Odual language
Encyclopedia
Onu Odual is a poorly studied Central Delta language
spoken by the Odual community in the Abua–Odual Local Government Area of Rivers State
, Nigeria
. The Odual community is divided into three major groups, Adibaam, Arughunya and Abureni groups. The Adibaam group comprises Adada, Emelego, Ogboloma and Okolomade; the Arughunya group comprises Ekunuga, Anyu, Emaarikpoko, Obedum and Odau, while the Abureni group comprises Akani, Amuruto and Emago-Kugbo (cf. Gardner et al. 1974 and Comson 1987). Comson (1987: viii), citing the Rivers State of Nigeria Ministry of Economic Development and planning (1983), puts the population of Odual at 30,028.
The Odual Clan is bounded in the east by Abua villages of Ogbema, Arukwo, Ogbogolo, in the west by Oloibiri, Amurukeni in Ogbia (in Bayelsa State
of Nigeria), in the north by Oruma, Ibelebiri, Kolo (also in Ogbia), and in the south by Nembe town of Oluasiri, Bassambiri, Ekpoma, Ogbolomabiri (also in Bayelsa State of Nigeria), etc. (Comson 1987:vii). Odual is not spoken by all the communities that make up the Odual Clan. The communities that do not speak Odual are those that belong to the Abureni group. These communities speak Kugbo, a Delta Cross language that is coordinate with Odual (Comson 1987: xii). In addition to Odual, some speakers in the Adibaam group also understand and speak Abuan, Kugbo, Nembe, Kalabari and Ogbia (Kolo Creek), some speakers in the Arughunya group also understand and speak Ogbia, Nembe and Kalabari. Speakers of the Odual language call themselves Ikpetemonu Odual, meaning "speakers of the Odual language". A speaker of this language is called Okpetemonu Odual.
Odual is coordinate with other Central Delta languages such as Abuan, Kugbo, Mini, Obulom, Ogbia, Ogbogolo and Ogbronuagum (Faraclas 1989:381). These languages with which Odual is coordinate are also spoken in Rivers State of Nigeria, except Ogbia, which is spoken in Bayelsa State of Nigeria. There is a dearth of scholarly linguistic literature on these languages in comparison with languages such as Degema, Kalabari, Obolo, and Izon. The major linguistic studies on Odual are Comson (1987), Madumere (2006), and Kari (2009). Other materials on Odual include Gardner et al. (1974), Gardner (1975), and Kari (2007a, 2007b).
Cross River languages
The Cross River or Delta–Cross languages are a branch of the Benue–Congo language family in south-easternmost Nigeria posited by Joseph Greenberg...
spoken by the Odual community in the Abua–Odual Local Government Area of Rivers State
Rivers State
Rivers State is one of the 36 states of Nigeria. Its capital is Port Harcourt. It is bounded on the South by the Atlantic Ocean, to the North by Imo, Abia and Anambra States, to the East by Akwa Ibom State and to the West by Bayelsa and Delta states...
, Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
. The Odual community is divided into three major groups, Adibaam, Arughunya and Abureni groups. The Adibaam group comprises Adada, Emelego, Ogboloma and Okolomade; the Arughunya group comprises Ekunuga, Anyu, Emaarikpoko, Obedum and Odau, while the Abureni group comprises Akani, Amuruto and Emago-Kugbo (cf. Gardner et al. 1974 and Comson 1987). Comson (1987: viii), citing the Rivers State of Nigeria Ministry of Economic Development and planning (1983), puts the population of Odual at 30,028.
The Odual Clan is bounded in the east by Abua villages of Ogbema, Arukwo, Ogbogolo, in the west by Oloibiri, Amurukeni in Ogbia (in Bayelsa State
Bayelsa State
Bayelsa State is a state in southern Nigeria in the core Niger Delta region, between Delta State and Rivers State. Its capital is Yenagoa. The language spoken here is Ijaw language and dialects of the Ijaw language such as Nembe, Atissa, Akassa, Ogbia, etc. However, like the rest of Nigeria,...
of Nigeria), in the north by Oruma, Ibelebiri, Kolo (also in Ogbia), and in the south by Nembe town of Oluasiri, Bassambiri, Ekpoma, Ogbolomabiri (also in Bayelsa State of Nigeria), etc. (Comson 1987:vii). Odual is not spoken by all the communities that make up the Odual Clan. The communities that do not speak Odual are those that belong to the Abureni group. These communities speak Kugbo, a Delta Cross language that is coordinate with Odual (Comson 1987: xii). In addition to Odual, some speakers in the Adibaam group also understand and speak Abuan, Kugbo, Nembe, Kalabari and Ogbia (Kolo Creek), some speakers in the Arughunya group also understand and speak Ogbia, Nembe and Kalabari. Speakers of the Odual language call themselves Ikpetemonu Odual, meaning "speakers of the Odual language". A speaker of this language is called Okpetemonu Odual.
Odual is coordinate with other Central Delta languages such as Abuan, Kugbo, Mini, Obulom, Ogbia, Ogbogolo and Ogbronuagum (Faraclas 1989:381). These languages with which Odual is coordinate are also spoken in Rivers State of Nigeria, except Ogbia, which is spoken in Bayelsa State of Nigeria. There is a dearth of scholarly linguistic literature on these languages in comparison with languages such as Degema, Kalabari, Obolo, and Izon. The major linguistic studies on Odual are Comson (1987), Madumere (2006), and Kari (2009). Other materials on Odual include Gardner et al. (1974), Gardner (1975), and Kari (2007a, 2007b).