Varieties
Efik is a dialect cluster spoken by about 3½ million people of Akwa Ibom State and Cross River States of Nigeria, making it the sixth largest language cluster in Nigeria after Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo, Fulani, and Kanuri. Specifically, there are 1 million Anaang (as of 1990); possibly 1½ to 2 million Ibibio (1998, claim since retracted by Ethnologue)—Ibibio is also used as a trade language; and 400,000 Efik; Efik also has about 2 million second-language speakers.
Minor varieties, according to Williamson and Blench, are 200,000 Ekit, 7,000 Efai, 20,000 Ibuoro, 5,000 Eki, 5,000 Idere, and a hundred Ukwa. These arguably constitute a single language, though Ethnologue considers them to be separate.
Forde and Jones (1950) had categorized these as follows:
- Ibibio proper (incl. Idere etc.): Eastern Ibibio
- Annang: Western Ibibio
- Efik: Riverain Ibibio
- Eket (Ekit) and Oron: Southern Ibibio
- Ibeno (Ibino): Delta Ibibio
- Enyong (now classified as Ibibio proper): Northern Ibibio
Read more about this topic: Ibibio-Efik Languages
Famous quotes containing the word varieties:
“Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone.”
—Bible: New Testament, 1 Corinthians 12:4-6.