Eloyi, or Afu (Afo), is a Plateau language of uncertain classification. It is spoken by the Eloyi people of Agatu LGA and Otukpo LGA of Benue State and Nassarawa State in Nigeria.
| Eloyi | |
|---|---|
| Afu | |
| Native to | Nigeria |
| Region | Benue State, Nassarawa State |
Native speakers | 100,000 (2021)[1] |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | afo |
| Glottolog | eloy1241 |
Classification edit
Armstrong (1955, 1983) classified Eloyi as Idomoid, but that identification was based on a single word list and Armstrong later expressed doubts. All other preliminary accounts classify it as Plateau, and Blench (2008) leaves it as a separate branch of Plateau.
Blench (2007)[2] considers Eloyi to be a divergent Plateau language that has undergone Idomoid influence, rather than vice versa.
References edit
- ^ Eloyi at Ethnologue (25th ed., 2022)
- ^ Blench, Roger. 2007. The Eloyi language of Central Nigeria and its affinities.
- Blench (2008) Prospecting proto-Plateau. Manuscript.
External links edit
- ComparaLex, database with Eloyi word list