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Language

Igbo

Other Niger-Congo Languages

Igbo is the principal native language of the Igbo people, an ethnicity in the Southeastern part of Nigeria.

Facts
ISO 639-3 Code
ibo 2
Speaker Count
34,000,000 2
2023 estimate, native speakers.
Status
Living 2
Wikipedia article on Igbo: a currently spoken living language with an active native-speaker population; checked 2026-09-27.
Attested From (Year)
from 1777 3
Region
Igboland: Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, Imo; native speakers are also found in parts of Delta State and Rivers State 2
Classification
Language Kind
Safe 1
Official Status
National Language (Symbolic, Not Sole Official) 2
Connections

In Family

Source Wikipedia: Igbo Language
Source Wikipedia: Igbo Language

Written In

Latin Script, Scripts

Igbo is standardly written in the Latin alphabet (Onwu orthography).

In the Other Atlases

Cases Where Used

Also in Society and Culture Atlas: used in this subject.

Original Language Of

Also in Film and Media Atlas: a work originally in this language.

Found In

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Source Glottolog
Sources
1. Glottolog: Igbo (Glottolog languoid nucl1417)
GlottologEndangerment, AES status
Quote, Endangerment, AES status
AES status: not endangered
View the Source
2. Wikipedia: Igbo Language
Wikimedia Foundation
  • Lead section
    Igbo (English: EE-boh, US also IG-boh; Standard Igbo: Ásụ̀sụ́ Ìgbò [ásʊ̀sʊ̀ ìɡ͡bò] ) is the principal native language of the Igbo people, an ethnicity in the Southeastern part of Nigeria.
  • Infobox: iso2
    ibo
  • Infobox: date
    2023
  • Infobox, Region
    Igboland: Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, Imo; native speakers are also found in parts of Delta State and Rivers State
  • Infobox, Official language in
    national status
  • In Family: Atlantic-Congo, Infobox: fam2
    Atlantic-Congo
  • In Family: Igboid languages, Infobox, Language family
    Igboid
View the Source
3. Omniglot: Igbo language, alphabet and pronunciation
OmniglotLanguage at a glance
Quote, Language at a glance
First written : 1777
View the Source
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