Munchi
 |
|
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| (Approx. 6,000,000) | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Nigeria, Cameroon | |
| Languages | |
| Tiv, Tivoid languages, English, French(in Cameroon), Hausa(in Taraba, Nasarawa, plateau, Adamawa and Kaduna) | |
| Religion | |
| Predominantly Christian, Tiv Traditional religion | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Evant, Iceve-Maci of cameroon, iyive language, utange, (Otank of Crossriver), caka of cameroon, Ipulo language, Eman language, Ambo language (Nigeria), Bitare language, Abon language, Batu language and other bantu tribes |
Tiv (or Tivi) is an ethno-linguistic group or ethnic nation in West Africa. The group constitutes approximately 3.5% of Nigeria's total population, and number over 6 million individuals throughout Nigeria and Cameroon. The Tiv are the 4th largest ethnic group in Nigeria. Tiv language is spoken by about 7 million people in Nigeria, with a few speakers in Cameroon. Most of the language's Nigerian speakers are found in Benue State of Nigeria. The language is also widely spoken in the Nigerian States of Plateau, Taraba, Nasarawa,cross rivers as well as the FCT Abuja. It is part of the Southern Bantoid Tivoid family, a branch of Benue-Congo and ultimately of the Niger-Congo phylum. In precolonial times, the Hausa ethnic group referred to the Tiv as "Munchi", a term not accepted by Tiv people. They depend on agricultural produce for commerce and life.
The Tiv came into contact with European culture during the colonial period. During November 1907 to spring 1908, an expedition of the Southern Nigeria Regiment led by Lieutenant-Colonel Hugh Trenchard's came into contact with the Tiv. Trenchard brought gifts for the tribal chiefs. Subsequently, roads were built and trade links established between Europeans and the Tiv. But before construction of roads began a missionary named Mary Slessor went throughout the region seeing to the people's needs.
Most Tiv have a highly developed sense of genealogy, with descent being reckoned patrilineally. Ancestry is traced to an ancient individual named Tiv, who had two sons; all Tiv consider themselves a member either of Ichongo (descendants of son Chongo) or of Ipusu (descendants of son pusu). Ichongo and Ipusu are each divided into several major branches, which in turn are divided into smaller branches. The smallest branch, or minimal lineage, is the "ipaven". Members of an ipaven tend to live together, the local kin-based community being called the "tar". This form of social organization, called a segmentary lineage, is seen in various parts of the world, but it is particularly well known from African societies (Middleton and Tait 1958). The Tiv are the best known example from West Africa, as documented by Laura Bohannan (1952) and by Paul and Laura Bohannan (1953); in East Africa the best known example is the Nuer, documented by E.E. Evans-Pritchard (1940).
...
Wikipedia