| Isoko | |
|---|---|
| Region | Nigeria |
| Ethnicity | Isoko |
Native speakers | 680,000 (2020)[1] |
Niger–Congo?
| |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | iso |
| Glottolog | isok1239 |
Isoko[2] is one of the languages inDelta State[3] spoken by theIsoko people in Isoko South, North and part ofNdokwa East Local Government Areas[4] of Delta State,[5]Southern part of Nigeria inNiger Deltaregion.[6] It is also spoken in some part ofBayelsa. Isoko is anEdoid language[7] The Isoko people are "an ethnic nationality made up of people and their ancestral roots can be traced through history to theBenin (Aka) kingdom, attested to by thelinguistic and cultural similarities that exist between the Isoko people and the Benin (Aka)people" although a few of the Isoko communities or clans have theirorigins attached to theIbo language andUrhobo language. Some 750,000 people consider themselves Isoko.[8] Language[9] is a mark of identity and plays an all-important role in the life of a people. The Isoko language[10] however, is being threatened with extinction as reported by Idudhe (2002), as a result of neglect in teaching, learning and use.[11] The Isoko language[12] has about 20 to 21 dialects, but the Aviara/Uzere dialect is the standard dialect of the language.[13][citation needed]
Michael A. Marioghae, working withPeter Ladefoged in 1962, made one of a few audio recordings of sampleIsoko words that are made available at theUCLA phonetics archive.[14]
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