Idoma

1. Classification / Classification

Idoma, along with Eloyi, Igede, Akatye Yatye, and Etulo, belongs to the Idomoid or Idoma-Etulo Group of Kwa. (Webbook)

Ethnologue lists the classification as: Niger-Congo, Atlantic-Congo, Volta-Congo, Benue-Congo, Idomoid, Akweya, Etulo-Idoma, Idoma

Agatu (Ochekwu), Alago (Idoma Nokwu), Igede and Yala have the same categorization as Idoma in Ethnologue, and all but Igede are listed as dialects of Idoma by the Webbook, so they are also included here.

2. Where Spoken / Localisation géographique

Idoma is spoken primarily within the Cross River and Benue states, Nigeria. (Webbook)

3. Number of Speakers / Nombre de locuteurs

According to Ethnologue:

• Idoma: 600,000 (1991 UBS)
• Agatu: 70,000 (1987 UBS)
• Alago: 35,052 (2000)
• Igede: 250,000 (1991 UBS)
• Yala: 50,000 (1973 SIL)

4. Dialect Survey / Enquête de dialecte

Although no exhaustive dialect survey has come to our attention, Armstrong reports in "The Idomoid Languages ..."(Journal of West African Languages, 1980) that Idoma has ten dialects (Keana, Idoma Nokwu, Agatu, Central, Western, Southern, Okpoga, Yala-Ogoja, Yala-Ikom, and Yala-Obura). (Webbook)

According to information compiled from Ethnologue:

• Idoma
  • Idoma Central (Oturkpo, Akpoto)
  • Idoma West
  • Idoma South (Igumale, Igwaale, Ijigbam)
  • Okpogu
• Agatu - Member of the Idoma dialect cluster.
• Alago
  • Doma
  • Agwatashi
  • Keana
  • Assaikio
• Igede
  • Ito
  • Oju (Central Igede)
  • Worku
  • Gabu
• Yala
  • Nkum (Yala Ikom)
  • Nkum Akpambe (Yala Obubra)
  • Yala Ogoja

5. Usage / Utilisation

Ethnologue includes the following notes on Idoma: "Official language. Used in adult education. ... Taught in primary schools. Radio programs. TV."

6. Orthography / Orthographe

6.1 Status / Statut

The Idoma orthography status is unknown to us as of this writing. (Webbook) [need updated info!] It would be Latin-based. The sources cited in this section (6) indicate varying orthographies.

6.2 Sample Alphabet / Alphabet exemple

Alphabet of Igede as reported by Hartell (1993):

• presented in Systèmes alphabétiques: http://sumale.vjf.cnrs.fr/phono/AfficheTableauOrtho2N.php?choixLangue=igede
• image from the book on the Rosetta Project site: http://www.rosettaproject.org/archive/ige/ortho-1

Sample texts are shown on the "Language Museum" site for:

• Idoma http://www.language-museum.com/i/idoma.htm
• Igede http://www.language-museum.com/i/igede.htm

7. Use in ICT / Utilisation dans les TIC

7.1 Fonts / Polices

7.2 Keyboard layouts / Dispositions de clavier

7.3 Content on computers & internet / Contenu en informatique et sur l'Internet

7.4 Localized software / Logiciels localisés

None known of.

7.5 Language codes / Codes de langue

Idoma:

• ISO 639-1: -
• ISO 639-2: -
• ISO/DIS 639-3: idu

Agatu:

• ISO/DIS 639-3: agc

Alago:

• ISO/DIS 639-3: ala

Igede:

• ISO/DIS 639-3: ige

Yala:

• ISO/DIS 639-3: yba

7.6 Other / Autre

8. Localisation resources / Ressources pour localisation

8.1 Individuals (experts) / Individuelles (experts)

8.2 Institutions / Institutions

8.3 On the internet / Sur la toile

9. Comments / Remarques

Might Idoma be considered a "macrolanguage" for locales and some kinds of localisation? Or do the variants covered in this category have a relationship analogous to Efik, Ibibio and Anaang, which are very close but have differences enough to be reflected in orthographies?

10. References / Références

Chanard, Christian (2006), Systèmes alphabétiques des langues africaines, LLACAN, CNRS, http://sumale.vjf.cnrs.fr/phono/

Dwyer, David, (1997), Webbook of African Languages, http://www.isp.msu.edu/AfrLang/hiermenu.html (page on "Idoma," http://www.isp.msu.edu/AfrLang/Idoma_root.html )

Hartell, Rhonda L., ed. (1993), The Alphabets of Africa. Dakar: UNESCO and SIL. (The French edition, published the same year, is entitled Alphabets de Langues Africaines).

SIL International, Ethnologue: Languages of the World, "Agatu," http://www.ethnologue.com/show_language.asp?code=agc

______, "Alago," http://www.ethnologue.com/show_language.asp?code=ala

______, "Idoma," http://www.ethnologue.com/show_language.asp?code=idu

______, "Igede," http://www.ethnologue.com/show_language.asp?code=ige

______, "Yala," http://www.ethnologue.com/show_language.asp?code=yba

SIL International, "ISO 639 Code Tables," http://www.sil.org/iso639-3/codes.asp

U.S. Library of Congress, "ISO 639.2," http://www.loc.gov/standards/iso639-2/englangn.html

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