Kalabari is an
Ijo language
The Izon languages (), otherwise known as the Ịjọ languages, are the languages spoken by the Izon people in southern Nigeria.
Classification
The Ijo languages were traditionally considered a distinct branch of the Niger–Congo family (pe ...
of
Nigeria
Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf of G ...
spoken in
Rivers State
Rivers State, also known as Rivers, is a state in the Niger Delta region of southern Nigeria (Old Eastern Region). Formed in 1967, when it was split from the former Eastern Region, Rivers State borders include: Imo to the north, Abia and Akwa I ...
and
Bayelsa State
Bayelsa is one of the states in the South-South region of Nigeria, located in the core of the Niger Delta region. Bayelsa State was created in 1996 and was carved out from Rivers State, making it one of the newest states in the federation. Y ...
by the
Awome people. Its three dialects are
mutually intelligible. The Kalabari dialect (Kalabari proper) is one of the best-documented varieties of Ijo, and as such is frequently used as the prime example of Ijo in linguistic literature.
As of 2005, the language, "spoken by 258,000 people,
asendangered largely because of the massive relocation that has taken place in the area due to the development of Nigeria's oil industry in the
Port Harcourt region."
The Kalabari language became the basis of
Berbice
Berbice is a region along the Berbice River in Guyana, which was between 1627 and 1792 a colony of the Dutch West India Company and between 1792 to 1815 a colony of the Dutch state. After having been ceded to the United Kingdom of Great Britain ...
, a
Dutch Creole spoken in Eastern
Guyana.
Kalabari-language words have been proposed for some modern technical terms.
Dialects
Kalabari is spoken south of
Port Harcourt.
Ibani is spoken southeast of Port Harcourt, in the
Bonny local government area and in
Opobo.
Kirike is spoken in Port Harcourt and the local government areas of
Okrika and
Ogu–Bolo.
Writing system
See also
*
Defaka word list (Wiktionary)
References
External links
Kalabari - English Dictionary*
*
*
Languages of Nigeria
Ijoid languages
Indigenous languages of Rivers State
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