Bendi languages

The Bendi languages are a small group of languages spoken in Cross River State, southeastern Nigeria. Bokyi is one of the Bendi languages having some speakers in Cameroon. Once counted among the Cross River languages, they may be a branch of Southern Bantoid, with observed similarities especially with the Ekoid languages.^[1]

Very little research has been conducted on the Bendi languages, and the modern work that does exist often remains either unpublished or inaccessible.^[2] The group is notable for having one language (Ubang) that has male and female forms.^[2]

Languages

The Obudu-Obanlikwu-Eastern Boki languages are:

Alege, Obanliku, Bekwarra, Bete-Bendi, Bokyi, Bumaji, Utugwang, Ubang, Ukpe-Bayobiri.

The data is too poorly covered to allow for detailed internal classification of these languages.

Names and locations

Below is a list of language names, populations, and locations from Blench (2019).^[3]

Numerals

Comparison of numerals in individual languages:^[4]

References

^ Blench, Roger (2011). "'The membership and internal structure of Bantoid and the border with Bantu" (PDF). Berlin: Humboldt University. p. 17.
^ a b "Bendi languages". www.rogerblench.info. Retrieved 31 July 2017.
^ Blench, Roger (2019). An Atlas of Nigerian Languages (4th ed.). Cambridge: Kay Williamson Educational Foundation.
^ Chan, Eugene (2019). "The Niger-Congo Language Phylum". Numeral Systems of the World's Languages.

Blench, Roger (2001). The Bendi languages: more lost Bantu languages? 32nd Annual Conference on African Linguistics: Benue-Congo Workshop Berkeley, 26-27th March 2001 (PDF). Retrieved 5 June 2021.

This article incorporates text available under the CC BY 3.0 license.

External links