Igbo-language
| Igbo | |
|---|---|
| Asụsụ Igbo | |
| Pronunciation | [iɡ͡boː] |
| Native to | Nigeria |
| Region | southeastern Nigeria, Equatorial Guinea |
|
Native speakers
|
24 million (2007) |
|
Standard forms
|
Standard Igbo
|
| Dialects | Waawa, Enuani, Ngwa, Ohuhu, Onitsha, Bonny-Opobo, Olu, Owerre (Isuama), et al. |
|
Latin (Önwu alphabet) Nwagu Aneke script Igbo Braille |
|
| Official status | |
|
Official language in
|
 Nigeria
|
|
Recognised minority
language in |
|
| Regulated by | Society for Promoting Igbo Language and Culture (SPILC) |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-1 | ig |
| ISO 639-2 | ibo |
| ISO 639-3 | |
| Glottolog | nucl1417 |
| Linguasphere | 98-GAA-a |
Linguistic map of Benin, Nigeria, and Cameroon. Igbo is spoken in southern Nigeria.
|
|
Igbo (Igbo: Ásụ̀sụ̀ Ị̀gbò; Igbo [iɡ͡boː]; English: /ˈɪɡboʊ/;), is the principal native language of the Igbo people, an ethnic group of southeastern Nigeria. The language has approximately 24 million speakers, who live mostly in Nigeria and are primarily of Igbo descent. Igbo is written in the Latin script, which was introduced by British colonialists. Igbo has over 20 dialects, though dialect levelling appears to be occurring. A standard literary language was developed in 1972 based on the Owerri (Isuama) and Umuahia (such as Ohuhu) dialects, though it omits the nasalization and aspiration of those varieties. Related Igboid languages such as Ika, Ikwerre and Ogba are sometimes considered dialects of Igbo; the most divergent of these is Ekpeye. Igbo is also a recognised minority language of Equatorial Guinea.
The first book to publish Igbo words was History of the Mission of the Evangelical Brothers in the Caribbean (German: Geschichte der Mission der Evangelischen Brüder auf den Carabischen Inseln), published in 1777. Shortly afterwards in 1789, The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano was published in London, England, written by Olaudah Equiano, a former slave, featuring 79 Igbo words. The narrative also illustrated various aspects of Igbo life in detail, based on Olaudah Equiano's experiences in his hometown of Essaka.
...
Wikipedia