Rivers is a multilingual and multicultural state, which is representative of the ethno-linguistic and cultural diversity of the Nigerian nation.
Put Harcourt, Rivers state’s canal and largest city
Rivers State has 28 native or indigenous languages that are spoken across the state’s 23 Local Government Areas (LGAs).
The languages fall into two major sub-families (Benue-Congo and Ijoid) within the Niger-Congo phylum.
Rivers languages are not evenly distributed across the LGAs and many indigenous people of the state are bilingual or multilingual in the languages.
The Government of Rivers State of Nigeria recognises 24 indigenous languages of the state, excluding Ḅille, Ịḅanị-Igbo, Nkọrọọ and Ogbogolo.
It lumps together Aḅureni and Kụgbọ and refers to them as Aḅureni (Kugbo). Linguistically, Aḅureni (Mini) and Kụgbọ are considered two separate languages.
Indigenous languages of Rivers State, listed in alphabetical order Abuan, Aḅureni (Mini), Baan-Ogoi, Ḅille, Defaka, Degema, Egbema, Echie, Ẹkpẹyẹ, Eleme, Ẹngẹnnị, Gokana, Ịḅanị, Ikwere, Kalaḅarị, Kana, Kịrịkẹ, Kụgbọ, Ndọkị, Ndọnị, Nkọrọọ, Obolo, Obulom, Oḍual, Ogbah, Ogbogolo, Ogbronụagum (Ḅukuma) and Tẹẹ.
Many of the indigenous languages of the state do not have much written in or on them. Among the languages that have relatively been documented are Abuan, Degema, Echie, Kalaḅarị, Kana, Oḍual and Ogbronu
Rivers state languages per local government area Many of the LGAs have only one indigenous language. For example, Ahoada East, Akuku-Toru and Andoni have only Ẹkpẹyẹ, Kalaḅarị and Obolo respectively as their languages.
In some instances, one language is spoken in two or more LGAs. This is the case in Akuku-Toru and Asari-Toru, Emohua, Ikwerre and Obio/Akpor, and Ogu/Bolo and Okrika LGAs, for instance, which have Kalaḅarị, Ikwere and Kịrịkẹ respectively as their languages.
Some LGAs have two or more languages spoken therein. This scenario is exemplified by Abua/Odual, Ahoada West, Degema, Gokana, Opobo/Nkoro and Port Harcourt LGAs.
Two languages (Baan-Ogoi and Gokana) are found in Gokana LGA, as many as four languages are found in Abua/Odual (Abuan, Ab ̣ureni (Mini), Kụgbọ and Oḍual), Degema (Ḅille, Degema, Kalaḅari and Ogbronụagum) and Port Harcourt (Ikwere, Kalaḅarị, Kịrịke ̣and Obulom,) LGAs.
Abua/Odual, Degema and Port Harcourt LGAs boast the highest number of languages in the 23 LGAs of the state
Dialect Abuan, Baan-Ogoi, Degema, Echie, Ẹkpẹyẹ, Eleme, Ẹngẹnnị, Gokana, Ikwere, Kana, Obolo, Oḍual and Ogbah are the only languages of the state that have dialects.
Ikwere has the highest number of dialects among the languages of the state.
Rivers State languages that have no dialects are Aḅureni (Mini), Ḅille, Defaka, Egbema, Ịḅanị, Kalaḅarị, Kịrịkẹ, Kụgbọ, Ndọkị, Ndọnị, Nkọrọọ, Obulom, Ogbogolo, Ogbronụagum (Ḅukuma) and Tẹẹ.
Language & dialect explained It is sometimes difficult to distinguish between language and dialect.
The difference between language and dialect lies in the fact that two or more languages are usually not mutually intelligible but that dialects are, in most cases, because they are variations of the same language.
