Izon language

While there are approximately 1.7 million speakers{{Cite web |title=The State of Ịzọn in Bayelsa State Schools {{!}} PDF {{!}} Vowel {{!}} Consonant |url=https://www.scribd.com/document/531577055/The-State-of-%E1%BB%8Az%E1%BB%8Dn-in-Bayelsa-State-Schools |access-date=2024-06-30 |website=Scribd |language=en}}{{better source needed|date=July 2024}} of all Ijo languages in Nigeria,{{Cite web |title=Nigeria {{!}} History, Population, Flag, Map, Languages, Capital, & Facts {{!}} Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Nigeria |access-date=2022-03-09 |website=www.britannica.com |language=en}} it is believed{{by whom?|date=July 2024}} that there are only a little over 1 million Izon speakers. The language is currently classified as "at risk", with a 20% certainty based on the evidence available. Izon is recognized as having been present in the region several millennia before the 15th century when the Portuguese arrived at the Nigerian coast. At present, linguists approximate that the language became established in the Niger Delta{{Cite web |date=2021-06-27 |title=Niger Delta Avengers threaten return, vow to crash economy |url=https://guardian.ng/news/niger-delta-avengers-threaten-return-vow-to-crash-economy/ |access-date=2022-03-10 |website=The Guardian Nigeria News - Nigeria and World News |language=en-US}} region{{Cite web|title=IZON: The Historical Perspective By Professor E. J. Alagoa|url=http://www.waado.org/nigerdelta/ethnichistories/Ijaw/Izon-Alagoa.html|access-date=2021-09-16|website=www.waado.org|archive-date=16 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210916150105/http://www.waado.org/nigerdelta/ethnichistories/Ijaw/Izon-Alagoa.html|url-status=dead}} as many as seven to eight thousand years ago.

The Ijo people did not call the Niger Delta region home for all of history; in fact, it is known that there have been ancient movements from far-away places/from the edges of the Niger Delta. Because of this, Izon is closely related to a variety of other languages from surrounding areas, beyond the confines of Nigeria towards the sources of the Niger River near West Africa. Linguists have traced the pre-history of Izon far back and collectively refer to its roots as proto-ijo, the language from which all existing Ijo dialects came into existence.{{Cite web |title=BRIEF HISTORY OF THE IJO PEOPLE – Ijaw (IZON) World Studies |url=https://www.ijawworldstudies.com/ijaw-ijo-historical-documentation-brief-history-of-the-ijo-people/ |access-date=2024-06-30 |language=en-GB}}

An Izon dialect classification from Blench (2019) is given as:{{Cite book|title=An Atlas of Nigerian Languages|last=Blench|first=Roger|publisher=Kay Williamson Educational Foundation|year=2019|edition=4th|location=Cambridge}}

;Ịzọn

• West: Arogbo, Fụrụpagha, W. Olodiama, Egbema, Gbaramatu, Ogulagha, Iduwini
• Central
• North
• Northeast: Gbanraịn, Kolokuma, Ekpetiama
• Northwest: Ikibiri, Ogboin, W. Tarakiri, Kabo, Kumbo, Mein, Tuomọ, Sembiri, Operemọ, Ọbọtẹbẹ, Ogbe Ịjọ
• South
• Southwest: Apọị, Koluama, Basan, E. Olodiama
• Southeast: Oiyakiri, Oporomọ, Ḅụmọ

In recent efforts to prevent the Izon language from extinction, the Bayelsa State Government has taken great preservation measures. They have employed over thirty teachers to teach the Izon language in local schools within the state.{{Cite web|date=2015-11-03|title=Bayelsa moves to save Izon language from extinction|url=https://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/11/bayelsa-moves-to-save-izon-language-from-extinction/|access-date=2021-09-16|website=Vanguard News|language=en-US}} The Commissioner for Culture and Ijaw National Affairs, Dr. Felix Tuodolo fears that because families are now teaching their children Pidgin-English, as opposed to Izon, that the language is now at critical risk for extinction. As a means of furthering the government's dedication to preserving the cultural language, a number of books have been written in Izon dialects to assist in this process.

• A voiced velar fricative [ɣ] occurs as an extra phoneme among speakers of different dialects. However, it does not exist in most dialects.
• A glottal [h] is only existent in interjections, not as a phoneme.
• /s, z/ are in free variation with postalveolar sounds [ʃ, d͡ʒ] in loanwords borrowed from English.{{Cite book|last=Williamson|first=Kay|title=A Grammar of the Kolokuma Dialect of Ịjọ|publisher=Cambridge: Cambridge University Press in association with West African Linguistic Society, University of Ibadan, Nigeria|year=1965}}{{page needed|date=July 2024}}

• The Izon language does not make singular-plural distinctions in verbs, as opposed to what is done in English. Therefore, regardless of whether or not the subject is singular or plural, the same form of the verb is used. Such a system is evident in the following examples:

In each of the four Izon sentences above, the same form of the verb "sei" (dance) is used, even when the plurality of the subject changes.

