Tiv

1. Classification / Classification

Tiv is a member of the Bantoid subgroup of Benue-Congo. (Webbook)

Ethnologue lists the classification as: Niger-Congo, Atlantic-Congo, Volta-Congo, Benue-Congo, Bantoid, Southern, Tivoid

2. Where Spoken / Localisation géographique

It is spoken in the eastern part of Nigeria, particularly in Benue State. (Webbook)

3. Number of Speakers / Nombre de locuteurs

According to Ethnologue:

• 2,212,000 in Nigeria (1991 UBS)
• Few speakers in Cameroon

4. Dialect Survey / Enquête de dialecte

No thorough dialect survey has been carried out to our knowledge. Tiv is generally considered to represent one language with minor dialectal differences. (Webbook)

5. Usage / Utilisation

Tiv is a prominent local language. It is also used in initial primary education (Grimes 1996). (Webbook)

Used as a language of wider communication. ... Taught in primary schools (Ethnologue)

6. Orthography / Orthographe

6.1 Status / Statut

Tiv orthography is being revised and reviewed by a government commission. Presently, tone markings exist in Tiv only where words would be ambiguous. (Webbook) [needs update!]

It is Latin-based and apparently includes diacritic characters. [verify]]

6.2 Sample Alphabet / Alphabet exemple

A sample text is shown on the "Language Museum" site: http://www.language-museum.com/t/tiv.htm (this is a section of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights - verify! if this is correct orthography)

Some text (Book of Genesis) is provided on the Rosetta Project site: http://www.rosettaproject.org/archive/tiv/view?searchterm=Tiv

7. Use in ICT / Utilisation dans les TIC

7.1 Fonts / Polices

Unicode fonts with extended Latin ranges are probably necessary.

7.2  Keyboard layouts / Dispositions de clavier

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

Universal Declaration of Human Rights: http://www.unhchr.ch/udhr/lang/tiv.htm

7.4 Localized software / Logiciels localisés

No localisation efforts known of.

7.5 Language codes / Codes de langue

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

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

Tiv Internet Project http://www.tivnation.com/

9. Comments / Remarques

10. References / Références

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

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

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

U.S. Library of Congress, "ISO 639.2: Codes for the Representation of Names of Languages: Alpha-3 codes arranged alphabetically by the English name of language," http://www.loc.gov/standards/iso639-2/php/English_list.php

Wikipedia, "Tiv language," http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiv_language

< Tigrinya | Major Languages | Tsonga >