Yoruboid languages

The Yoruboid languages (or Yoruboid for short ) form a sub-unit of the West Benue Congo languages (the western branch of the Benue Congo languages ), which in turn belong to the Niger-Congo language family .

The 15 or so yoruboid languages, apart from Igala, are relatively closely related to the Yoruba that gives it its name ; they are spoken by about 22 million people in southwest Nigeria , Benin and Togo .

Position of the yoruboid within the Niger-Congo

• Niger-Congo
  • Volta Congo
    • South Volta Congo
      • Benue Congo
        • West Benue Congo
          • Yoruboid

Internal classification

• Yoruboid
  • Yoruba-Isekiri
    • Yoruba (20–22 million), Isekiri (500,000), Ife (150,000), Nago ( 180,000 ),
      Cabe (80,000), Aguna (15,000), Ica (40,000) , Idaca (30 thousand), Ije (20 thousand),
      Mokole (65 thousand), Kambole (20 thousand), Ulukwumi (10 thousand)
      Lucumi ( ritual language in Cuba )
  • Igala
    • Igala (1 million)

See also

• West Benue Congo

literature

• Bernd Heine and Derek Nurse (eds.): African Languages. An Introduction. Cambridge University Press 2000.
  In it: Kay Williamson and Roger Blench: Niger-Congo.
• John Bendor-Samuel (Ed.): The Niger-Congo Languages: A Classification and Description of Africa's Largest Language Family. University Press of America, Lanham, New York, London 1989.
  Therein: Hounkpati BC Capo: Defoid.

Web links

• Ernst Kausen, The Classification of the Benue-Congo Languages ​​within the Niger-Congo. (DOC; 232 kB)