• Another interesting aspect of Izon Syntax is its Demonstrative Agreement. A variety of demonstratives are used in Izon to indicate the gender of the nouns that coincide with them. The demonstratives "bei" (this) and "u bei" (that) are used with singular-masculine nouns, for instance:

:bei ki.mi. bei (this man) bei owu bei (this masquerade)

:u bei ki.mi. bei (that man) u bei owu bei (that masquerade)

The demonstrative "ma" (this) and "u ma" (that) coincide with singular feminine nouns as follows:

:ma iyo. ro. arau. ma (this woman) u ma iyo. ro. arau. ma (that woman)

:ma ere ma (this wife) u ma ere ma (that wife)

In addition, "mi" (this) and "u mi" (that) are used with singular neuter nouns, for example:

:mi ololo mi (this bottle) u mi ololo mi (that bottle)

:mi bira mi (this hand) u mi bira mi (that hand)

When there is a plural noun present, the demonstrative "ma" (these) and "u ma" (those) are used, regardless of the gender of the noun. This can be seen in the following:

:ma ere abu ma (these wives) u ma ere abu ma (those wives)

:{{lang|ijc|ma azuru ma}} (these rooms) {{lang|ijc|u ma azuru ma}} (those rooms)

:ma akimi ma (these men) u ma akimi ma (those men)

Izon can be considered distinct from many other related languages in the region, in the sense that it follows a SOV (subject-object-verb) format, both in simple and complex sentences. Additionally, directional and locative phrases also precede the main verb. Tense marking takes the form of a suffix on the final verb. Location markers and other preposition-like articles are suffixed to the nouns that they relate to. Possessor typically precedes possessed and adjectives precede the nouns they modify.

• Eastern Apoi tribe and Western Apoi tribe
• Arogbo tribe
• Bassan tribe
• Boma tribe
• Egbema tribe
• Ekpetiama tribe
• Furupagha tribe
• Gbaran tribe
• Iduwini tribe
• Kabo tribe
• Kolokuma tribe
• Kumbo tribe
• Mein tribe
• Ogbe tribe

{{Reflist}}

• {{cite journal |last=Agheyisi |first=R. N. |year=1984 |title=Minor languages in the Nigerian context: Prospects and Problems |journal=Word |volume=35 |issue=3 |pages= 235–253 |doi=10.1080/00437956.1984.11435759}}
• {{cite journal |last=Okunrinmeta |first=U. |year=2011 |title=Izon Syntax and the English of Izon-English Bilinguals |journal=World Englishes |volume=30 |issue=2 |pages=211–228|doi=10.1111/j.1467-971X.2011.01699.x }}
• {{cite journal |last=Okunrinmeta |first=U. |year=2013 |title=Singular-Plural Distinction in Izon and Its Influence on the Teaching/Learning of Plural Formation in English |journal=Journal of Education and Learning |volume=2 |issue=2 |pages=126–138|doi=10.5539/jel.v2n2p126 |doi-access=free }}
• {{cite journal |last1=Smith |first1=N. S. |last2=Robertson |first2=I. E. |last3=Williamson |first3=K. |year=1987 |title=The Ịjọ Element in Berbice Dutch |journal=Language in Society |volume=16 |issue=1 |pages=49–89|doi=10.1017/S0047404500012124 }}
• {{cite book |last=Williamson |first=Kay |orig-year=1965 |edition=2nd |year=1969 |title=A grammar of the Kolokuma dialect of Ịjọ |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=9780521073622}}
• {{cite journal |last=Williamson |first=Kay |year=1975 |title=Metre in Ịzọn funeral dirges |journal=Ọ̀dụ̀má |volume=2 |issue=2 |pages=21–33}}
• {{cite book |last=Williamson |first=Kay |year=1991 |chapter=The tense system of Ịzọn |title=The tense systems of Nigerian languages and English |editor-first=Okon E. |editor-last=Essien |series=Afrikanistische Arbeitspapiere |volume=27 |pages=145–167}}
• {{cite book |last=Williamson |first=Kay |year=2004 |chapter=The language situation in the Niger Delta |title=The development of Ịzọn language |editor-first=Martha L. |editor-last=Akpana |pages=9–13}}
• {{cite book |editor-last1=Williamson |editor-first1=Kay |editor-first2=A. O. |editor-last2=Timitimi |year=1983 |title=Short Ịzọn–English dictionary |series=Delta Series |volume=3 |location=Port Harcourt |publisher=University of Port Harcourt Press |isbn=9789782321091}}

• {{cite journal |last1=Blench |first1=Roger |first2=Kay |last2=Williamson |title=Izon Verbal Extensions |journal=Studies in African Linguistics |volume=44 |issue=1 |year=2015 |doi=10.32473/sal.v44i1.107262 |doi-access=free }}
• {{cite book |last1=Fardon |first1=R. |last2=Furniss |first2=G. |year=1994 |title=African Languages, Development and the State}}
• {{cite book |last1=Heine |first1=B. |last2=Nurse |first2=D. |year=2000 |title=African languages: An Introduction |location=Cambridge |publisher=Cambridge University Press}}
• {{cite book |last1=Jazayery |first1=M. A. |last2=Polomé |first2=E. C. |last3=Winter |first3=W. |year=1978 |title=Linguistic and Literary studies in honor of Archibald A. Hill |volume=3: Historical and Comparative Linguistics |publisher=Mouton |oclc=5025806}}

• http://www.endangeredlanguages.com/lang/7934
• http://archive.phonetics.ucla.edu/Language/IJC/ijc_word-list_1984_04.html
• https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B7HL15LP5QbTN0lFNjl4bFFaWGM/view

{{Incubator|ijc}}{{Languages of Nigeria}}

{{Ijoid languages}}

Category:Languages of Nigeria

Category:Ijoid languages