Ebira

1.  Classification / Classification

Ebira (formerly known as Igbera) belongs to the Nupe-Gbari Group of Kwa. (Webbook?)

Ethnologue? lists the classification as: Niger-Congo, Atlantic-Congo, Volta-Congo, Benue-Congo, Nupoid, Ebira-Gade

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2.  Where Spoken / Localisation géographique

It is spoken in Bendel, Plateau, and Kwara states of Nigeria. (Webbook)

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3.  Number of Speakers / Nombre de locuteurs

1,000,000 (1989 J. Adive) (Ethnologue)

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4.  Dialect Survey / Enquête de dialecte

As of this writing, no dialect survey is known. (Webbook)

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5.  Usage / Utilisation

Ebira is a regional language and has gained importance because of the large iron ore mining project in Kwara State. (Webbook)

Vigorous. Speakers of other languages use Ebira to communicate with Ebira people. Taught as a subject at the College of Education. All domains. Used in administration, commerce, oral and written use in religious services. Positive language attitude. 10% bilingual in Yoruba, Hausa, English, or Igara. ... High literacy motivation. Taught in primary schools. (Ethnologue)

Literacy rate (according to Ethnologue, accessed 2007):

• L1: 5% to 10%
• L2: 25%

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6.  Orthography / Orthographe

6.1  Status / Statut

As of this writing, we know of no established orthography. (Webbook) [this needs to be updated]

6.2  Sample Alphabet / Alphabet exemple

Alphabet as reported by Hartell (1993) and presented in Systèmes alphabétiques: http://sumale.vjf.cnrs.fr/phono/AfficheTableauOrtho2N.php?choixLangue=ebira

Sample text on the "Language Museum" site: http://www.language-museum.com/e/ebira.htm

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7.  Use in ICT / Utilisation dans les TIC

7.1  Fonts / Polices

7.2  Keyboards / Claviers

Keyboard Layouts / Dispositions de clavier

Production Keyboards / Claviers de production

Lancor's "KỌNYIN" keyboard for Windows includes all needed characters for Ebira - http://www.konyin.com/

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

• ISO 639-1: -
• ISO 639-2: -
• ISO 639-3: igb

7.6  Other / Autre

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8.  Localisation resources / Ressources pour localisation

8.1  Individuals (experts) / Individuelles (experts)

8.2  Institutions / Institutions

8.3  On the internet / Sur la toile

• Latin & diacritic character picker http://people.w3.org/rishida/scripts/pickers/latin/

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9.  Comments / Remarques

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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://africa.isp.msu.edu/afrlang/hiermenu.html (page on "Ebira (Igbera)," http://africa.isp.msu.edu/afrlang/Ebira-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, "Ebira," http://www.ethnologue.com/language/igb

SIL International, "ISO 639 Code Tables," http://www-01.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, "Ebira_language," https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ebira_language

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Categories: Languages, Nigeria