| Izon | |
|---|---|
| Ịzọn | |
| Native to | Nigeria |
| Region | Rivers State, Bayelsa, Delta, Ondo and Edo States |
| Ethnicity | Ijaw |
Native speakers | 2.4 million (2020)[1] |
| Latin | |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | ijc |
| Glottolog | izon1238 |
| ELP | Izon |
Izon (Ịzọn), also known as (Central–Western) Ijo, Ijaw, Izo and Uzo, is the dominant Ijaw language, spoken by a majority of the Ijaw people of Nigeria.[2][3]
There are about thirty dialects, all mutually intelligible, of which there are Gbanran, Ekpetiama and Kolokuma etc. Kolokuma is the language of education.[1]
In June 2013, the Izon Fie instructional book and audio CDs were launched at a ceremony attended by officials of the government of Bayelsa State.[4] The government of Bayelsa State official employed 30 teachers to teach the Izon language in primary schools in the state in order to save the language from extinction.[5]
- ^ a b Izon at Ethnologue (25th ed., 2022)
- ^ "Who are the Izons | Izon Ebi Association". Retrieved 30 June 2024.
- ^ "Being Ijaw in the UK: An oddity among fellow Nigerian youth". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 11 April 2022.
- ^ Garba, Kabir Alabi (8 June 2013). "Izon Fie… Popularising An Indigenous Tongue". The Guardian Nigeria. Retrieved 15 June 2013.
- ^ "Bayelsa moves to save Izon language from extinction". Vanguard News. 3 November 2015. Retrieved 18 September 2021.
