 September 2025.
  8. ↑ "Igala language and alphabet". www.omniglot.com. Retrieved 8 September 2025.
  9. ↑ Salaudeen, Akeem Olamilekan (30 December 2024). "The Ebira People of Kogi State". Rex Clarke Adventures. Retrieved 8 September 2025.
  10. ↑ "Okun Development Association". The Alliance of Yoruba Organizations and Clubs. Retrieved 8 September 2025.
  11. ↑ "About Ọ̀kọ Ọ̀kọLanguage – Ò̩kọ Language". okolanguage.com. Retrieved 8 September 2025.
  12. ↑ Arokoyo, Bolanle Elizabeth (2020). "Studying the Phonology of the Olùkùmi, Igala, Owé, and Yorùba Languages: A Comparative Analysis" (PDF). Dialectologia. 25. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 July 2020.
  13. 1 2 3 "The Igala Alphabet". Kigala. 13 December 2020. Archived from the original on 3 December 2022.
  14. 1 2 "Igala Language Study Series". 26 March 2017.
  15. ↑ "Vocabulary". 6 May 2019.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.