Defoid languages
Defoid includes Yoruboid and Akokoid. The largest Yoruboid language
is Yoruba, which is spoken in most of Oyo, Ogun, Ondo Osun, Kwara, and
Lagos states; and western LGA's of Kogi State by about 20 million people.
Other well known Yoruboid languages are Igala and Itsekiri. Akokoid is
made up of a cluster of small languages referred to as "Arigidi" cluster
in Crozier and Blench (1992). They are spoken in Akoko North LGA of Ondo
State, hence the name Akokoid. Almost all ethnic groups in this branch
refer to Ife as their origin, thus the name Defoid was suggested for it,
which is coined from èdè ('language')+ ìfè
(Ife) + oid.
Dr. Uwe Seibert
Department of Languages and Linguistics
Faculty of Arts
University of Jos
Email address: seibertu@unijos.edu.ng
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