Upper Cross River languages
Introduction The '''Upper Cross River languages''' form a branch of the Cross River languages of Cross River State, Nigeria. The most populous languages are Lokö and Mbembe, with 100,000 speakers.
Languages The internal structure per Cornell (1994), reproduced in Williamson and Blench (2000), is as follows:
Names and locations Below is a list of language names, populations, and locations from Blench (2019). Language  Branch  Cluster  Dialects  Alternate spellings  Own name for language  Endonym(s)  Other names (location-based)  Other names for language  Exonym(s)  Speakers  Location(s) Agọi     Agoi   WaGọi  Ibami  Ro Bambami  Wa Bambami  3,650 (1953); estimated 12,000 (Faraclas 1989)  Cross River State, Obubra LGA, Agoi–Ekpo, Ekom–Agoi, Agoi–Ibami and Itu–Agoi towns Kiọng         Akoiyang, Äkäyöñ, Okoyong, Okonyong   Spoken only by old people, younger generation speak Efik  Cross River State, Odukpani and Akamkpa LGAs Kọrọp      Durop, Kurop   Kòṛ óp̣   Ododop  12,500 total (1982 SIL)  Cross River State, Odukpani and Akamkpa LGAs; and in Cameroon Legbo  East–West    Gbo  Legbo  Agbo  Itigidi  Igbo Imaban   18,500 (1963); 30,000 (1973 SIL)  Cross River State, Obubra LGA; Abia State, Afikpo LGA Lenyima  East–West      Anyima    Inyima   Cross River State, Obubra LGA Leyigha  East–West      Ayiga, Yigha   Asiga   3,150 (1953)  Cross River State, Obubra LGA Lokәә  East–West   Ugep, Nkpam  Lokә, Lokö   Yakạ, Yakә, Yakurr, Yakö  Ugep    38,200 (1953); 100,000 (1973 SIL)  Cross River State, Obubra LGA Lubila  East–West      Kabila   Ojor, Kabila, Kaibre, Kabire    Cross River State, Akamkpa LGA, at Ojo Nkomba, and Ojo Akangba Mbembe  East–West   Adun, Okom (Eghom) (sub–dialects: Apiapum, Ohana, Onyen), Osopong (Ezopong), Ofombonga (Ewumbonga), Ofonokpan, Okorogbana, Ekama (Akam) in Ikom LGA, Oferikpe in Abakaliki LGA      Okam, Oderiga, Wakande, Ifunubwa, Ekokoma, Ofunobwan (per Thomas)   35,600 (1953); 100,000 (1982 UBS)  Cross River State, Obubra and Ikom LGAs; Anambra State, Abakaliki LGA Nkukoli  East–West    Nkokolle  Lokukoli   Ekuri    17,831 (1926 Talbot); 10,000 (1973 SIL)  Cross River State, Ikom, Obubra and Akamkpa LGAs, Iko Ekperem Development Area '''''Olulumọ–Ikọm cluster'''''  East–West  Olulumọ–Ikọm      Òkúní    9,250 (1953)  Cross River State, Ikom LGA Olulumọ  East–West  Olulumọ–Ikọm   Òlúlùmọ       1,730 (1953); 5,000 (Faraclas 1989)   Ikọm  East–West  Olulumọ–Ikọm         7,520 (1953); 25,000 (Faraclas 1989)   Bakpinka  East–West      Iyongiyong, Iyoniyong  Uwet   Begbungba   Cross River State, Akamkpa LGA Doko–Uyanga  East–West     Dọsanga  Basanga  Iko    Several towns  Cross River State, Akamkpa LGA '''''Ukpet–Ehom cluster'''''  East–West  Ukpet–Ehom   Akpet–Ehom        Cross River State, Akamkpa LGA Ukpet  East–West  Ukpet–Ehom    Akpet        Ehom  East–West  Ukpet–Ehom    Ubeteng  Ebeteng       Kukele  North–South   4 dialects in north, 3 in south, Ugbala, Mtezi and Mtezi–Iteeji in Anambra State, Abakaliki LGA  Ukele, Ukelle  Kukele  Bakele     31,700 (1953); 40,000 (1980 UBS)  Cross River State, Ogoja LGA; Anambra State, Abakaliki LGA; Benue State, Okpokwu and Oju LGAs; and in Cameroon '''''Ubaghara cluster'''''  North–South  Ubaghara         30,000 (1985 UBS)  Cross River State, Akamkpa LGA Biakpan  North–South  Ubaghara          Ubaghara Development Area Ikun  North–South  Ubaghara          Ubaghara Development Area Etono  North–South  Ubaghara          Ubaghara Development Area Ugbem  North–South  Ubaghara          Egup–Ita Development Area Utuma  North–South  Ubaghara          Umon Development Area Kohumono  North–South  Kohumono    KoHumono  BaHumono, sg. Òhúmónò  Ediba (under Ekurĩ (Thomas)  Ekumuru, Ìkúmúrú, Ìkúmóró (Igbo name); Àtàm (Efik name)   11,870 (1952)  Cross River State, Abi and Obubra LGA KOIN (Kalaḅarị–Okrika–Ịḅanị–Nkọrọ)  North–South  Kohumono  Kalaḅarị, Kịrịkẹ (Okrika), Ịḅanị dialects and the isolated lect Nkọrọ Kokura (Bura Kokura), belonging to the Tera cluster         Rivers State, Asari–Toru, Degema, Bonny, Okrika, and Port Harcourt LGAs '''''Oring cluster'''''  North–South  Oring   Orri  Koring      at least 25,000 (1952 RGA); 75,000 (Faraclas 1989)  Benue State, Okpokwu LGA; Anambra State, Ishielu LGA Ufia  North–South  Oring      Utonkon    12,300 (1952 RGA)  Benue State, Okpokwu LGA Ufiom  North–South  Oring   Effium       3,000 (1952 RGA)  Benue State, Okpokwu LGA; Anambra State, Ishielu LGA Okpoto  North–South  Oring         6,350 (1952 RGA)  Anambra State, Ishielu LGA Umon  North–South      Amon     25 villages  Cross River State, Akamkpa LGA Uzekwe  North–South    Ezekwe       5,000 (1973 SIL)  Cross River State, Ogoja LGA '''''Agwagwune cluster'''''  North–South  Agwagwune   Agwa–Gwunɛ       20,000 (SIL)  Cross River State, Akamkpa LGA Agwagwune  North–South  Agwagwune    Gwune  Agwagwune  Akunakuna (not recommended), Akurakura (of Koelle)     Cross River State, Akamkpa LGA, Egup–Ipa Development Area Erei  North–South  Agwagwune     Ezei   Enna    Cross River State, Akamkpa LGA, Erei Development Area Abini  North–South  Agwagwune   Bini, Abiri  Obini       Cross River State, Akamkpa LGA, Egup–Ipa Development Area Adim  North–South  Agwagwune   Arәm, Dim  Odim    Orum    Cross River State, Akamkpa LGA, Egup–Ipa Development Area Abayongo  North–South  Agwagwune   Bayono, Bayino        Cross River State, Akamkpa LGA, Egup–Ipa Development Area Etono II  North–South  Agwagwune     Etuno      Cross River State, Akamkpa LGA, Ubaghara Development Area
Reconstruction A reconstruction of Proto-Upper Cross River has been proposed by Gerrit Dimmendaal (1978).
See also *List of Proto-Upper Cross River reconstructions (Wiktionary)
References
External links * ComparaLex, database with Upper Cross River word lists