Igbo language
| Igbo | |
|---|---|
| Ásụ̀sụ́ Ìgbò | |
| Pronunciation | [ásʊ̀sʊ̀ ìɡ͡bò] ⓘ |
| Native to | Nigeria |
| Region | Igboland: Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi,Rivers State, Enugu, Imo, Delta |
| Ethnicity | Igbo |
Native speakers | 31 million (2020) |
Standard forms |
|
| Latin (Ọnwụ alphabet) Nwagu Aneke script Neo-Nsibidi Ndebe script Igbo Braille Akagụ Script | |
| Official status | |
Official language in | |
Recognised minority language in | |
| Regulated by | Society for Promoting Igbo Language and Culture |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-1 | ig |
| ISO 639-2 | ibo |
| ISO 639-3 | ibo |
| Glottolog | nucl1417 |
| Linguasphere | 98-GAA-a |
Complete Map of Igboland based on historical sources. | |
| People | Ṇ́dị́ Ìgbò |
|---|---|
| Language | Ásụ̀sụ́ Ìgbò |
| Country | Àlà Ị̀gbò |
Igbo (English: /ˈiːboʊ/ EE-boh, US also /ˈɪɡboʊ/ I-gboh; Standard Igbo: Ásụ̀sụ́ Ìgbò [ásʊ̀sʊ̀ ìɡ͡bò] ⓘ) is the principal native language cluster of the Igbo people, an ethnicity in the Southeastern part of Nigeria.
Igbo languages are spoken by a total of 31 million people. The number of Igboid languages depends on how one classifies a language versus a dialect, so there could be around 35 different Igbo languages. The core Igbo cluster, or Igbo proper, is generally thought to be one language but there is limited mutual intelligibility between the different groupings (north, west, south and east). A standard literary language termed 'Igbo izugbe' (meaning "general igbo") was generically developed and later adopted around 1972, with its core foundation based on the Orlu (Isu dialects), Anambra (Awka dialects) and Umuahia (Ohuhu dialects), omitting the nasalization and aspiration of those varieties.