IBO ISO 639-3
Igbo
Igbo Autonym
A language of Nigeria
- ISO 639
- ibo
- Alternate Names
- Ebo, Ibo, Unege
- Autonym
- Igbo
- Population
- 30,700,000 in Nigeria (2020). Total users in all countries: 30,775,190.
- Location:
- Widespread, southeast.
- Language Status
- 2 (Provincial). De facto provincial language in southeastern region. Main LWC of Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, and Imo states.
- Classification
- Niger-Congo, Atlantic-Congo, Volta-Congo, Benue-Congo, Igboid, Igbo
- Dialects
- Afikpo (Ehugbo), Nsuka (Nsukka), Ohuhu (Umuahia), Bende (Ohafia), Central Igbo (Union Igbo), Anicha, Oka (Awka), Bonny-Opobo, Mbaisne (Mbaise), Ngwa, Oguta, Onicha (Onitsha), Olu (Orlu), Owere (Owerrĩ), Unwana, Enuani. 30 dialects vary in inherent intelligibility. The standard literary form developing based on Owerri and Umuahia dialects, omitting the nasality and aspiration found in those dialects.
- Typology
- SVO; prepositions; no articles; tense; 37 consonant and 8 vowel phonemes; tonal (3 level phonemic tones); vowel harmony (ATR).
- Language Use
- Used for government notices. Used as L2 by Ikwere [ikw], Obolo [ann], Ogbah [ogc].
- Language Development
- Literature. Radio. TV. Dictionary. Grammar. Bible: 1906–2009.
- Language Resources
- OLAC resources in and about Igbo
- Writing
- Latin script [Latn], used since 1900.
- Other Comments
- Christian, traditional religion.
Also Spoken in
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Australia
Language Name
Igbo
User Population
2,000 in Australia (2016 census).
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Canada
Language Name
Igbo
User Population
4,240 in Canada (2016 census).
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of United Kingdom
Language Name
Igbo
User Population
7,950 in United Kingdom (2011 census).
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Ghana
Language Name
Igbo
User Population
61,000 in Ghana (2017 J. Leclerc).
Map
Location: Widespread, southeast.
Size and Vitality
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