Lower Cross River languages


The Lower Cross River languages form a branch of the Cross River languages of Cross River State, Nigeria. They consist of the divergent Obolo language, and the core of the branch, which includes the 4 million speakers of the Efik-Ibibio cluster.
Additionally, Ethnologue lists several more languages within the Efik-Ibibio cluster.
Forde and Jones considered Ibino and Oro to be Efik-Ibibio.

Names and locations

Below is a list of language names, populations, and locations from Blench.
LanguageBranchDialectsAlternate spellingsOwn name for languageEndonymOther names Other names for languageExonymSpeakersLocationNotes
EbughuEbughuEbughuOronmore than 5,000 Akwa Ibom State, Mbo and Oron LGAs
EnwangEnwangEnwangOron estimated 50,000 plus Akwa Ibom State, Mbo LGA
IkoIkoObolo Three villages: 5,000+ Akwa Ibom State, Ikot Abasi LGA
IlueIduaIlue5,000 ; diminishingAkwa Ibom State, Oron LGA
Ọkọbọ11,200 ; 50,000Akwa Ibom State, Okobo LGA
UdaUda10,000 plus Akwa Ibom State, Mbo LGA
UkwaCross River State, Akampka LGA
UsaghadeUsakadeUsaghadeIsangeleestimate 10,000 although mostly in CameroonCross River State, Odukpani LGA; mainly in Cameroon, Isangele sub–division
IdereIderemore than 5,000 Akwa Ibom State, Itu LGAno data
EfaiEfaiEffiat >5,000 Akwa Ibom State, Mbo LGA; Cameroon, Isangele sub–division
ỌrọOronỌrọ Ọrọ 319,000 Akwa Ibom State, Oron LGA
ItoIto5,000 plus Akwa Ibom State, Akamkpa LGAno data
EkiEki5000 plus Cross River Stateno data
EtebiCentralEtebiOron ; Ekit estimate 15,000 Akwa Ibom State, Uquo Ibeno LGA
Itu Mbon UzoCentralItu MbuzoItu Mbon Uzo5,000 plus Akwa Ibom State, Ikono LGA
AnaangCentralAbak, Ikot Ekpene, UkanafunAnnang, Anang, Anaŋ246,000 : estimated 1,000,000 Akwa Ibom State, Ikot Ekpene, Essien Udim, Abak, Ukanafun and Oruk–Anam LGAs
EfikCentralCalabar26,300, 10,000 in Cameroon; 360,000 first language speakers; spoken as a second language by 1.3 million, 3.5 million diminishingCross River State, Calabar municipality, Odukpani and Akamkpa LGAs; and in Cameroon
EkitCentralEkid, Eket22,000 ; estimated 200,000 Akwa Ibom State, Eket and Uquo Ibeno LGAs
IbibioCentralNkari, Enyong, Central, Itak, Nsit etc. roughly according to clansIbibyo800,000 ; 283,000 ; 2 million ; estimated 2.5 million Akwa Ibom State, Ikono, Itu, Uyo, Etinan, Ekpe–Atai, Uruan, Nsit–Ubium, Onna, Mkpat Enin and Abasi LGAs
IbuoroCentralIbuoro5,000 plus Akwa Ibom State, Itu and Ikono LGAs
OboloWestFrom West to East: Ataba, Unyeada, Ngo, Okoroete, Ibot OboloÒbólòAndoni22,400 ; 90,000 ; 100,000 Rivers State, Andoni LGA: western dialects; Akwa Ibom State, Eastern Obolo LGA: eastern dialects
IbinọWestIbuno, Ibeno10,000 Akwa Ibom State, Ibeno LGA

Reconstructions

Proto-Lower Cross River has been reconstructed by Connell