Igbo (language)

Igbo
Asụsụ Igbo
Pronunciation	[iɡ͡boː]
Native to	Nigeria
Region	southeastern Nigeria, Equatorial Guinea
Native speakers	24 million (2007)
Language family	Niger–Congo Niger–Congo Atlantic–Congo Volta–Congo Volta–Niger Igboid Igbo
Standard forms	Standard Igbo
Dialects	Waawa, Enuani, Ngwa, Ohuhu, Onitsha, Bonny-Opobo, Olu, Owerre (Isuama), et al.
Writing system	Latin (Önwu alphabet) Nwagu Aneke script Igbo Braille
Official status
Recognised minority language in	Equatorial Guinea
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.
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Igbo (Igbo: Ásụ̀sụ̀ Ị̀gbò; Igbo [ásʊ̀sʊ̀ ɪ̀ɡ͡bòː] ( listen); 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.