Tivoid languages
Language Alternate spellings Speakers Location ( s )
Abon Abong Only spoken in Abong town Taraba State , Sardauna LGA , Abong town ( east of Baissa )
Batu cluster 25,000 ( SIL ) Taraba State , Sardauna LGA , several villages east of Baissa , below the Mambila escarpment
Amanda-Afi cluster Taraba State , Sardauna LGA , Batu Amanda and Batu Afi villages
Angwe Taraba State , Sardauna LGA , Batu Angwe village
Kamino Taraba State , Sardauna LGA , Batu Kamino village
Emane Amana No proof of permanent communities in Nigeria Cross River State , Obudu LGA ; and in Cameroon
Evant Avande , Evand , Ovande Cross River State , Obudu LGA and in Cameroon
Iceve cluster 5,000 in Nigeria , 7,000 in Cameroon ( 1990 est . ) Cross River State , Obudu LGA and in adjacent Cameroon
Ceve Icheve , Becheve , Bacheve , Bechere , Cross River State , Obudu LGA and mainly in adjacent Cameroon
Maci Matchi Cross River State , Obudu LGA
Iyive Uive 2,000 Benue State , Kwande LGA , near Turan ; and in Cameroon ( several villages in Manyu Département )
Otank Utanga , Otanga 2,000 ( 1953 Bohannan ) ; 2,500 ( SIL ) Cross River State , Obudu LGA ; Benue State , Kwande LGA
Tiv Tív , Tivi 800,000 ( 1952 ) ; 1,500,000 ( 1980 UBS ) Benue State , Makurdi , Gwer , Gboko Kwande , Vandeikya and Katsina Ala LGAs ; Nasarawa State , Lafia LGA ; Taraba State , Wukari , Takum , Bali LGA ; and in Cameroon
Ugarә 5000 ( 1994 est . ) Cassetta & Cassetta ( 1994 ) : Probably 75 - 80% of Ugare speakers live on the Cameroon side of the border , in the Akwaya subdivision of Cameroon s Southwest Province
Bitare 3,700 in Cameroon ( 1987 SIL ) ; 3,000 in Nigeria ( 1973 SIL ) Taraba State ; Sardauna LGA , near Baissa ; and in Cameroon
Ambo A single village east of Baissa Taraba State , Sardauna LGA
Names and locations ( Nigeria )
Below is a list of Tivoid language names , populations , and locations ( in Nigeria only ) from Blench ( 2019 ) . [ 4 ]
The Tivoid languages are a subfamily of the Southern Bantoid languages spoken in parts of Nigeria and Cameroon. The majority are threatened with extinction. The largest of these languages by far is the Tiv language for which the group is named; it had 2 million speakers in 1991. The second largest is the Bitare language; it had 110,000 speakers in 2000. Most apart from Tiv are extremely poorly known, and the next best, Esimbi, has not even been demonstrated to be Tivoid.