Williamson and Blench conclude that the Nuclear Igboid languages (Igboid apart from Ekpeye) form a "language cluster" and that they are somewhat mutually intelligible.[1] However, mutual intelligibility is only marginal, even among the Izii–Ikwo–Ezaa–Mgbo languages. Igboid languages are being spoken by nearly 40 million people.[2]
Names and locations
Below is a list of language names, populations, and locations from Blench (2019).[3]
^Blench, Roger (2019). An Atlas of Nigerian Languages (4th ed.). Cambridge: Kay Williamson Educational Foundation.
^Forde, C.D. and G.I. Jones 1950. The Ibo and Ibibio speaking peoples of Southern Nigeria. Ethnographic Survey of Africa. Western Africa part III. International African Institute, London.
^Clark, David J. 1969. A grammatical study of Ekpeye. University of London doctoral dissertation.